Alex the newbie,
 
Since you were able to achive good hull speed on one tack and not the  other, 
I believe your rigging is not tuned properly. In other words, your mast  is 
leaning to one side more than the other. If you check the archives (Ed, a  
little help here) you will find many discussions on tuning the standing rigging.  
Also check to make sure your traveler is centered. 
There are many factors involved in this correction, a little more  
information would be helpful: year of your boat, sail configuration, sheeting of  lines 
and weighted balance of the hull. Give us as much information as you  can.
 
Rummy



************************************** See what's free at http://www.aol.com.