Headsails

[Mike Goodwin]

I have a used, very big, light weight sail for a much larger boat .
I'm going to have it cut down to a large light air reacher for the Ariel and just haven't decided on how big. I'm thinking 180 to 200 .
I can get it cut down for a fraction of the price of a new genny or a MPG.
If I was going to spend any major bucks on sails, it would be a new main .
Right now I have an old main, and the 2 class sails and no more . I don't plan on racing the old gal other than a few novelty/charity races , just want to go faster in light air.
A lot of these old design boats react well to reefing the main and sailing on with a bigger genny. They dont round up overpowered that way or if they do , put in another reef . Used to race an old Bill Tripp design that way and we have trophies to prove the point.

[Robert Lemasters]

What do you all mean by 120, 150% etc. As a kid in sea explorer scouts we had a working jib, a storm jib that was not much bigger than a peacoat and a genoa. Does anyone have any imformation on the HOYT jib boom, I've been told by someone at the yard that it increases the efficiency of the head sail; although, the person who told me that, I never have seen him take his boat out in two years.

[willie]

Could someone expound on sheeting the 120 and 150? Do you run 'em outside on a reach/run, and re-route them inside when close hauled? Only thing i can see to do, but sure a pain in the, well, you know. I'd sure like to go sailing with someone who knew something! I run the sheets back to the genoa track, just ahead of the winches with the 120 and 150,and outside the shrouds,and use the fwd. inside deck track for the 100, inside the shrouds. Seems to work ok.

Those pesky lower fwd. shrouds sure are a pain. And while i'm on that subject, i've seen those roller thingy's on some boats--(somewhere--not at my marina, as i'm all alone,) that go on the shrouds to keep the sail from chaffing on them. Anyone know of a cheap easy method or material for that purpose? I saw something advertized in a cruising mag. called 'baggy wrinkles' i think.... do they work? Just wondering what others do. I know my bowlines in the clew always hang up, have to do something about that, as the jib handler always wants to yank on things ya know. Have to remind myself not to yell!

[Bill]

The 120%, 150%, etc., refer to the percentage of the fore triangle - approximately the area from the mast base to the bow and up to the mast head. Headsails are sized by percentages of that triangle.

For anything but the 110% working jib, all sheets go outside all the shrouds to the winches. For the 110, the sheets go outside the forward shourds and inside the other two.

The Pearson factory genoa track is placed too far aft for good sail shape with low clew genoas. Location for the 150's turning block is near the after end of the aft large window. The block for the 120 is closer to the aft shroud. Both tracks should be next to the toe rail. The factory jib track is usually too far aft and too close to the house.

[commanderpete]

Willie, you could try tying the bowlines so that the tail is on the outside and the smoother part of the knot passes over the shroud.

I've also seen some people use PVC pipe on the foward shroud as a roller.

What I did is use one single long line with a simple knot at the grommet. Loop the line in the middle. Push the loop through the grommet. Pull the ends of the line through the loop. That's it. Works well.

Mike, what name are you going to give the sail? Maybe "The Whomper"

[willie]

Peter, thanks, that's too simple! And nice photo.
I did some digging around, i see some ash shroud rollers, and some pvc ones for about $55. Think i could make some for about 1/10 of that!

Going sailing. Supposed to be about 70 degrees, a bit of west wind. I'm outta here!!

[Ed Ekers]

Mike, A comment to your original question about sails larger than 150. For a number of years the #75 Ariel raced with a 180 jib. We would carry a 155. What we found was that if there was a long weather leg we would often climb to weather on him gaining distance. We would not see much difference in speed. Where the 75 would eat us up was on a reach that was too tight for a spinnaker. The skipper on the 75 would move the fair lead forward to close off the top of his jib and would go reaching right by us. I would guess he would carry at least an extra .5 – 1 knot of speed on a reach with that 180. Our goal was always try to climb to weather by pointing close hauled and wait and see how long we might be able to hold him off.

One point if anyone out there is a racer and wants to use a sail larger than 155%. Most governing bodies will ding you 3 – 6 seconds a mile on your rating for using a jib larger the 155% .