H27 jib sheet tracks

[jcalluaud]

I have a 2006 H27 (current model) that I purchased 2nd hand. It came with 2 sets of jib tracks one set on the cabin top and and one set on the side deck. The owners manual that came with the boat is silent on these 2 sets of tracks and I was just wondering which set I should use when?? The boat has the standard roller reefing jib and standard main non-furling main. Thanks jacques

 

[Les]

Jacques....I have a 2009 H27 with furling main and jib. I too pondered what the upper deck tracks were for. And my dealer had no idea. However, I believe this boat was built to be raced or at least marketed for the young racing crowd. There is a X model that has a tiller and is stripped inside to reduce weight. From that I suspect that the upper deck track is for a barber hauler, in which you bring in the jib on the lower track but have a second lighter sheet that goes trough the upper block and then you can pull the upper sheet in to get a tighter lead on your jib which in turn will let you point a tad higher.

I've used this technique on a Ranger 32 race boat. It too had two tracks. It takes a good crew to use this device--get the main set, bring in your jib and then adjust the lead to conform with the shape of the main. You should be working toward a tight parallel slot between the main the jib.

So how did I do--does this help? Now you tell me what the two locking blocks on the deck near the cockpit are for? I haven't the faintest idea.

Les

 

[Barnacle Bill]

Usually the tracks on the cabin top are for a smaller jib so you get the proper lead for best performance. If you have roller furling and reef the sail down to a 80 or 90 percent sail, the outboard genoa tracks probably do not go so far forward to accommodate such a small sail, so you move the sheets to the leads on the cabintop. As you reef the sail in or out, the leads for the sheets should change as well for best performance. If you don't know where to put the leads, I just wrote in a thread about the location and so you can find it there.