Sail Trim Advise Please

[tjr818]

Yesterday, I was single handing Sláinte, our CD27, the winds were at about 15kts. I sail on the Mississippi and this was at a spot where the river is only 3/4 of a mile wide, so I was tacking often. Since I was single handing and it was just a short sail after work, I sailed using my 170 Gennoa only. The boat seemed to be balanced perfectly. So well thatI could take my hand off of the tiller long enough to go below and grab a beverage out of the cooler. I was hitting between 3.5 and 4 knots and tacking through about 145 degrees.
At times it got too blustery so I furled the genny up to about 110% and she still sailed well. A bit slower and tacking was a little harder to do well.
I have two questions. One, what does this say about my setup? Is my mast raked too far aft? or is it okay? I have a pendant (?) at the tack of the genny that raises the foot up to the top of the bow pulpit. Does that make thing worse?
Question #2: Does 145° seem excessive under those conditions? I was making progress upstream but only because the current was light.
Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

[billc]

no main sail? if you were trying to reach along comfortably and enjoy a beverage i think you've figured something out. if you are trying to get somewhere upwind raise the main and shrink the gen to 110 or 130 and see what it does.

[Paul D.]

I would try the main too, but with a reef and very lightly trimmed. You will have more weather helm but should tack better. Higher winds and I would want a smaller headsail. You can only roller reef a genny so much before you get a bag along the luff.

Our 33 sails very well under either main or genny alone. I have often single handed under genny alone when I had my young boys aboard. Anything below a tight reach. On the wind however, there is nothing like having a main also pulling along.