What headsail to get?

[LakeShark]

So I'm in the market for a new headsail and I know there is more than enough information on this forum regarding lofts, cloth, etc... However I am wondering on headsail size. I generally sail in 7 to 15 mph winds and have an old blown out Genoa I will be replacing. The question I have is should I go with the 150 or try a 135? I do like to race once in a while but many times the 150 seems to be a bit overpowered for the boat. However I am not sure if that is due to it simply being baggy and blown out after 30 years or if its really is just too much sail. So what say you? what size headsail do you like to sail with 150 or 135?

 

[Gene Neill]

It depends largely on your tolerance for heeling vs. your desire for maximum speed, of course, and whether your main has one reef or two. But for the winds you describe, a 135 sounds like a pretty good compromise. At 15mph, our 150 genny is probably coming down soon. Our next smaller sail is a 115, which we use up to 20mph or so.

 

[Justin_NSA]

Think about whether to get a cross-cut or radial sail too if you want to race more and cruise less or vice versa

 

[Jackdaw]

Also reminder that if you are racing JAM (Jib and Main) without a spinnaker, your headsail does double duty as your sorta-spinnaker. Going smaller than 150% here really hurts your down wind speed.

 

[LakeShark]

Thanks for the responses. I will have to give this some more thought. I have a 110 that I fly when the wind is up and we need a slightly calmer ride so currently I am leaning toward the 150 as everything I have read says the C22 likes to be pulled through the water and not pushed by the main. Also in talking with a sail maker the 135 raises the clue substantially and can actually increase heal based on the cut. Perhaps it is best with the lake sailing I do to stay with the 150 and the 110. That way I can have the exciting better performing boat when I want it and still use the older 110 when guests are out for a ride. @Gene Neill you have a RT headsail based on some of your pictures and you comfortably fly that in 15 kts? Do you have to reef the main to keep that large of a headsail under control?

 

[Gene Neill]

RT headsail ... you mean the big red one? If so, that's a 180. Wonderful in light air, especially running. It's the next best thing to a spinnaker, but it can also point, and point well. But yeah, we don't use it above 10mph plus or minus, depending if we're on or off the wind. If the main needs reefing, that 180 should already be in a bag.

 

[LakeShark]

Sorry I meant a Rolly Tasker 150 genoa not the drifter. Although I love the look of that big red drifter you have. It looks like a lot of fun. My question was wether you can fly your 150 genoa in winds to 15 without reefing the main and if you do reef the main do you go to the 1st or second reef?

 

[Gene Neill]

Ah! Sorry, I'm a little slow on the uptake. Just to complicate things, that RT (the drifter is an RT also) is a 110. I guess it looks bigger in videos. Our 150 has no name on it.

Anyhoo ... at 15mph, my choice of sails would be the 110 and a full main. A 150 with a single reefed main would work, but that's the ragged edge for me, and I'd be getting ready to drop it. I don't need that last half a knot.