Close-Haul Ability: Inside Track vs. Toe Rail Fairleads

[rardiH36]

This came up a obliquely in a thread a few days ago but no specifics.So thought to take it a bit further and ask: Anybody care to "guess-timate" the loss of pointing ability and close-haul speed of boats with jib sheet fairleads attached at the toe rail vs. boats equipped with fairlead tracks installed well inside the safetly lines near the cabin?My boat didn't have fairlead tracks installed any time during its 27 year history when I bought it. PO's used snatch blocks on the toe rail, connected more aft or forward depending on the amount of genoa deployment from the furler. Because of frequently 20kts+ SF Bay summer winds, and also being somewhat new to keel boat sailing, I found I frequently needed to keep much of the genoa wrapped up on the furler. The boat handled the winds better, but I was concerned that the light sailcloth weight of the genoa wouldn't stand-up very long to the almost daily small craft warning winds blowing through the Golden Gate. And the sail didn't have foam tape at the luff, so it looked and (sounded) terrible when reefed. Solution was that I found a good condition 2nd hand heavy sail cloth ~90% jib. (Its got a really cool clear vinyl patch to which the tell tails are attached for easy viewing of the forward side airflow.) The fairlead average attach points for the small jib are now much further forward than with the genoa, so I've changed my set-up a bit. The sheets are lead to standard blocks each with its own snatch-shackle connected to the toe rail. They can be moved forward/aft easily; although it does mean leaving the cockpit. Heading aft, each sheet leads through a second fixed-location block on the toe rail set at a point which provides a good feed angle to the primary winches. Comparing my close-hauled result against other boats on the same course, my boat seems to point OK with the toe-rail attach points and it seems beat into the wind at more-or-less other boats' speed as well. But I am curious how much angle/speed improvement could be expected with deck fairleads. regards,rardi

 

[Stu Jackson]

The answer should be simple geometry --

how much further in your can make it will change the angle off the bow the same amount.Good idea to get the smaller jib. John of Alameda in his C36 is going through the same learning process, because a "genoa" is a oxymoronic sail for SF Bay. We came back from Horseshoe Cove yesterday going downwind with our 90% jib ONLY and were flying at 8.5 kts in 30 kts of wind. Lotsa fun.The other part of the answer, though, is that as you get the jib lead inboard, it may need to be a flatter jib, because you have to design it to work WITH your mainsail -- if by in-boarding the jib clew you start back-winding your mainsail, that ain't gonna help.I think the more important question you raised is the point of the new jib clew, because the 90% jib may require a first fairlead further forward to avoid spilling air off the top of the jib's leech.It's been windy out there recently, good time to practice.

 

[Fred Ficarra7897]

Bluegrass!

Stu!*yks(just kidding. As long as it's not rap)

 

[Stu Jackson]

I replied

if you got it, then we can delete these two posts.Thanks so much.

 

[Stu Jackson]

Fred, only rapping I do is writing on here and the

C34 'site. Now I understand why Bob Dylan made our parents' feel like music was fignernails on a blackboard...rardi, sorry to hijeck your thread for pms.

 

[newly anonymous]

depends on the overlap

An inboard fairlead will make significantly more difference with a jib than a with genoa when going to weather. With an overlapped sail, the inboard fairlead causes the genoa to backwind the main, causing a counterproductive luff bubble. In essence, you lose almost as much as you gain by the higher angle. By the same token, having the ability to shift to an outboard lead becomes more important for the genoa because it's so much more difficult to maintain a flat leech with the sheeting angle an inboard lead provides. Ultimately, those interested in performance will want the option for both an inboard and outboard fairlead. They'll tend to use the inboard lead going to weather, and the outboard lead while reaching. Bob Dylan?