Hi, all. I need to replace the 135 roller furling head sail on Irwin 30. What would you more experienced sailors recommend for a coastal cruiser that will occasionally be used in club races held in close off shore waters. 135 vs 150? Yankee cut vs deck sweeper? Price is always an issue. Thanks for help.
New head sail for Irwin 30
- Thread starter TanzerTom
- Start date
Thanks! Any opinion on a 135 (original) versus a 150. Current and tides in mouth of Cape Fear would seem to call for all the reasonable power I can get.
A very illuminating and interesting discussion on co.com for those of you who might be in the market for a new jib.
http://forums.catalina.sailboatowners.com/showthread.php?t=155362
Please read all three pages. Enjoy.
I sail the Cape Fear commonly. I use a 150, but the last two months have seen it rolled about half way up. The winds have been kicking in the bay for awhile..
Wow! I enjoy trying to understand that which goes against conventional wisdom and/or perceive empirical evidence. Based on all the various opinions/explanations on the link, I don't think I have a clear understanding as most of the discussions involved only light air conditions, 3-5. Do the arguments for smaller headsails hold true for higher wind speed? Also, air density was not mentioned. Lots of details on air speed but nothing on air in the slot being compressed. I have no technical expertise nor experience with data devices with which to measure and compare. Call it old school, seat of the pants, etc. but am told I do have very good "feel" for boat performance. One design catamaran racing on Isotopes and NACRA 5.2 required it to stay upright . My fallback position has always been that those designing a thing know more than I and make choices based on that knowledge. Irwin chose a 135 for a reason. Racers carry as huge an inventory as they can afford for a reason. Seems a LOT of my casual sailing involves going to windward and I enjoy the feel of a close hauled boat. Guess I will stay with a 135 and live with the limitations/benefits of the compromised average. Again, thanks for the very interesting link!