Speed upwind

I've got a 315 with selftaking jib: with 13/14 kn apparent wind (9/10 real) I sail 30/33 degrees apparent wind  (nearly 45° real) and my speed is 5,2 / 5,3. I don' t have a folding propeller. Pay attention to your mast!

Bye

When I first had my 312 I was really upset at being passed to windward by old Westerlies etc

Shortly after I bought the boat I was trying to beat back from Ostend in a blow --a French Contessa 32 sailed up to us , around us, & off again. We covered 13 miles in 6 hours & ended up motoring home. Most offputting.

The first problem was that as a new Hanse it came with the antifoulling supplied by Hanse. This was useless & there was severe fouling on the keel after a few weeks. This has been sorted by using Blakes Ocean performer. It really suffers even from very little weed on the very bottom of the keel

The second was the self tacking jib. I had it recut & it improved but a new jib helped a lot

Finally I found that sail trim is extremely important. I actually sail with the main very slack in the halliard so the sail looks awful. However, one world champion & one european champion have sailed the boat & both of them immediately got her up to over 6 Knots to windward in light & heavy airs.( But I do not intend to change the helmsman!!!!!)

I now have a Brunton auto prop & it is much easier to get it going.

 I have begun to master it now, after 3 years, & one of the things I like is that it is a real sail tweekers boat & really rewarding once you get the hang of it.

But when things aren't going quite right to windward I just hook up the aeries wind vane & it solves the problem. I do find it easier to get the correct trim with the aeries as it always sails consistently, so any alteration in sails shows on the log

I have a Hanse 311.  I too had new sails made and the sail maker cut the jib differently.  Also, when I got my Hanse it was slow.  I had it hauled out of the water and the boat yard said the bottom paint looked like it was slopped on with a mop. 

So, with proper bottom paint, new sails and a folding prop I could then hit 5+ knots when beating no problem.  I have hit over 6 knots when beating but that was in pretty strong winds.

I have noticed my 311 is a bit faster when beating on a port tack Vs a starboard tack.

Matt