C-34 Head Sail Size / Foam Luff

[Dave Emery]

Hi Bill,I'm in the process of buying a new furling head sail for my Catalina 34, standard rig, fin keel. The normal winds I encounter during a summer afternoons are between 15 - 20 knots. The winds during the winter tend to be lighter. What size of head sail would you recommend and is a foam luff the way to go? I know the foam luff will help maintain sail shape when reefed, but what are the negatives.Thanks, Dave

 

[Tony Crimi]

C34 headsail size

On our C34 tall, we currently have a 140 genoa which we are very happy with. The full sail can be carried up to 20 knots of app. wind speed. We have North's rope luff instead of the foam luff. The problem with foam is that it will compress and only has about a two year useful lifespan.

 

[Gary Jensen]

foam luff

Dave , I sail S F Bay with 20-30 knots consistantly. I have a 36 tall rig with a 110 jib and a luff sewn in. I have had it for 5 years now and it works fine. If I had lower consistant wind speed I would have gone to a larger sail. In the conditions you report, my boat would use a 135% just fine....Good luck Gary

 

[Bill Colombo]

C34 Headsail

Dave, I've done quite a bit of sailing in Long Beach. It is a great place to sail. I would recommend a 135% Genoa with a foam luff so that you can reef the sail when the breeze comes up in the afternoon. You could opt for a 110% without the foam luff but you will probably want more power in the earlier parts of the day or for those trips to Catalina. The negatives of the seafoam luff pad are that the luff is not quite as smooth