Sails for extremely heavy winds on a B&R rig

[Frank Ladd]

I have a Hunter 23.5 and it sails pretty well with a reefed main only up to about 20 knots. After about 25 knots I need to take all sail down and put the boat away. Does anyone have any suggestions for sailing in heavier weather? I've talked to sailmakers and they say more reef points are not the answer. My boat doesn't sail well with just a jib so a storm jib seems like a bad idea. Is a special heavy weather main the answer?

 

[Don Guillette]

Sails For Heavy Winds On A B and D Rig

Frank: I can't completely answer your question because I've never sailed on a BandD rig but I can explain part of the problem. On a mast head rig (like a Catalina has), the engine is the jib. On a Hunter, which is a fractional rig, the engine is the main. So the reason you can't sail the Hunter very well under jib alone is because you removed the engine when you furled the main, but in heavy conditions removing the main is the correct proceedure. You just have to fight your way through it and in very adverse conditions you'd be down to bare poles. Putting the 23' boat away in wind over 25 knots is not a bad idea.