Reefing Genoa?

[chasmoyer]

Can/should a 110% furling genoa be reefed (not fully furled out) when encountering 20+ knot winds? The intent would be for safety and control...realizing that sail lifting characteristics would be substantially altered with shortened genoa. Or will this place too much load on single (and relatively thin) furlilng take-up line?

 

[kloudie1]

Really depends on whether the furler itself is designed for reefing as well as furling.. note that this gear says reefing and furling:
http://www.harken.com/productcategory.aspx?taxid=3538
If the product literature does not specifically include reefing, I would think that reefing is not desirable ..

 

[Dan Johnson]

Also, if your furler can do reefing, you may want to have a sailmaker install foam padding at the luff of the sail to help it maintain its shape when rolled up to, say, a 100%'r.

As for a "thin" furling line, you may want to use a thicker braided line and strip the core out of the first dozen feet or so to allow more of the full furling line to lay on the drum when you roll it up some to furl the headsail.

 

[Dave Groshong]

A luff stiffener, part of a sail's construction is essential for reefing. Sailmakers used to use foam, but it really didn't last, so now the luff stiffener is also known as a rope luff stiffener.

Without a luff stiffener you get big creases and lose all shape while reefing.

 

[Don Lucas]

When you need to reef ..............reef! Sail shape and efficiency be damned!

 

[RichH]

Luff stiffners were abandoned for use right before the advent of the usage of foam luffs, followed by 'special' luff shapes .... and now we're back again to foam luffs. Foam luffs will usually last several years before needing replacement, the newer foams are longer lasting than previous.

The answer to the original post and if you have a reefing furler (has a 'free' top swivel ... or a newer reefing-furler with 'free' bottom and top swivel with only the foil turning) ... Yes, you'll typically be able to roller reef to about 30% sail area reduction with not much loss of sail shape. Once your 'roll' much beyond 30% all the 'broadseamed' panels will be IN the 'roll' and all you get is non-curved shape; and the sail will start to become 'baggy' beyond that 30% roll-up.

 

[waternwaves]

At those higher wind speeds, much less depth in the sail is required, so not all is lost.

non curved is less of a penalty with winds > 20 kts anyway.

 

[Stu Jackson]

A 110 is not a genoa, it is a jib. In most cases, it is called a working jib. You could do a number of things:

furl it a bit if your furling system is also a reefing system; you can easily get it down to 95 or 85% which should do just fine in those winds

deeply reef or drop your main altogether and sail on 110 or partially furled jib

We do this all the time here on SF Bay.

 

[chasmoyer]

Don, my wife and I are of like mind with you. We enjoying cruising...not into racing.

 

[chasmoyer]

Thank you all for your very helpful insights and advice. Stu, thanks for the correction.