The center of hull is the resultant of the hydrodynamic forces exerted on the living structures (keel or daggerboard and rudder). It is a kind of center of gravity of the hull (in yellow in our diagrams).
The canopy center corresponds to the same thing, but at the level of the sails (in red in our diagrams).
There is a balance of forces when the two centers are aligned. If they are out of alignment, the boat tends to luff or strike.
Burning Sailboat
If the center of sail moves aft, the boat will tend to luff. It is said to be fiery. The mainsail is too powerful in relation to the jib.
To correct the problem, you can start by easing the mainsail. If it was already well trimmed, the size of the mainsail can be adjusted by reefing. You can also increase the size of the jib to rebalance the forces. Other actions such as flattening the mainsail will also give it less power (tensioning the halyard, reefing the foot, using the Cunningham).
Soft sailboat
A soft boat is the opposite of a fiery boat. The center of sail is shifted forward. The boat always has a tendency to strike.
As in the previous case, we must act on the sails to solve this situation. We can ease the jib or tuck the mainsail, reduce the size of the jib, flatten the jib to give it less power.
euros the helm a soft boat is not very pleasant. It is said that the helm "does not speak", that it does not send any feeling to the helmsman. A neutral boat has the advantage that the rudder is always in line with the boat and does not slow down the boat. A fiery boat offers a resistance in the helm that will require effort from the helmsman. Newcomers may think they are going fast because they are pulling on the rudder, but this is not the case. Crossing the road slows the helm down
In summary, to maintain a good balance and to optimize performance and comfort at the helm, you should try to work on the surface and the adjustment of the sails.
