Staysail Apparent wind angle range?
- Thread starter Velero49
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Interesting question. Wonder if Don has any experience with the cutter rig. Guess we will find out soon. Personally the staysail is my jib when the wind gets up around 30. Since I don't have a vang the staysail shape is poor unless sheeted in tight. So really only useful on my boat when sailing inside of 45 degrees.
Actually, I don't have much experience with a cutter rig. A friend of mine and dock neighbor owned a Newport 30, which we were racing for God knows what reason - this boat was a tub of cement - but he decided to add the cutter rig which would augment his 150, so as to get more speed. I didn't know anything about the rig and he knew a bit more so off we went in the purchase of the sail and the installation process.
The day we picked to test the rig was blowing about 15 to 18 knots and it was just the two of us - the blind leading the blind. Long Beach, Ca harbor has 3 or 4 oil islands - most visitor think they are condos because they are disguised to look that way. Anyway, I'ive never sailed that fast on his boat. We had an awful time keeping the boat under control and fequently had to duck behind the oil island to figure out what to do next from a sail trim stand point. We never did figure out how to balance all the sails on that boat and never did use it in a race. He told me he used it once in a single handed race - yeah, right!!
The day we picked to test the rig was blowing about 15 to 18 knots and it was just the two of us - the blind leading the blind. Long Beach, Ca harbor has 3 or 4 oil islands - most visitor think they are condos because they are disguised to look that way. Anyway, I'ive never sailed that fast on his boat. We had an awful time keeping the boat under control and fequently had to duck behind the oil island to figure out what to do next from a sail trim stand point. We never did figure out how to balance all the sails on that boat and never did use it in a race. He told me he used it once in a single handed race - yeah, right!!
In very light air (<6 knots) you want to avoid the staysail all together as it is already tough enough to get the trim just right between the main and genoa for maximum power. Once above 6 knots you can use the staysail at any aparent wind angle when the sails are acting as an airfoil and gain a benefit. As soon as you turn off the wind and the sails are no longer generating lift, it is time to roll up the staysail as it is simply blocking the breeze from the genoa.
Once into the upper wind ranges when you no longer desire to carry a full genoa, a reefed main and staysail make a nice combination that can prevent damage to your genoa if used partially furled.
Once into the upper wind ranges when you no longer desire to carry a full genoa, a reefed main and staysail make a nice combination that can prevent damage to your genoa if used partially furled.
Eric: This is way off the topic but I notice you have an Island Packet. A number of years ago we were considering moving to Cape Coral / Punta Gorda, FL. To check out the sailing area I chartered first a Catalina 30 because that was what I intended to ship to FL. On the next trip I chartered a Island Packet34 out of Burnt Store Marina. I was very impressed with that boat and intended to buy one had we moved.
Anyway, during the second trip I got caught in the tail end of a hurricane that was going into the FL panhandle. We were stuck 3 days in Punta Gorda due to heavy rains and wind. After the 2nd day the humidity was just too much and I wanted off the boat. The people docked next to us had a big old trawler and finally took pity on us and invited us aboard their boat. My wife says I should be ashamed of myself for looking like a sad sack so they had no choice. Later, I decided to try for Burnt Store Marina, which I easily made with that boat but docking it was something else. I got the bow lines secured OK on the little finger piers but could only get one stern line on the pilings - wonder why they dock that way in FL? - couldn't they just extend the finger piers? Man was the wind blowing. The dock lines were so tight you could have played a tune on them.
Anyway, I really liked the detail on the Island Packet.
Anyway, during the second trip I got caught in the tail end of a hurricane that was going into the FL panhandle. We were stuck 3 days in Punta Gorda due to heavy rains and wind. After the 2nd day the humidity was just too much and I wanted off the boat. The people docked next to us had a big old trawler and finally took pity on us and invited us aboard their boat. My wife says I should be ashamed of myself for looking like a sad sack so they had no choice. Later, I decided to try for Burnt Store Marina, which I easily made with that boat but docking it was something else. I got the bow lines secured OK on the little finger piers but could only get one stern line on the pilings - wonder why they dock that way in FL? - couldn't they just extend the finger piers? Man was the wind blowing. The dock lines were so tight you could have played a tune on them.
Anyway, I really liked the detail on the Island Packet.
A staysl (when 'under' a topsail/genoa, etc.) will be most effective between a high close reach and a low angle broad reach. The advantage is that it 'fills-in' the foretriangle (with additional sail area) when the boat is less than beating. Cutters excel at 'reaching'.
Other.
http://www.arvelgentry.com/magaz/The_Double_Head_Rig.pdf .... about the ONLY valid non-technical 'article' ever written for the set/trim of a staysail.
I agree with EricM ....When going 'upwind', I usually drop my staysail when the wind velocity goes below ~6kts. OR radically change its shape (see above article).
Other.
A staysail implies TWO forward stays - headstay (jib/genoa) and forestay (foresail) .... and this creates a rigging tension vs. sail shape 'nightmare' especially on boats with a single backstay (and no running backstays, etc.). With no means to quickly adjust the forestay tension, any load that the foresail imparts 'into' the wire, increases the tension in the forestay BUT correspondingly and simultaneously unloads the headstay. This is OK for 'beam reaching down to DDW'; but, for 'upwind' a slackened headstay will greatly 'distort' the shape of the genoa and the artificially slackened headstay will greatly reduce a cutter rig's ability to 'point'. Any boat with the 'most forward' stay not up to 'proper tension' will always have difficulty 'pointing' --- will heel aggressively, will 'skid off to leeward' when beating and simply wont/cant point worth a damn. A simple solution for a cutter is to set up the rigging with forestay quite loose (~5-7% tension) and then go forward and 'manually' tighten the forestay when the jib/genoa is not flying, otherwise you will need running backstays, etc. to add force to keep the headstay properly 'taught'.
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