windward without the headsail ?

[Paul Wetmore]

I am a new owner of a 77 25 Oday fin keel. The boat came with the standard sails including working jib (110 maybe?), genoa and main with two reef points. My question is do boats in this range sail to windward well enough with just the mainsail or should I look for a storm jib. My Clipper 21 swing keel would sail to windward very poorly without the headsail. I have not had conditions yet that were overpowering the sails (15-20 knots max so far) and have not been able to test the boat. We are planning a 7 day trip in Long island sound at the end of this month.

 

[Joe Barrett]

Jib

The jib is the sail that drives the boat forward. Going to windward without a jib is silly. The 110% should be fine for most conditions, if overpowered reef the main first. If still overpowered head for the nearest port, you shouldn't be out in a 25 ft in those conditions!

 

[Doug T.]

Choice?

You can be caught out in any size boat in any kind of conditions. One doesn't always have a choice in the matter.If I were you, I'd get a storm jib before I left. You can probably find a used one somewhere for a pretty good price. Peace of mind is a very valuable commodity.Even if you're not trying to beat to windward, the storm jib will balance the helm a lot better than sailing under mainsail alone.Happy sailing!!