Go ahead and laugh. It's ok, we don't care. There are over 6,000 of these powersailing beauties churning up the waterways, highways and campgrounds. What an opportunity for aftermarket sales for Doyle Sailmakers. Now that we are over that here is my question. My boat did not come with a genoa. I want to purchase a custom genoa ASAP but need advise on mast rigging changes I believe are needed to overcome owner complaints about poor windward performance with the stock setup. Before purchasing a 26X I monitored the Mac forums for several months and read consistent reports that this boat will not sail to windward nearly as well with the stock genoa as it will with the small jib. This was attributed to the smaller sheeting angles that can be achieved with the jib. Some owners with previous racing experience leave the small jib on the furler for windward courses and fly the genoa like an asymmetric when sailing off the wind. This won't work for me. After purchasing the boat I was taken back by the 44inch spreaders. These loooong spreaders plus shrouds pinned to chainplates located at max (7' 10" beam) would appear to precluded "normal" sheeting angles and make it next to impossible to set a decent sail shape even if the sailmaker could design one. Unless someone like yourself tells me I'm nuts I plan to install shorter spreaders (32 to 36 inches). As it turns out others have done this with no reported structural problems to date however those I contacted have not had a sail specifically designed for this configuration. Question: Does your sail design software include inputs for spreader length, spreader sweep angle, shroud chainplate location and genoa car location? If it does, can you predict for the 26X what the windward performance improvement potential is with shorter spreaders? Since Doyle makes the stock sails for the MacGregor 26X and 26M you may have a leg up on this question.
Spreader/genoa mod for MacGregor 26X
- Thread starter normo
- Start date
- Status
26x pointing
We've had excellent feedback regarding this issue from Mac 26X owners who have installed an IdaSailor rudder. I can't explian the pysics behind the improvement but input is quite consistent. Click the link below for info.
We've had excellent feedback regarding this issue from Mac 26X owners who have installed an IdaSailor rudder. I can't explian the pysics behind the improvement but input is quite consistent. Click the link below for info.
what about the hull?
You might change the rigging but you still have that powerboat hull that gives you no lift. I've seen a few of those boats trying to go to windward and they give a tremendous amount of way.(sideslip) Sheeting angles are one thing but it's what goes on below the waterline that has a lot to do with pointing ability. A big genoa with a narrower sheeting angle will make the slot too small, create turbulence over that main and cause it to stall. With the main stalling you'll have absolutely no weather helm and lose all pointing ability. So my suggestion is to look for a performance oriented rudder or centerboard. See the link on Phil's post.
You might change the rigging but you still have that powerboat hull that gives you no lift. I've seen a few of those boats trying to go to windward and they give a tremendous amount of way.(sideslip) Sheeting angles are one thing but it's what goes on below the waterline that has a lot to do with pointing ability. A big genoa with a narrower sheeting angle will make the slot too small, create turbulence over that main and cause it to stall. With the main stalling you'll have absolutely no weather helm and lose all pointing ability. So my suggestion is to look for a performance oriented rudder or centerboard. See the link on Phil's post.
Rudders are 2nd order contibutors
I have raced sailboats for over 30 years so I have a decent appreciation for the limitations of the Mac. Now I am beginning to enjoying some of its advantages over the much better performing Cal that I recently sold. Hopefully I can now apply some of the knowledge I have acquired while racing to improve the sailing performance of the Mac. No doubt more efficient rudders would improve performance on the Mac but the questions I posed was specifically directed towards rig modifications and sail design that will make it possible to trim a significantly better sail shape for windward courses. I was hoping that Bob Columbo, the Doyle expert, would provide his perspective.
I have raced sailboats for over 30 years so I have a decent appreciation for the limitations of the Mac. Now I am beginning to enjoying some of its advantages over the much better performing Cal that I recently sold. Hopefully I can now apply some of the knowledge I have acquired while racing to improve the sailing performance of the Mac. No doubt more efficient rudders would improve performance on the Mac but the questions I posed was specifically directed towards rig modifications and sail design that will make it possible to trim a significantly better sail shape for windward courses. I was hoping that Bob Columbo, the Doyle expert, would provide his perspective.
- Status