Fairly new to RC sailing.

I had discovered that in light wind my sail boat tended to turn slightly upwind on gusts then settles back to the original line.

However today sailing in steady moderate wind I noticed it was very difficult to turn. When trying to tack, the boat would initially turn quickly up wind to a close reach then be blown towards downwind again, and continue along the original path. Upon trying to jibe I would encounter the same (although opposite) thing. Even with a fair amount of way on the rudder seemed to have little effect once I had turned anywhere outside of beam reach.

I watched as my boat made it's way further and further from the shore, refusing to turn back.

Is this the effect of sailing with too much wind, or is there an issue with my rigging?<br type="_moz" />

As you start to make the tack, bring the sails in; or in a jibe, let them out. This powers you through the turn.
Be sure that the slot is correct; about 12 degrees from the centreline for the jib, and 5 degrees for the main.
Rough rule of thumb- point jib at sidestays and main boom at corner of transom.
Make the turn as fast as you can without stalling the rudder.
In light airs, ease away from the tack to pick up speed before making the turn.

Good luck and happy sailing!

Edward.

Islander is correct - the idea is that the fore stalls before the main, which continues to supply drive closer to wind and at the same time gives the stern a sideways push.  By the time that the main stalls, there should be enough inertia to carry the bow across the wind, after which the boat falls away and allows the sails to refill and drive off on the opposite tack.<div>Either too much sail for the conditions or a badly balanced rig can both overcome any steering that the rudder applies.  Trying to turn into a wave at the wrong time (i.e. the wave hits when you are hoping that the inertia will carry the bow across the wind) can result in the boat being slapped back.</div>

Thanks for the quick replies.

I think I've understood what you two are saying, To put it in simpler terms for MY clarity, you mean the sheet for the jib needs to be 'longer' than the main?<br type="_moz" />

That's right, have a look at this file by Lester Gilbert:

http://onemetre.net/Race/Roughset/Roughset.htm

It's aimed at people with IOM boats, but the basic principles are the same for all sailboats.

Edward.

Awesome.

Thanks for the link.

My jib almost mirrored the action of the main. I've given the lines a little tweek, but unfortunately it's totally still here now. (Perfect for flying...). I'll give it a whirl tomorrow, and let you know.

.......Then there's all the fun of learning about shaping the sails with the various adjustments to get the characteristics you want.  It takes about 10 minutes to learn to sail a yacht, and about 10 years to learn to do it properly in a wide range of conditions.  That's the real fascination, every session is a new experience, even on the same pool.  And, of course, being a nautical hobby, the vocabulary is anything but constant around the world to add to the interest.......

Two more things to check.

I had similar problems a while back, and finally discovered that I needed more tension on my jib luff (more backstay). When I turned up, the jib would luff and shake a little, and this slowed the boat to a stop just before passing through head to wind. I was also raked too far aft for the breeze and it was hard to get the boat to bear off when I did get through the tack. I was used to sailing planing dinghies where we raked the rigs back in a breeze... exact opposite of what displacement hulls do.

Check your mast, If it's tilted forward it would cause the boat to turn into the wind. Tilt the mast back a little.