What downwind sail for a cruising cat?

[Two Drifters]

Originally Posted by mikereed100

Another concern, if using a continuous line furler, is that the sail may open up in a blow.

This happened to us, did not blow the sail, but was fairly exciting. If leaving the genneker up between uses I now pop a shackle through the furling unit and the rope fairlead around the drum. This essentially stops the furler from being able to spin. Seems to work well and has not opened unexpectedly since then.

[rabbi]

Originally Posted by monte

I'd be interested to see some other applications for soft shackles. I know some people use them for attaching snubbers and bridles.

We use softshackles to connect the bridle to the eyes on the forebeam.
The SS shackle that lived there before made a cracking / squeezing noise under load.

We also use a big softshackle as a secondary "chain hook". Our primary one is a simple SS snapshackle. We tried a couple of purpose made SS chain hooks but they all had their issues. The simple snapshackle works perfectly but I fear its a bit underrated. Whenever we expect winds >40kn we add a strong softshackle for peace of mind. So far the snapshackle held in gusts up to 50kn.

One thing to keep in mind is that its way easier to cut away a soft shackle under heavy load it is to open a normal shackle.

[rabbi]

Originally Posted by Two Drifters

This happened to us, did not blow the sail, but was fairly exciting. If leaving the genneker up between uses I now pop a shackle through the furling unit and the rope fairlead around the drum. This essentially stops the furler from being able to spin. Seems to work well and has not opened unexpectedly since then.

The gennakers that I have seen ripped apart where not caused by unfurling.

Strong winds (not huge, just 30-35kn) just took out a bit of sail where it wasn't furled perfectly and worked on it.
Over time the wind took out more and more sail, flogging it around an ripping it apart.

[beiland]

Winging it in Key West

By Geoff Becker, Sailing World

In the right breeze and right situation a quick transition to wing-on-wing can open up a lane or get you down the mark without jibing. It's effective, but not all the time. North Sails One Design expert Geoff Becker debriefs us on the wing-on-wing technique that's made it way into the J/70 tactical playbook.
There’s a new trend in the J/70 class, with and more of the fleet sailing straight downwind, wing-on-wing, with the gennaker and mainsail on opposite sides of the boat. At first, the sight of these sportboats attempting to sail straight downwind seems counterintuitive, but many teams seemed to be making it work to their advantage. It’s not really a big surprise that there’s something to gain from sailing the straightest course to the mark while other boats sail traditionally higher sailing angles and longer courses.
While sailing in and watching the fleet at Davis Island earlier this winter, often 30 percent of the boats might be sailing wing-on-wing on a given downwind run, making the fleet appear more symmetric than asymmetric. This trend has resulted in many teams practicing and perfecting the specifics of the wing-on-wing sail handling and trim. However, even with the teams have it dialed, the question remains whether this unorthodox downwind mode really works and when it’s better to keep this mode in the bag.
Leading up to Key West Race Week, J/70 teams were busy fine-tuning rig tune, sail trim and boathandling, which includes adding the wing-on-wing downwind mode. We’ve practiced sailing wing-on-wing in different wind conditions and sea states and have determined the maneuver is something to be used sparingly. While it can provide an advantage in certain conditions and situations, when used at the wrong time it is easy to lose distance to other boats in the fleet.
Becker's Bits: Key West Race Week | Sailing World

[maxingout]

We started out with a spinnaker on our circumnavigation, but the spinnaker was destroyed by the time we got to New Zealand.

From that point on we went with a double headsail rig using 2 reaching poles that were attached to deck fittings. The two genoas are very robust and there is no risk of blowing them out. They were much easier for us to handle shorthanded than a spinnaker. They were also much easier to furl in boisterous trade winds.

I sailed all the way across the atlantic with my double headsail rig. I would do the same again.

SAILING UNI - JOIN TEAM MAXING OUT AS THEY SAIL AROUND THE WORLD ON THEIR PRIVILEGE 39 CATAMARAN - EXIT ONLY

[lilolme55]

Originally Posted by thinwater

As an alternative to a pole, attach the tack to a bridle that allows you to pull it to the windward bow. Easy, and goes much deeper than any bowsprit.

Ditch the furler and use a sock. You are going to take it down when not in use anyway. We're talking distance sailing. My understanding is that top-down furlers are not going to work well with full, down wind chutes.

A nice thing about a sock is that it doubles as a sail bag.

http://youtu.be/Vc11Nf4bC3I

I tried logging into the youtube item and it is private, are you sure you have put in the right address ??

[beiland]

In the next three diagrams, you can see the deployment of the poles and the headsail, a flat-cut symmetric spinnaker or a Code 0, tacked to the ends of each of the poles. As the wind backs from ahead to astern, the poles are rotated to maintain lift at all sailing angles.

http://www.sponbergyachtdesign.com/SaintBarbara.htm

(Eric's website may soon be taken down as he has retired from designing. So you might want to save a copy of this page if it interest you. I know I will)

[Franziska]

When single handing, what is faster and safer to reduce before a squall? Sock or roller?

Can the rollers even unfurl when the line is blocked in an endless system?
Does the line actually slip on the "disk" then?

I have an outer forestay with a furlex & genoa going to the masttop.
Is a sock less likely to interfere with that than a furler?

Thanks for your thoughts!

By the way the wing on wing genoa sounds very interesting too....


www.ladyrover.jimdo.com

[Two Drifters]

If the continuous line in the roller jams or snaps then it is going to be difficult to furl.

The options are, get a long normal line and put one end in and pull it through under tension, but this is not going to work in a strong wind.

Take the sail down onto the deck, only option int a blow.

Have a spare continuous line, but getting it onto the roller is going to involve flying the sail off the podder using a bridal of some kind. Fine in light winds but again tricky in stronger winds.

Once there is no line on the roller then most rollers will unfurl the sail.

[Two Drifters]

Just read your post again and think you meant can the sail unfurl when there is pressure on the line??

Yes it can on some furling systems.

We use a shackle through the furler to stop it being able to move. Essentially lie a hand break. When not in use

[Franziska]

Thanks.

Yes I meant if it can unfurl accidentally when the line is deliberately blocked.
That's really not good.

Can one not deliberately overfurl on the endless systems, so that there are a few turns of sheet wrapped over the furled sail?




www.ladyrover.jimdo.com

[Cavalier MK2]

Yes Fran, you can wrap extra turns around the sail with a endless because it rolls up the sheet too. I've had good luck with a sock with out worries in squall takedowns. If there was a hitch blanketing with the main while letting the spinnaker sheet go made for a easy old fashioned take down, nothing left up to get in the way.

[Two Drifters]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Thanks.
Can one not deliberately overfurl on the endless systems, so that there are a few turns of sheet wrapped over the furled sail?
Welcome to the Woods Mira 35 - Catamaran Lady Rovers Website!

Yes. You can do this, and we do, but I am not sure that it is that good for the light sails to be wrapped with sometimes quite salty sheets.

I find the snap shackle is quick and easy. Additionally if it looks like it is going to blow we take the whole sail down and store it anyway.

[hoppy]

Originally Posted by Franziska

Thanks.

Yes I meant if it can unfurl accidentally when the line is deliberately blocked.
That's really not good.

Can one not deliberately overfurl on the endless systems, so that there are a few turns of sheet wrapped over the furled sail?




Welcome to the Woods Mira 35 - Catamaran Lady Rovers Website!

I rig my Code 1 so that the lazy sheet must go in front of the roller. This means I must gybe the sail forward of the roller, but most importantly, when the sail is rolled in and the furling line is locked off, I can tension both sheets and the sail will not unfurl.

[rabbi]

Originally Posted by Franziska

When single handing, what is faster and safer to reduce before a squall? Sock or roller?

Can the rollers even unfurl when the line is blocked in an endless system?
Does the line actually slip on the "disk" then?

I have an outer forestay with a furlex & genoa going to the masttop.
Is a sock less likely to interfere with that than a furler?

Thanks for your thoughts!

By the way the wing on wing genoa sounds very interesting too....


Welcome to the Woods Mira 35 - Catamaran Lady Rovers Website!

we crossed the Atlantic using two genoas. one on the furler and other one hanked to a removable dyneema forestay. when a squall came we just let the halyard of the second one go and sail area was cut in half in under a second.
nice and easy handling.
but not as efficient as a spi in light winds, it's just not enough sail area.


we currently have a sock, we always just take the sheet a bit short and let the tack go. that way it is depowered in seconds and with the clew around midships I have a good place to work on the sock. i prefer that over releasing the clew, because with the sail tack still attached I have to work on the sock while standing at the bow.