Sails

[ebb]

FURLING HEADSAILS
Furling Headsails Are the Future / an article by Dobbs Davis

Let's start with a quote:
"The future is headsails without [bartaut] cables at all.
The headstay will be needed only to support the mast."
... ... "trickle-down from the grand prix to local fleets is
already happening... " ..happened.
"In the past year or so [9/2019], sail designers have
reoriented their thinking to explore flying shapes that allow
the luff to sag more than a sail whose luff is supported by a
tight cable."

"There are a lot of Code Zeros being used in the Wednesday
Night races in Annapolis.. with these races getting the
strongest turnout."

"In all, Jonathon Bartlett of North Sails points out, the new
generation of Code Zero sails have opened up a whole
new range of fun for any boat -- not just pure raceboats --
which is energizing those owners who want to race but don't
have the ideal sails to make it a worthwhile pursuit."

"With new materials, sail designs and hardware, furling
headsails are the way of the future."
'
Article is savvy and a good read.
Will we see them on the Ariel/Commander one of these days?

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What led me here was finding out that a 'structural furler' is a
fairly easy sail remove furled & bagged to safety below when
readying for a blow. No, I haven't done it yet. But that's how we
deal with this sail all the time. My reading shows that Code Zero
types can't be reefed without special hardware. In other words,
it's either completely open or fully wrapped for removal. That's a
very limiting factor as these are light air sails.. the drifter/reacher.
Genoa is the real problem.
Going to see if an old staysail can be altered for the SolentStay
that's rigged on LitlGull.. Called sail inventory.

Looked on the web for any shared experience in taking a large
genoa out of its foil track when preparing for a storm.. a way
more difficult task, especially singlehanded - since the sail will
have to be laid out back to the cockpit. A tropical storm is not the
time to see if a sock can keep the sail from being shredded.
Pulling the luff cable back into the foil is also a lot of fun, I hear.
Like to read any cruiser's experience with a genoa wind sock
surviving 100mph..

The chinese finger trap, or more specifically Vivien Kellem's cable
grip in a braided cord* might be experimented with: The harder
it blows, the tighter it holds. Made with no-stretch line.
[and perhaps two rings at each end of the luff that wld be pulled
toward the middle to release the tension - to get the
trap down.. *and not cord but maybe a flat webbing?..]
Dream-on! Then the problem of removing the web-trap from the
furled genoa..
My wind-sock of a brain keeps whispering, Make both headsails
functionally removable. AND structurally reefable. That's a true
challenge for our wilder weather cruising years ahead.. Respectfully..
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Another essay by Charles J. Doane in SAIL (Updated 8/2/21017)
titled FURL IT UP begins with this intro:
"After cruisers tested and perfected furler systems about 30
years ago, they were widely adopted on certain types of raceboats.
Since then there's been an interesting reverb effect, in which
offshore racers have created ever more refined and versatile
furling technologies that are now trickling back into the cruising
community."

Great info, ENJOY