Big Sails for 37.5-How about a cut?

[Chuck Wolfe]

After sailing a Catalina 34 for 10 years with a 120 jib, my wife is still distraught over the tenderness of the Hunter. The tiny, tiny cockpit and the giant freeboard only causes the tenderness to appear worse than it may really be. I have been sailing on my first reef for the past two months and that has helped somewhat althought no matter how well I adjust the reefing lines it still difficult to get good shape. And the 135 jib is still quite a bit for the rig, even though I've essentially made a masthead rig out of the boat. I'm thinking of having my main redone with the current 1st reefing point being the foot and adding another reefing point plus I'm thinking of cutting down the 135 to a 110. I doubt that the difference in speed, particularly around Long Beach where we get good wind, will amount to anything terribly noticeable. I don't want to do this if it won't help the boat handling to a measurable degree. Has anyone else done this? And what do you think of the idea?ChuckWolfe@mail.com

 

[Don H.]

You need a full size main for 10 kt. winds.

The Legend 37.5 can be a bit tender when going to weather in 15+ knot winds. I put my first reef in at 15 knots and a second reef at 20 knots of windspeed. But when sailing off the wind, you need to have the full mainsail plus 130% Genoa to get boat speeds over 8.0 knots. You can cut down the size of the mainsail, but you will sacrifice performance.If you bought the 37.5 as a "comfortable cruiser", you probably missed the mark. It has been my experience that this design will make fast passages, but you get tossed around pretty good at 7 knots in 8 foot seas. You can detune the boat and take the performance out of it, but it will never have the stability of a true cruiser. I believe that Hunter advertised it as a "performance cruiser". I think that is borderline "racing cruiser". It is certainly not in the C&C "racing cruiser" catagory, although I have been able to keep up with a C&C 37 on occasion.When the winds are high, I have no problem with getting the mainsail shaped correctly when reefing. You might check to see if the sail is blown out, or the reefing lines are rigged correctly. I take the extra step of tying the outhaul reef to the boom to keep excessive strain off the outhaul reefing line. The reefing lines have to be winched in tight, just like the halyard, or you cannot get proper sail shape.When sailing to windward, I find that my Legend 37.5 performs best when heeled over at 15 to 20 degrees. You either live with it or buy a Valiant 40 (sea slug).Good Luck!

 

[Les Andersen]

Reefing a 37.5

Chuck,I would second everything Don said. I have a 91 37.5 and she sails like a dream in all kinds of wind. A couple of reefing tricks you might try. If the aft end of the foot has slots cut for the reefing lines to run through before they are tied off below the boom. Don't use them. Instead bring the lines directly down to the D ring. When you wench down the reefing line first pull the D ring aft beyond the vertical position by about 6-12 inches. It will change the downward pull to an aft-downward pull and give you better pressure on the leach. I also tie an extra line through the aft reef cringle and around the boom.Don't tie the intermediate tie points too tight. They will rip out on you very easily.On the mast there are two horizontal rings that the reef lines pass through on their way up to the sail. If the knots you use to tie the reefing lines to the luff rings are too big they will bind against these horizontal rings and prevent the luff from being pulled down enough to make a good tight foot. When you then tighten the halyard it will distort the foot preventing good sail shape. I would not cut down the main sail. It is so easy to put in and let out a reef that it is not worth the effort and would destroy your light air capability. Good luckLess/v Mutual Fun