Roll-Genoa too long over forestay

[sail sfbay]

Take it to a sailmaker, provide all the required sailboat jib sail measurements (OR have them take the measurements) and have them modify it.

[qwert]

Number one suggestion would be as previously suggested to remove the luff, move it back a couple of inches at the top thus reducing the length and resew. Easy job and a long straight sew.
Another method might be to unpick centre horizontal seam, remove the necessary length and resew. You would then have to cut and resew the luff and leech from the new horizontal seam back down to their respective tack and clew but all the stress points,head tack and clew would not need any work/alteration and all the fabric tensions would be exactly as designed. The bolt rope would be cut at the bottom and resewn in as part of the luff resew. Quick easy and once again straight sewing.

[DeValency]

My problem is that most available headsails I can find in bargains are too short... I need 53' luff genoa and just ordered a new cutter sail with 32' luff after looking for some time for "bargains"...

The OP idea will be problematic on the foot - I wouldn't touch it - and adding an additional tack eye will leave a long foot you can't trim and eventually will weaken the entire sail. It could potentially work on the head but only a really great sailmaker can tell you if feasible... most probably not.

[SaltyMetals]

I had a similar problem with a new furling genoa because the top swivel was arriving so high on the forestay that there was not enough room for the top swivel of my gennaker which is on a top-down furler. The sail maker (Banks Sails, Italy) took the sail back and reduced the head by 15 cms. Gennaker problem solved and i do not have any tensioning problems with the genoa now that the head is slightly shorter. The loss of sail area was so small it is irrelevant.

FYI my genoa is 150% and 55 sq m, cross cut and laminated with dyneema and polyester threads in the sandwich.

So i do not see why you dismiss the idea of reducing the head a little.

Andrew

[Erik Latvian]

Thanks colleagues for useful ideaes and considerations.
Particularily to SaltyMetals. You encauraged me to go primarily for cutting the sail top option. Finally found anyone tried that approach to the problem actually having the real exprerience of doing that. Now I have a complete set of options before negotiating with sailmaker.
This was really usefeul friends!

[SimonFirth]

Take it off the bottom all the way from luff to leach. Unpick the old reinforcing and rings and reinstall in the corners. It can all be hand sewn. It’s not rocket science!

[cal40john]

I'll be interested in hearing how much a sailmaker wants to do the job, whatever you choose. In my area the sailmakers I've made contact with want improbable amounts of money. Pouring that amount of money into a used sail has never made sense to me.