Cats With A Self Tacking Jib aka Solent

[sailjumanji]

Originally Posted by 44'cruisingcat

Seawind 1000 and 1250?

Seawind 1000 was not self-tacking. I think the self-tacking was added when Seawind went to the 1000 XL model, with the stern extensions and front-opening windows. Several 1000 owners did their own conversion to self-tacking, but the flexible conduit holding the mast wires had to be moved as it was directly in the way of the extended track.

We had a Seawind 1000 w/o self-tacking jib. I do think the adjustable but-fixed sheeting angles made for better jib shape. And the dual wheels and jib winch on each side was conducive to single handed tacking. But having sea-trialed the new Seawind 1160 Lite with self-tacking jib, it is super convenient to tack - you just turn the wheel. No sail adjustments required.

[xbillaroo]

Lightwave sports cat 45’ has a self tacker. I find it great 24kts and above otherwise I use a Genoa to get the horsepower for beating.

[Sand crab]

I see self tackers on the new Outremer 45 and the 49 and 51 also. I wonder if they all come that way now?


Keep up the good work everybody.

[iliohale]

ITA 14.99

I owned and sailed a Hanse for 6 years with a self tacking 95%. Biggest issues are sail shape when reaching and controlling it downwind. Running is impossible with them unless you can control the car with stops or control lines. Barber Haulers can help with shape if they are properly set up. But hard on the wind in 15+ they are fantastic. I sail here on the San Francisco Bay where every afternoon from May to Oct you can plan on at least a 25 kt westerly. Short tacking up Racoon straights or under the Golden Gate Bridge in 25+ kts of wind with a beer in one hand is worth all the fuss otherwise. Of course, during the winter with lighter winds and for racing I would always swap out the 95 for the 125.

Gary

[imiloa]

Recent model Lagoons: 39.40.42, and 52

[Shrew]

Originally Posted by Sand crab

Stu, many have started to refer to a self tacking jib as a solent even without the other sail or stay.

So lets just say this thread is about self tacking jibs.

But some call it a solent. :bigg rin:

That would seem like some people are wrong and perpetuating it seems silly.

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by Shrew

That would seem like some people are wrong and perpetuating it seems silly.

I think calling it a solent is a french thing because it is called that in all the new Outremer brochures. I always called it a self tacking jib.

[Shrew]

Look at how close to the mast head the inner stay is on an Outremer. I think calling them a Solent Rig would make sense. A Solent has a stay and is attached very close to the head of the mast. To my knowledge it has nothing to do with where on the deck it attaches or whether it is self-tacking.

I'm just saying, let's confuse nomenclature here.

[fxykty]

As noted earlier in this thread, perhaps the two meanings of ‘solent’ is a French vs English usage? That is, neither is incorrect. Outremer is one example of a French production builder calling a self-tacking jib, without a second forestay, a solent. The overlapping genoa is definitely called a genoa by Outremer.

Do any other French builders call their self-tacking (or 95-100% even if not self-tacking) jibs solents?

BTW, a properly designed furling jib lifts the clew as it is furled so as to preserve the correct jib lead angle with the partially furled sail. Our self-tacker works like that. And thankfully with our boat the size of the non-overlapping jib is not an issue except for relatively light winds (below 8 knots true). So it can work well without significant drawbacks.

[MoorOrLess]

Originally Posted by fxykty

Do any other French builders call their self-tacking (or 95-100% even if not self-tacking) jibs solents?

Cannot comment on the newer manuals, however older Lagoon manuals refer to the non overlapping, self tacking, headsail attached to the forestay as a “Solent jib”. The smaller headsail which attaches to the removable inner forestay is referred to as a “staysail”.

[rom]

A solent is not necessarily self tacking, neither for the english nor the french.


Outremer gives you the choice between a "solent autovireur" (self tacking solent) or genoa, both would use the same main forestay. It seems lagoon talks about "foc autovireur" (self tacking jib). Not a mistake from lagoon as a solent is a jib indeed, but "solent autovireur" is more specific and appropriate here.


Some would sometimes forgot to mention here and there in the specs that their solent is autovireur.


Anyway, overlapping genoa are more efficient and powerful, I would not trade mine for a self tacking. I would however love to be able to use a lower forestay for a smaller headsail, the one the french would call trinquette

[ejlindahl]

The 2008 Outremer 42 I sailed on had a ~95% self tacking jib using a curved track. Midway to Hawaii the Harken car lost its marbles (ball bearings) all over the deck. We had to jury rig barber haulers to get a half decent shape out of it for the rest of the trip.

Fun fact: Brothers Manning and Merritt Barber developed the hauler on Lightnings in Eugene Oregon in the mid 1950s.

[bobamis]

Xquisite X5 catamaran also has a self tacking jib

[beauris]

neels . all of them from 45 to 65

[Sand crab]

Originally Posted by sailjumanji

Seawind 1000 was not self-tacking. I think the self-tacking was added when Seawind went to the 1000 XL model, with the stern extensions and front-opening windows. Several 1000 owners did their own conversion to self-tacking, but the flexible conduit holding the mast wires had to be moved as it was directly in the way of the extended track.

Thanks for explaining that. I had noticed the difference but did not no the details.


I found a self tacker in the older Lagoon 67. The Lagoon 570 has a jib track but they are calling it a stay sail. Others say it has a genoa.