Given the choice between the two sails on the front or a37c, if you could only put one up in light air, which would it be? The easy answer is likely the jib but with the Yankee Cut I'm curious if it's really that efficient of a sail, per square foot. Thanks
Which head sail for maximum power.
- Thread starter Cocoa Beach Sailor
- Start date
I don’t have a Hunter 37, but I think the answer really lies more in what sort of conditions you normally sail in.
I sail on the south end of Lake Michigan, and often have too much wind. Other days, I am blowing on the sail to try and get a breath of life into it.
My boat came with a 130 genoa, but when it was time to replace it, and after discussing with the sail lift, I decided to make it a 120. I was reefed so often (with the corresponding poor sail shape) cutting it down some made sense.
I sailed a lot this last season and was able to keep the sail fully deployed fairly often, and didn’t miss the extra sail area too often (Zi do have an Asymmetrical spinnaker to fly if I really feel like it).
My friends sail a Hunter 33 with a rather small, yankee cut jib. While they can see better than me with my deck-sweeper, I can often keep up with them or outsail them with my larger Genoa.
Greg
I sail on the south end of Lake Michigan, and often have too much wind. Other days, I am blowing on the sail to try and get a breath of life into it.
My boat came with a 130 genoa, but when it was time to replace it, and after discussing with the sail lift, I decided to make it a 120. I was reefed so often (with the corresponding poor sail shape) cutting it down some made sense.
I sailed a lot this last season and was able to keep the sail fully deployed fairly often, and didn’t miss the extra sail area too often (Zi do have an Asymmetrical spinnaker to fly if I really feel like it).
My friends sail a Hunter 33 with a rather small, yankee cut jib. While they can see better than me with my deck-sweeper, I can often keep up with them or outsail them with my larger Genoa.
Greg
At first this sounds like a trick question. The answer seems to be that the larger sail area of the jib would be better in light air. But Greg is correct - it depends.
If its very light air the presumably more full shape of the jib may have too much curve to keep airflow attached and the airflow that isn't attached is drag. Whereas the smaller Yankee may be able to be trimmed more flat for better attached airflow and less drag. I believe that the lion's share of drive in an upwind sail occurs in the forward third where the camber of the sail is. The aft 2/3 are supposed to be flat. Additionally, the Yankee would be more easily trimmed for puffs and sudden wind direction changes (Don't use the rudder).
On the other hand, the Yankee may constrict the slot depending on where it is sheeted. On a cutte, which is not an upwind rig, I'd expect the Yankee to sheet outboard. So not so much slot choking.
That's only going upwind, or close reach for a cutter. Downwind it is the barn door principle. Pole out the jib and go.
If its very light air the presumably more full shape of the jib may have too much curve to keep airflow attached and the airflow that isn't attached is drag. Whereas the smaller Yankee may be able to be trimmed more flat for better attached airflow and less drag. I believe that the lion's share of drive in an upwind sail occurs in the forward third where the camber of the sail is. The aft 2/3 are supposed to be flat. Additionally, the Yankee would be more easily trimmed for puffs and sudden wind direction changes (Don't use the rudder).
On the other hand, the Yankee may constrict the slot depending on where it is sheeted. On a cutte, which is not an upwind rig, I'd expect the Yankee to sheet outboard. So not so much slot choking.
That's only going upwind, or close reach for a cutter. Downwind it is the barn door principle. Pole out the jib and go.
In light air, definitely both head sails. If only one allowed, the yankee. The yankee is far more efficient since it creates some slot. It is also bigger. When. I ordered new sails, I had the yankee made 3 ft. or so longer on the leach and foot. Vast light air improvement.
You fly both. It’s a cutter. It’s meant to use both. It’s not meant to be an either/or option package.
In rough weather the best storm set for a cutter or double-headsail ketch or yawl is the little jib on the inner forestay, by itself. It will hold the boat just off the wind, at maybe like 35-40 degrees, and it is low enough to effect enough heel to stabilize the boat while not making it heel too far.
My recommendation is always to get rid of the staysail boom which only divides the deck and makes it very hard to go forward (you’ll always be on the wrong side of it). Headsail booms are great for very large boats on which you can walk under the boom (or at least duck). On smaller boats (up to 65’?) it’s best to just have two roller-furlers and fly them both loose-footed. The small one can be like a little 110 or 115, coming a little aft of the mast and sheeted to a track inboard on the side deck or on the cabintop. The big one can be like a 135 with a high clew (for visibility) sheeted back to the cockpit possibly through (big) turning blocks. This arrangement gives you the best variety for the most conditions.
You will need two sets of sheet winches in the cockpit. And be sure your turning blocks are strong enough (2x rated load - they’re doing a 180. Schaefer 7-series should be okay for an H37).
And yes, naysayers, you CAN tack the outer jib between the two forestays. Just be sure to use sheets spliced to the clew or else a double-ended sheet with a cow hitch at the clew, to ensure no bowlines or (worse) shackles snag on the stay going around.
And here is the boat I learned all this on (note furlers) -
In rough weather the best storm set for a cutter or double-headsail ketch or yawl is the little jib on the inner forestay, by itself. It will hold the boat just off the wind, at maybe like 35-40 degrees, and it is low enough to effect enough heel to stabilize the boat while not making it heel too far.
My recommendation is always to get rid of the staysail boom which only divides the deck and makes it very hard to go forward (you’ll always be on the wrong side of it). Headsail booms are great for very large boats on which you can walk under the boom (or at least duck). On smaller boats (up to 65’?) it’s best to just have two roller-furlers and fly them both loose-footed. The small one can be like a little 110 or 115, coming a little aft of the mast and sheeted to a track inboard on the side deck or on the cabintop. The big one can be like a 135 with a high clew (for visibility) sheeted back to the cockpit possibly through (big) turning blocks. This arrangement gives you the best variety for the most conditions.
You will need two sets of sheet winches in the cockpit. And be sure your turning blocks are strong enough (2x rated load - they’re doing a 180. Schaefer 7-series should be okay for an H37).
And yes, naysayers, you CAN tack the outer jib between the two forestays. Just be sure to use sheets spliced to the clew or else a double-ended sheet with a cow hitch at the clew, to ensure no bowlines or (worse) shackles snag on the stay going around.
And here is the boat I learned all this on (note furlers) -