Wow , had a great sail with my 8 year old today. This is the reason I built a second boat.
My question is my new boat does not like to go wing on wing, I do have a counter weight on the end of my IOM . So what is the theory behind it? Do you put more weight or do you change the pivit point?
the weight is to help balance the jib, with an equal amount of weight in front of the pivot and behind. Since there is much more boom and sail behind the pivot, the weight can be added to make them closer to equal. When you turn downwind and ease the sails completely, make sure the main goes all the way out, with the boom almost touching the shrouds, and check that the vang is adjusted correctly, with a little twist to the leech. Then bear away a little below dead down wind, and the air flowing around the leech of the main should swing the jib out to windward. When it does, head up a bit and you are moving! If the jib starts to swing back in, either head up a little, or jibe the main and re-set on the other jibe
There could be a number of reasons that the boat does not go wing on wing easily. It could be too much friction in the swivel or too much backstay tension, too much topping lift tension, or a heavy boom requiring a bigger balance weight or a longer arm (without extending beyond the bow when on centreline).
My swivel is usually between 80 to 85 mm from the end of the jib boom. My boom is an arrow shaft and is light. My balance weight is 1 oz on an arm that almost reaches the bow.
Sometimes you may have to bare off to ‘by the lee’ for the wind to come around the main and flip the jib over. Once the jib is over, you should be able to come back to course.