International Telstar Owners Association

Having problems making our Telstar 28 come about. It appears there is too much play in the linkage for the rudder to come about. We continually have to back wind the jib to get the boat to fully make the turn. The boat stalls just as it approaches the point of coming about. Many times we have to gybe the boat because it just won't come about. Has anyone had this experience and how have you dealt with it.

Tacking is complicated in the Telstar and requires a different technique from monos. What works for me is.

1. boat speed is important. need more than 1 knot and preferably 2.
2. get to close hauled. At least continue to trim sail in until close hauled.
3, Don't stall the center board and rudder. No hard overs in this boat. Bring it gently through thewin. Think about about sailing an arc. This was the most important learning for me.
4. Backwind genoa as you are doing.
5. Make sure you set genoa before main otherwise you will get lee helm and pull you back. I let the main go completely over and set it after the genoa is set.
6. Finally, accept that sometimes a gybe is neccessary.

Sounds like you are stalling the rudder and center board.

I had the same problems coming about. For the most part I just gybe and she does that with no problem at all. I will have to try the suggestions from Vancouver to come about, however, and see if that helps.

We had the same problems and our discovery was prior to doing a tack, tighten up the mainsheet and have speed to go through the tack. When we sailed on lakes in MN, we would tack about 20 times in about a 3 mile stretch to get to our slip, so we had a lot of practice. Now on Tampa Bay, we might have 2 or 3 tacks. If we are lazy, which is most of the time, we do a jibe. Much easier and is a non-event compared to doing one in a monohull.