Downwind and light air sails

[CO Editorial]

Have you augmented your sail inventory with downwind and light air sails? Why did you choose the sails you have? Ease of use? Local conditions? A great deal? Are you satisfied with your choices, or are there still more sails you'd like to add... and maybe one you'd like to get rid of? Hoist your opinions here, then vote in this week's Quick Quiz at the bottom of the home page.

 

[Bob Robeson]

More sails

We have added a down wind chute, a 3/4 oz. Poleless spinnaker with a chute scoop and a tacker to our C-36. We are able to sail straight down wind and to a full reach.It takes a bit to get it up, sheets, halyards, scoop lines, downhauls etc. But once up it does improve our down wind speed. I am currently setting up a self-tacking jib. Using an old sail and re-cutting it to get as much sail area as possible.I would also like a storm headsail and a rear trisail or something.I have double reefs on the main and that seems fine, if I need more I just drop the main.Bob

 

[GERRY HULL]

DOWNWIND CRUISING SPINNAKER

Acadia Cat 42 came to me with a North Cruising poleless spinnaker with a sock. Usually being with a total crew of two we find it relatively easy and certainly faster to use this sail than to try to get downwind boat speed out of the 135% genoa. The autopilot is our unpaid 3rd crewmember and we couldn't do it comfortably without its help.A CAUTION... When the wind is from about 30 degrees either side of dead aft the sail is blanketed by the main and tends to flop around, especially in powerboat wakes. I am now in the process of installing a spinnaker car on the Isomat spar and purchasing a whisker pole. This will make downwind sailing even dead downwind much easier with either a cruising chute or a genoa winged out. Oh yeh, probably going to need a preventer for the main to prevent accidental gybing. The nice Isomat spar on the 42 allows the pole to be stored against the mast without adding a track. Such fun !!

 

[Jay Beery]

Too Many Sails!!!

I think I have too many sails for my little C22! I just purchased the boat last Feb. and I think the sails are worth more than the boat itself. I have an aftermarket main and 100% jib, a 135% jib, a storm jib, and a spinnaker complete with pole and rigging. Almost all the sails are like new! The only problem is where to store all this crap!

 

[CO Editorial]

Final results

final results for the Quick Quiz ending 7/17/2000:Do you fly downwind or light air sails?  50% 150% genoa (53)16% Gennaker (17) 16% More than one (17)10% Spinnaker (11)