New 150% Genoa dilemma...

[Tillerjockey]

Get the 150% you can go to windward with it, or reef it if the wind is blowing.
You can probably balance the boat with just the 150 up when the wind pipes up or reef it to 135. Your prevailing breeze is from the southwest in the summer so you're either beating down the river or broad reaching going up the river. In the fall you've got the puffy northwesterly to deal with and you'll be reefed down to handle the puffs. Have fun.

[daletournier]

Originally Posted by a64pilot

It may well be Nylon and if so it’s a light wind sail.
I learned the hard way that going bigger does not always work well in light winds, I replaced my 110 Genoa with a 135 with sunbrella UV cover etc. thinking it would be good for light winds, and I kept my 110 with the idea of flying twin Genoa’s for downwind sailing as I have twin grooves also.

Well what I found out was that during those times that I really wanted the larger sail, it was too heavy to properly fill and it often would collapse, and I lost some pointing ability as the larger sail when trimmed in tight will contact my spreader, so that limits how tight you can trim it, the 110 fit inside of the spreader.

I ended up with a code zero, which does what I want, enabled me to sail on a reach in very light winds, and when it collapses the wind is pretty much zero.
I’m also contemplating on having my 135 cut down to a 110 as the Code zero can be flown until the 110 is plenty big, meaning I don’t need the 135 anymore.

I’d suspect that if you bought that big but heavy Genoa, you May have a similar result, and it’s not going to work in those light winds that you need a big sail for, for that you need a light weight sail, which pretty much means nylon and no heavy sunbrella UV strip, so it needs to come down when you don’t expect to use it.
My code zero has a UV cover that is sail material, it helps but it’s not a “real” IV cover like Sunbrella, but Sunbrella was too heavy.

I seem to be agreeing with you on a number of threads...lol.

I cut down my 135% to approx 110% and purchased a Mack sails code zero on a continuous line furler.

The 135% tries to be everything, it's to heavy for light winds and to big to furl without losing shape for upwind sailing.i wish I purchased a 110 instead of a 135%, cutting the 135% down made it a little flat.

I switch to a 100% high cut clew if I know I have a boisterous upwind sail. The blade jib is awesome, never fuel, put a reef in the main and I'm a freight train to weather.

[wingssail]

For many boats a 150% genoa would be considered a #1 headsail and could be used with a full main in up to 12-14 knots of true wind. Your Albin may be more tender, so, good to 10 knots of true wind or 12-13 apparent.

In the old days we all used to have Light #1, Medium #1, Heavy #1's and we changed them until the foredeck crew dropped from exhaustion.

If you are getting a sail with cloth weight about 3-5oz it would be a med #1 and will be very effective for you upwind and reaching. It will work in light wind but you have to heel the boat to let it carry a shape. Boat wakes will be your enemy. You could pole it out downwind and it will be effective. You don't need to put up two headsails very often, but you could with the genoa out to leeward and a smaller sail poled out on the solent stay or in the other headfoil groove.

You can roll away the genoa when the wind gets over 10-12 true and use the Rolly Tasker on the solent stay for a good working sail combination.

When a double reefed main and the ro9lly on the solent is too much, drop the Rolly and set the bigger storm jib.

When going down wind you can use orange monster or, better yet, the asymmetrical will be very good with a full main. In deep downwind stuff if you don't like jibing back and forth you can put a spin pole on the assym tack and pull it aft so it flys like a symmetrical kite.

Tacking the genoa with the solent stay will be slow, but maybe you don't need to often.

So I say, get the genoa and you need the following sails

• mainsail
• 150% genoa
• Rolly Tasker sail hanked on the solent stay
• big storm jib
• assym kite with sock

That's it. Leave room for the family down below.

[littledevil]

Thank you, one last question. The candidate sail we r talking about does not have rope/luff tape. Would that make it less desirable? Material is elite dacron by precision sail, weight 5 OZ. I mean, if i am going to drop almost $800, it's better be a decent sail. I don't need to rush neither, there is no urgency.

[wingssail]

Originally Posted by littledevil

Thank you, one last question. The candidate sail we r talking about does not have rope/luff tape. Would that make it less desirable? Material is elite dacron by precision sail, weight 5 OZ. I mean, if i am going to drop almost $800, it's better be a decent sail. I don't need to rush neither, there is no urgency.

I'd guess that replacing the luff tape will be $200-300, I dunno, maybe less. Add this to the cost. Otherwise you can't use the roller furler.

Frankly, if it was me, I'd order a new genoa from an overseas company get it new, for less. My last jib, a 100% dacron jib, 50sq mt, was under $1000 delivered in the US.

[psk125]

Originally Posted by littledevil

Thank you, one last question. The candidate sail we r talking about does not have rope/luff tape. Would that make it less desirable? Material is elite dacron by precision sail, weight 5 OZ. I mean, if i am going to drop almost $800, it's better be a decent sail. I don't need to rush neither, there is no urgency.

Does it have hanks? They would have to come off and a luff tape would have to be added to work in a roller/furler. $$$.

Have you checked Bacon sails in Annapolis? Their list shows 27 jibs or genoas that would fit an Albin Vega. The prices go from $150 to $775, depending upon size and condition. Worth looking. There are other used sail exchanges as well.