Headsail Rubbing

[Craig Cape Town]

I've noticed a number of modern boats have this problem of the headsail rubbing on the lifelines. Eventually it has to eat through the sail. Is this just a poor design or has the sail not been fitted properly?
Has anyone overcome this problem or do you just live with it?

[Pete7]

Just the style isn't it like teenagers walking around with trousers that are too long so the bottom frays.

I asked that my new Genoa have a 6"webbing strap at the tack to lift the sail above the rail. I guess if you were racing then you would want to close that slot down as much as possible. Back in the real world I don't want the sail chaffing.

Pete

[mike d.]

Hello CraigCapetown. The only problem I see is your pulpit ends. Our head sail is 34 yrs young and has rubbed the top of the pulpit for that long, the only sign is a dark stain (somewhat) that washes out and the pulpit being polished in the contact area. If you have the height room you can put a pendant at the bottom of the sail to raise it above the rail!!!!

[gjordan]

This is not a problem of just modern boats. Many boats from the 60s and 70s had genoas cut so low that they wore on the lifelines. One of the solutions was to run the life lines to the base of the pulpit rather than the top rail of the pulpit.This left a slot for the genoa to set in. This also left a slot for the foredeck man to go thru if the bow fell off of a wave. The lack of visibility of what is called a deck sweeping genoa is a real safety hazard and the only real answer for a cruiser is to have your sails cut with reasonable forward visibility. A longer tack pennant and maybe a higher clew will not cause the chaf problem , and give you better forward visibility. Would you drive your car only being able to see out of one side of your windshield? Why would you drive your boat like that?____Grant.