135 % Genoa ...
- Thread starter eliems
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A roller-furling (reefing) genoa, w/ a foam luff, or one that is tacked to the deck w/ a full hoist?
That is a fine sail for light air on that boat.. Be aware that when ya come out from behind an island into a full breeze, it may pucker you up a little to heel a bit more than normal.. but that sail will keep ya moving in the light stuff.
A foam luft is a luft with a foam pad attached just behind the luft proper. It sucks up the camber of the sail when you partially furl it making it hold it's shape. Helpful when "reefing down"
A 135 is agood sail on a roller reefing system. Anything larger gets too bulky when furling. As you reef in you lose a little pointing ability but you gain speed and easy of sailing when you shorten sail in a strong breeze.
I have Norsth Sails (main and 135 on a CDI furler) and am yery satisfied with the workmanship and operation.
Don't sweat it...good choice and go sailing.
Fair winds
I have Norsth Sails (main and 135 on a CDI furler) and am yery satisfied with the workmanship and operation.
Don't sweat it...good choice and go sailing.
Fair winds
If the sail has the foam luff built into it, then it is a roller-reefing genoa in addition to being a roller-furling one. Without the foam luff, it is a roller-furling sail only and will not work well when partially rolled in (gets baggy). However, with a foam luff the sail will not get baggy when you reef by rolling it in some. It will nevertheless accumulate a thick luff entry at the head stay which will degrade your upwind performance (i.e., cannot point as high as you could b/f reefing). If yours had that, you would know it b/c the sail makers charge extra for it, and it should appear as a task item on your invoice with a charge. However, I can also tell you that some sail makers evidently do not like foam luffs, and might not have brought that option to your attention.
A 135% genoa with a foam luff should reef down to at least a 110% w/o losing its shape (i.e., becoming baggy). So, you can still sail fairly well in strong wind w/o having to reef the mainsail right away.
But your question is about light air. More money, of course, but you might have investigated a 155% genoa w/ a foam luff. That way, you could have it all of the way out for light air, but then reef it in to at least 120% and still get some good performance in the heavier air. I had a sail just like that on my Pearson 30 (mast-head rig); worked great.
I believe the Hunter28 frac rig also has a shoal draft keel?
A 135% is a great all round sail if you have only one Genoa and use a roller furler.
We have a Hunter28.5 deep draft (5'-2") and use a 155%Genoa for light air and up to about 18 knotts; a 135% for 15 to about 25 knotts and not very often a 110 Jib above those wind speeds. The main has two reefs so we can balance any sail combination.
I'd guess the Chesapeake Bay often has light air conditions, but if I were cruising with one roller furling Genoa, I'd use a 135-140%. Unfortunately the 135 typicallly may have heavier dacron and the 155% is the better light air sail with 3.5 oz Mylar.Just my opinion, but we started out racing her 25 years ago.
A 135% is a great all round sail if you have only one Genoa and use a roller furler.
We have a Hunter28.5 deep draft (5'-2") and use a 155%Genoa for light air and up to about 18 knotts; a 135% for 15 to about 25 knotts and not very often a 110 Jib above those wind speeds. The main has two reefs so we can balance any sail combination.
I'd guess the Chesapeake Bay often has light air conditions, but if I were cruising with one roller furling Genoa, I'd use a 135-140%. Unfortunately the 135 typicallly may have heavier dacron and the 155% is the better light air sail with 3.5 oz Mylar.Just my opinion, but we started out racing her 25 years ago.
Great information ... thank you!
I take it this is a "Shoal Keel" (I thought it was called a Wing Keel).
So having the Shoal Keel reduces the size of the Head Sail you want?
Should I ask North Sail to include the Foam Luff or do I need a different type of Furling System?
I take it this is a "Shoal Keel" (I thought it was called a Wing Keel).
So having the Shoal Keel reduces the size of the Head Sail you want?
Should I ask North Sail to include the Foam Luff or do I need a different type of Furling System?
That's a shoal keel (think "shallow draft") that is of a wing design. Usually the two go together. Shoal keels can be a little more tender initially but righting ability overall is about the same; no need to go smaller than a 135 unless the winds in your area are constantly over 15. As others have said, a foam luff will give your sail a little better shape when reefed down. A word of caution, a 135 rolled up to less than 100% will not perform very well - remember to change your jib sheet lead (angle) to compensate for the different shape.
Sailboats are often referred to as being "tender" or "stiff" depending on how quickly, and how far over, they heel. If a boat resists heeling at all angles of heel, even small ones initially, and does not heel much beyond a stability point at a low to moderate angle of heel, it is said to be "stiff." If the boat heels easily at low angles of heel, and if it tends to sail fairly well heeled over most of the time even at increasing angles of heel, it is said to be "tender."
When someone says a boat is tender initially, it means that the boat heels easily at zero to low angles of heel, but as it heels further it reaches a stability point where it becomes comparatively "stiff." In other words, it resists further heeling beyond that stability point.
A boat with a shoal draft and winged keel may be tender initially, but then become stiff when the stability point is reached. Thus, as the boat heels, the "wing" on its keel becomes deeper in the water than when the boat is fully upright, thus increasing the "functional draft" of the boat as it sails over a shoal-draft one w/o a winged keel. So, people have told me, not being a yacht designer myself.
I see ... good info! My H28 is often very close to having the rail in the water and I have had the rail in the water on a close reach in strong wind. At that point it wants to turn back into the wind and right it's self and it takes a lot of strength to keep it heeled over that far.
It does not seem to translate into more speed having it at such an extreme angle though (and it is not very comfortable either) so I need to learn how much canvas to have out and how to shape the sails properly.
The books say, "Turn toward the wind until the sail luffs and then back a little. This is the fastest point of sail". I find I need to go beyond that so the boat heels more to get the fastest speed but not necessarily in the direction I am trying to achieve.
With the 135 I will have to be more aware of the need to reef in stronger winds (say 20 knots or more).
It does not seem to translate into more speed having it at such an extreme angle though (and it is not very comfortable either) so I need to learn how much canvas to have out and how to shape the sails properly.
The books say, "Turn toward the wind until the sail luffs and then back a little. This is the fastest point of sail". I find I need to go beyond that so the boat heels more to get the fastest speed but not necessarily in the direction I am trying to achieve.
With the 135 I will have to be more aware of the need to reef in stronger winds (say 20 knots or more).
Hence the foam luff
The foam luff helps stop the extra belly in the sail from screwing up the shape of the sail as you furl it. I have a 135 with a foam luff and am amazed at how well the boat performed reefed. It is a must to my mind and North can add it for a a couple hundred max I should think. The 135 is a great size. More area than a jib but still easy to tack. I lucked out. I got exactly what I wanted when I bought my boat. A 135 and an asymmetrical spinnaker with a chute for light air down wind runs. A good combo.
I asked the rep if he thought I should add the Foam Luff and this was his answer ....
The foam luff costs around $300. You have a Harken furler which does the same thing of sucking in the mid luff of the sail when furling. I didn't mention it because the Harken does a good enough job. The foam luff would improve the sail shape, but it is up to you. Let me know.
The foam luff costs around $300. You have a Harken furler which does the same thing of sucking in the mid luff of the sail when furling. I didn't mention it because the Harken does a good enough job. The foam luff would improve the sail shape, but it is up to you. Let me know.
The only thing I could find regarding a claim to improve shape when reefing is the fact that the furler has independently swiveling tack and head swivels. A lot of furlers have that, including my venerable Hood Seafurl. I would still vote foam, however you can add it later if you want to try it without it.
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