Quote:
Originally Posted by miss-m  ... We have a staysail (although we dont use it often as we haven't figured out how to tack the genoa around the staysail.... is there an obvious trick we've missed??  ) |
I've found that there is a trick to it.
I have a roller furling staysail, so when it's furled, the genoa has to drag across the fabric when it tacks. If the wind is light (6 kts or less), I have to walk forward and pull the gennie through the slot. If the staysail is unfurled, the gennie slides over the metal foil much more easily, so I don't have to go forward.
In higher winds, the trick that I use is to let out a few feet of the active sheet just as the bow comes through the eye of the wind. Then, as the genoa becomes back-winded, that bit of slack in the sheet allows the sail to form a "bubble" in the slot between the two forestays. As the tack reaches about 15-20 degrees off the wind, release the sheet entirely, and haul in on the new active sheet once the clew is clear of the staysail stay. Depending on how strong the wind is, you might have to take the tack over to 60-70 degrees off the wind or more, to force the sail through.
With a little practice, it becomes a very smooth maneuver.