Sail Selection - What size jib

[James]

I am an evening/weekend sailor who enjoys trips between 2 to 6 hrs on Narrangansett bay. I continue to learn more about the boat and hope you can help me understand sail sizes and their impact on performance

I have a 110 and a 130 jib. The major difference is the area of the sails which are 118 Sq. Ftfor the 110 and 153 Sq. Ftfor the 135. That,s almost a 50% increase in sail area and I had expected to see a difference when selecting either sail.

Winds on Narrangansett Bay are typically 5 to 15 but can often be 15 to 20 with gusts to 25, especially around Conimicut light. Each time we go out we decide on which jib to use.

I would have expected that a bigger sail would produce more speed but I am not seeing that.

It seems to me that there is little difference in the peformance of the boat, whether I am using the 110 or the 130.
Yesterday with a full main and the 110 we had VMG's (from my GPS) of 4.5 to 5.5 knots when beating and 6.5 when sailing downwind. It was a perfect evening with a gorgeous sunset.

Its great to have the different sails and the 130 with its broad blue strips is definitely a "prettier" sail but it does not seem to make much difference in performance.

What jib size do you use? Any comments on the expected performance differences between the 110 and the 130?

Does the 130 allow me to point a little higher or something which I am simply not seeing?

Appreciate your comments.

James

 

[LANCE ON CLOUD NINE]

I'm no expert but have a couple random thoughts.

Your larger sail is only 29% bigger. Also, are your sails in equal condition? Squeaking the best speed out of my 1984 O'Day 23 is much more about overall balance than amount of sail area. For example when the boat is over heeled, the rudder will scrub off far more speed than a larger sail can add. For me, as the sail gets larger, more attention must be paid to get proper shape to maximize performance. ( I have learned alot about sail shape from the postings of RichH. You can do the same by reading his info in archives) In short, us amateurs usually don't get the sails flat enough when we have the boat moving decent in clean (smoother) water. Do you have a wisker pole you can use with that 130? This really helps when going down wind. Good luck.

 

[Mike]

My 2 cents

Bigger sails don't necessarily make the boat go faster. In order for you to do a fair comparison, you would have to use each sail under the exact same conditions: wind, water, tides and currents. And on the Oday 23, you should also have the same people sitting in the same places; the boat is very sensitive to moving "ballast" around. What I found back in the days before I put roller furling on my Oday 23, is that when the boat was overpowered (i.e., I chose the big genny when it was too windy), I got too much heeling, less control and less speed. The big sail made the boat slower. In short, the correct sail for the conditions will produce the best speed. The caveat with that is what Lance wrote about sail condition; even if its the "right" size, the sail may be too baggy to hold its shape, and therefore won't produce as much drive as a smaller sail in good condition.

FWIW, here's what I my experience has taught me: hank on jib: anything over 10 knots, I used my 100 jib. At around 15 knots (less if I had the Admiral or guests aboard), I would put a reef in the main. Less than 10 knots, I used my 165 genny. I put roller furling on a few years ago, so I don't change sails anymore.

 

[Captain Long Femur]

O 23 sails

James

I just got back from being out in 15-20 knots (steady) for 4 hours this morning....what a blast. Once it get's over 12-15 knots, I reef my main. I have a 150 genny on a roller furler that makes adjustments easy. One thing I noticed today is that I find it much easier to over-power the rig with the entire main up than with a reefed main and more genny unfurled. I'm on my 3rd season with my boat, so I'm still "discovering" how to really balance the boat in heavier winds. I think a furler would really be a help to you, especially if you sail solo a good deal or have regular crew that aren't quite into the boat heeling.

Hope this helps.

CLF

 

[BaySailerBill]

Oday-23 Sails

Hi James,

I also sail a 23 on Narragansett Bay and yes the sunsets are fantastic. On my 1973 I have the origanal 100 Jib and a 180 Genoa. For the most part I use the 180, I usually will only change it to the 100 on gusty days. I find that I can achieve the same speeds in the boat regardless of the sail. It all comes down to using the right sail for the current conditions and how you handle the boat. Your Jibs are so close in size I really don't think you would see much of a difference between the two, with the exception of using the smaller Jib on a gusty day.

Regardless of what sails you use, we both know that the boat is perfect for cruising along on the Bay. As for me, I really don't care much for how fast I'm going. I'm in no hurry and just greatful to be sailing along on a great boat in a beautiful bay. The only racing that I worry about now-a-days is the race to the marina, the faster I get there the longer I can stay on the boat.

HAPPY SAILING,
Bill