Just got a genoa to replace my jib. Harder to tack than with the jib. How is tacking best performed ? What about rudder angle?
*o difficulty tacking with a genoa vs. jib
- Thread starter Ms Hillary
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Don't get in a hurry...
First thing is don't get in a hurry to release that windward sheet. Allow the sail to get a good 'backing', then release the sheet. This allows for much less hanging-up and such. Also I would refer you to a Brion Toss method of rigging the sheet(s) to the sail. Do NOT use bowlines or other knots, they hang up on everything when used on a genoa. The method Toss uses(and I have found to be very good) is to double the line, frap in a lood with a piece of same or larger size line long enough to pass under the clew and back through the loop which is pushed through the clew grommet. Look at a picture of it, it is very simple and easy, never slips, alwys easy to undo, and gives a smooth face to all obstacles. I think you can find reference to this on Toss's website, and definetly in one or more of his books. g'Luk
First thing is don't get in a hurry to release that windward sheet. Allow the sail to get a good 'backing', then release the sheet. This allows for much less hanging-up and such. Also I would refer you to a Brion Toss method of rigging the sheet(s) to the sail. Do NOT use bowlines or other knots, they hang up on everything when used on a genoa. The method Toss uses(and I have found to be very good) is to double the line, frap in a lood with a piece of same or larger size line long enough to pass under the clew and back through the loop which is pushed through the clew grommet. Look at a picture of it, it is very simple and easy, never slips, alwys easy to undo, and gives a smooth face to all obstacles. I think you can find reference to this on Toss's website, and definetly in one or more of his books. g'Luk
Difficulty tacking with a geneo vs. jib
MS. Hillary: Lets start with the goal of tacking that you should be shooting for. You want to complete the tack in less than 30 seconds and you do not want to lose more than 1 knot of speed. Proper setup is your first priority. The loaded winch should be cleaned off. In other words, remove the winch handle and take the sheet off of the self tailer. So now you've got about 3 wraps on the loaded winch and the jib trimmer has the line in his hand. On the lazy winch, have that trimmer take 3 wraps but do not put the winch handle in place but have it handy. At this point your ready to start the tack and have confirmed with your crew that they are ready to tack. You have to have sufficient speed to get through the tack so the boat must be going as fast as conditions will allow. As skipper, once your sure eveyone is ready you signal by saying "tacking" and you start to bring the boat head to wind. You don't have to "snap" the boat through but you can't take all day either. As the boat approaches head to wind, the trimmer on the loaded sheet continues to maintain tension on the sheet. What he is waiting for is for the boat to go through the eye of the wind and for the sail to back wind. This backwinding pushes the bow over. At that point he releases the sheet not by spinning it off but simply by pulling staight up. It is a little tougher to do with a self tailer but it will work with practice. While all this is going on, the other trimmer is taking up slack and since the former loaded trimmer now has nothing to do, he becomes the tailer and helps the other trimmer pull in the sheet. The new trimmer does not have to madly pull in the sheet. He should take his time (but not all day)and let the sail fill nicely. Once he gets the sail flying, he inserts the winch handle for final adjustment by using his telltales. At this point, the tailer resets his winch by taking a couple of wraps and now everyone is ready to go for the next tack. So many times I see boats tacking with the jib flying all over the place and sheets in the water etc. It looks like a mess and it is. you do not want your tacks to look like that - do you!! Do you have any questions? There is one very small but important piece I left out due to space but read my next thread for details.
MS. Hillary: Lets start with the goal of tacking that you should be shooting for. You want to complete the tack in less than 30 seconds and you do not want to lose more than 1 knot of speed. Proper setup is your first priority. The loaded winch should be cleaned off. In other words, remove the winch handle and take the sheet off of the self tailer. So now you've got about 3 wraps on the loaded winch and the jib trimmer has the line in his hand. On the lazy winch, have that trimmer take 3 wraps but do not put the winch handle in place but have it handy. At this point your ready to start the tack and have confirmed with your crew that they are ready to tack. You have to have sufficient speed to get through the tack so the boat must be going as fast as conditions will allow. As skipper, once your sure eveyone is ready you signal by saying "tacking" and you start to bring the boat head to wind. You don't have to "snap" the boat through but you can't take all day either. As the boat approaches head to wind, the trimmer on the loaded sheet continues to maintain tension on the sheet. What he is waiting for is for the boat to go through the eye of the wind and for the sail to back wind. This backwinding pushes the bow over. At that point he releases the sheet not by spinning it off but simply by pulling staight up. It is a little tougher to do with a self tailer but it will work with practice. While all this is going on, the other trimmer is taking up slack and since the former loaded trimmer now has nothing to do, he becomes the tailer and helps the other trimmer pull in the sheet. The new trimmer does not have to madly pull in the sheet. He should take his time (but not all day)and let the sail fill nicely. Once he gets the sail flying, he inserts the winch handle for final adjustment by using his telltales. At this point, the tailer resets his winch by taking a couple of wraps and now everyone is ready to go for the next tack. So many times I see boats tacking with the jib flying all over the place and sheets in the water etc. It looks like a mess and it is. you do not want your tacks to look like that - do you!! Do you have any questions? There is one very small but important piece I left out due to space but read my next thread for details.
Here is what I do on our P42 with a...
Genoa 150, which I solo more often than not. First, I ready the windward winch with four wraps plus the tailer. Then I release the leeward sheet from just the winch tailer, but I keep the sheet in my hand on the ready. While the boat is still in autopilot I select the tack feature, which brings the boat around about 110 degrees. As the boat passes through the eye of the wind, and the genoa starts to backwind, I release the sheet from the windward winch and begin to bring the leeward sheet in by hand. While the boat settles into the new tack I use the winch handle to trim the genoa sheet. This all takes about thirty seconds to complete and seems to work for me. I use double bowline knots exclusively for their additional strength without any hanging up problems. Terry
Genoa 150, which I solo more often than not. First, I ready the windward winch with four wraps plus the tailer. Then I release the leeward sheet from just the winch tailer, but I keep the sheet in my hand on the ready. While the boat is still in autopilot I select the tack feature, which brings the boat around about 110 degrees. As the boat passes through the eye of the wind, and the genoa starts to backwind, I release the sheet from the windward winch and begin to bring the leeward sheet in by hand. While the boat settles into the new tack I use the winch handle to trim the genoa sheet. This all takes about thirty seconds to complete and seems to work for me. I use double bowline knots exclusively for their additional strength without any hanging up problems. Terry
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