Just received my Selden bowsprit kit and GX furler. I want to use my older North Gennaker with this set up but had heard that a stiff headboard might be problematic. Although there is some flexibility in the headboard I wonder if it will wind around the anti-torsion cable tight enough to start the furling process. Has anyone used their older sail with one of these newer top down asymmetrical spinnaker systems? How did it work for you? Thanks.
Top Down furler with older sail?
- Thread starter Pat T
- Start date
Hey,
Two years ago I used to race on a boat where the owner installed a top down furler and retrofitted an asymmetric sail to it.
The sail would roll up but the headboard would get stuck between the forestay and the torsion line. It would roll out and back up, but it was not easy. He did not have a bowsprit, the torsion line was just tacked to the anchor roller. Still, on a masthead rig there is not a lot of room between the torsion line and the forestay.
Good luck,
Barry
Two years ago I used to race on a boat where the owner installed a top down furler and retrofitted an asymmetric sail to it.
The sail would roll up but the headboard would get stuck between the forestay and the torsion line. It would roll out and back up, but it was not easy. He did not have a bowsprit, the torsion line was just tacked to the anchor roller. Still, on a masthead rig there is not a lot of room between the torsion line and the forestay.
Good luck,
Barry
When i added a roller furler to my B235, I had a loft sew in a luff tape for the furler groove. He naver made a comment about it, but the headboard was too big for furling in a good way. I quickly took it off, got a new/used genoa at Bacons, sold the old one there, and all worked out well. Avoid the big headboard.
I was thinking of speaking with my loft about it too. Maybe they can change the headboard for me.
For sure. They should be able to remove some of the stiffening panels in the head, and replace them with more/longer webbing strips to spread the load down the sail and into the cloth.
Looks good Jackdaw. Now I know how it should look. Thanks for taking the time to post the picture.