Ideal Headsail for Pearson 30?

[ericdileo]

Hello fellow Pearson 30 owners. I know that there are a great many of you on the East Coast and Great Lakes that race Pearson 30's. I was wondering if you could tell me what the ideal headsail size is for cruising? I used to have an old, hank on 90% and it was great. Could point very high because it sheeted a lot more inboard than my current, roller furling 135%, which wants to sheet at the fattest part of the boat, therefore not able to point as high. I see pictures of you guys out there racing and I was hoping you'll be able to tell me the best overall headsail that the P30 will like the most (size, I and J, low footed? etc.).

I appreciate it!

Best Regards,

Eric DiLeo
"Sea Lass"
Hull #797

 

[Barnacle Bill]

I would go with a 155% which is the largest allowable for PHRF handicapping (and not take an additional hit) and for cruising it will take care of those lighter winded days.

 

[ericdileo]

Thanks Barnacle Bill! I will have my sailmaker give me a 155 then. Although, gotta admit, that seems like an awful lot of headsail for a not-too-beamy boat. Wondering if I'll find myself constantly overpowered with that big of a headsail. Of course will reef as necessary, but sailing near Hurricane Gulch (San Pedro), the winds are rarely below 20 kts. in the summer afternoons! As long as she points high and sails fast, I'll be happy!

 

[Gail R]

I ditto the 155, but that is largely because we have a lot of light air here in Maine.

We race our P30, almost entirely cruising class (jib and main), and have generally done pretty decent with the 155 on a roller. Your mileage may vary if your winds are consistently above 20. I think we have a smaller working jib that would be good for that kind of wind, but we get it so rarely, that sail lives in the bag in our spare bedroom!

Now that I think of it, in above 20-knot winds, we reef the main before furling the genoa. Our P30 loves a reefed main.

 

[ericdileo]

I had two very respected sailmakers out here in California tell me I was nuts with trying to go with a 155 the way it blows out here. They said I would be way too overpowered. So, I've decided to go with a 135 since that is what they both, independently recommended. I appreciate the input from you though!

 

[Gail R]

Funny, our sailmaker (also a racer) tried to talk us into a 135. He tried to convince us that we would be having the furl the 155 more often than not. Even though it used less material, it would not cost any less. We're thinking WTH??? So we went with the 155.

But if you really have that much wind out there on a consistent basis, I could see going with the 135. I'd also be envious.

 

[Kings Gambit]

Ideal Headsail

I owned and raced a Pearson 30 for 11 years in FL and CA, sailing in those windy areas by San Pedro (Hurricane Gulch) that was mentioned in one reply I read. I sailed with a roller-furling 155 with a foam luff. With the foam luff, you can reef down to about a 135 and the boat will keep its sail trim fairly well and do fine. Or, if it gets too windy and you're not going all that far, just feather up to flatten the boat a bit and keep going. We sailed one day from Clearwater FL to Tampa Bay with on a E-NE wind of 20+ knots without taking anything in--Pearsons love this stuff!! I'm not saying the roller-furling sail is the best sail for racing, but we were competitive in some conditions. I also carried a 110 (luff tape) to throw up when the situation called for it.