jssailem
SBO Weather and Forecasting Forum Jim & John
- Oct 22, 2014
- 23,525
No. Not needlessly. Investing in experimental concepts due to passionate interests in or boats.
Down wind Genoa
- Thread starter 58stang
- Start date
Yes. Where would we be without investing funds toward important research?
That question cannot be answered without inspecting the sail and analyzing its specifications. If the sail can be hoisted completely and the foot (bottom edge) is well clear of the deck, then you can use as it is.... since it was most likely designed to serve a dual purpose. One of an upwind sail with the "book closed" and also that of dead downwind, wing on wing sail with the "book opened". If it were me I'd ask the seller if you could try it out first... or at least rig it up on the trailer or at the dock to see what it looks like...what do you have to lose.. you certainly need to know if it will fit your boat.
The wing on wing configuration is popular among cruisers. The boat is rigged with either twin forestay wires supporting hanked on sails, or a double grooved foil extrusion mounted permanently on the single forestay or as part of a roller furling device. In most cases, the boat will use two poles to push the sails' clew out to either side(open the book), which will require extra rigging.
A more common wing on wing situation is to push the boom of the mainsail all the way out to leeward and secure it with a "preventer" to keep it from accidently swinging back towards the cockpit. The mainsail is countered by poling the upwind sail out tow the windward side. The pole will be rigged conventionally with a topping lift, a foreguy and a sheet... to keep it from collapsing or folding back behind the mainsail.
In both these cases, the skipper is using upwind sails in a downwind capacity.
