New head sail

[Highlander]

I'm thinking with all the talk about the size and extra effort and hardware to use a 150 I might go with a furling 135 or 125 what ever is the next size down. Then I get th extra sail but with much less tacking effort and hardware. I cruise mostly and like it simple, mostly low wind 6-12knts but I'm always fidgeting to find the sweet spot and more speed. and as my comfort level increases I know I will want some extra speed more than the 100 jib can do. Can my hanked on jib be retro fitted for the furler. If I get the CDI FF2 I can change them out when needed it seems pretty easily.

There are lots of threads on this topic. and the long and short of it is this: There's no good way to fit a 135 or 125 to the Mac 26X or M unless you are willing to add more genoa tracks, and/or fit custom hardware. The tracks and shrouds on the 26M and 26X are positioned for only a 100 or an approx 150%. There's nothing in the middle that would accomdate a 125 or 135% genoa.

I'd love to be able to continue this thread, but I won't be able to post for several days to the forum. We're heading to a funeral and will be mostly off line for a few days.

Judy

I resolved that issue with 7ft cabin roof top mounted genny tracks






Mind u this was no easy feat ! a lot of work & planning

J

[Photoman369]

So then this all leads me to believe that you choose the rigging by the expected wind for the day. Which I guess is common sense and standard any way. But what I mean is a one size do it all head sail really isn't in the cards for Macs. I want the rolling furler so that is going to happen in the off season or early next season.

Ideally you would use a Genoa on light wind days, possibly low side of moderate to get all the sail you can, in that instance rig onto the Gunnel track and have some furling ability just not a lot.
On moderate and above wind you use 100 or 110 jib on the cabin roof track. If you have a furler you can adjust for higher winds when needed.

So I should start with a jib and furler then I could change to a Genoa later if I want more speed on light wind days.

But it's seems the most versatile for me now would be a furling Jib. Will 110 work on the roof track? I need more experience any way with the jib to get the skills.

[sailboatmike]

Genoa track setup on my X





Hope the pics work for you, they did when I tested it if you click on them

[dlandersson]

See, for me the most versatile is the RF Genoa, if it's windy you just shorten it to Jib size. Easy peasy.

So then this all leads me to believe that you choose the rigging by the expected wind for the day. Which I guess is common sense and standard any way. But what I mean is a one size do it all head sail really isn't in the cards for Macs. I want the rolling furler so that is going to happen in the off season or early next season.

Ideally you would use a Genoa on light wind days, possibly low side of moderate to get all the sail you can, in that instance rig onto the Gunnel track and have some furling ability just not a lot.
On moderate and above wind you use 100 or 110 jib on the cabin roof track. If you have a furler you can adjust for higher winds when needed.

So I should start with a jib and furler then I could change to a Genoa later if I want more speed on light wind days.

But it's seems the most versatile for me now would be a furling Jib. Will 110 work on the roof track? I need more experience any way with the jib to get the skills.

[vizwhiz]

I was just reading somewhere...Sail mag maybe?...that you actually get better performance from a genoa with whisker pole than an assymetric spinnaker. Not sure why, or if that is limited to a certain type of boat, but it was an interesting statement!

[sailboatmike]

Yachting world did a test with identical boats sailing at the same time, one with a symmetric, one asymmetric and just a jib or genoa poled out, the terms of the the test was the mark they were sailing too was dead down wind around 6 miles away and the boats were short handed 2 crew.

The results were interesting, the Symmetric was not the fastest but as the race was dead down wind it beat the asymmetric by 200 meters, the asymmetric was fastest but had to cover more ground as it cant sail dead down wind, it covered an extra 20% of ground I think, the jib or genoa poled out was the slowest.

The easiest to use was the asymmetric as it uses no poles and is easily handled by the 2 crew on board, the poled out jib or genoa was pain as you have to move and adjust the pole with every gybe, and the speed isnt great for all the fuss and of course the old symmetric was least user friendly for shorthanding, messing with a large sail and poles etc.

So their opinion was the assy was best as you dont often sail dead down wind and for its ease of handling compared to the others, one stuffed up symmetric lift, drop or gybe would cost you much more than 200m meters

[Photoman369]

I'm thinking with all the talk about the size and extra effort and hardware to use a 150 I might go with a furling 135 or 125 what ever is the next size down. Then I get th extra sail but with much less tacking effort and hardware. I cruise mostly and like it simple, mostly low wind 6-12knts but I'm always fidgeting to find the sweet spot and more speed. and as my comfort level increases I know I will want some extra speed more than the 100 jib can do. Can my hanked on jib be retro fitted for the furler. If I get the CDI FF2 I can change them out when needed it seems pretty easily.

There are lots of threads on this topic. and the long and short of it is this: There's no good way to fit a 135 or 125 to the Mac 26X or M unless you are willing to add more genoa tracks, and/or fit custom hardware. The tracks and shrouds on the 26M and 26X are positioned for only a 100 or an approx 150%. There's nothing in the middle that would accomdate a 125 or 135% genoa.

I'd love to be able to continue this thread, but I won't be able to post for several days to the forum. We're heading to a funeral and will be mostly off line for a few days.

Judy

you had said the 135 or so there is no middle track so either the working jib or the 150 used on the back tracks. Would a 110 jib work on the cabin tracks of a 26x

[sailboatmike]

wouldnt think that there is enough cabin top track to run anything much bigger that the standard working jib, which I thought was 110% as it went back pasted the mast, however Judy B has shown me the error of my ways and tells us that 100% jib can come back past the mast, as the leech to mast ratio is not the factor for determining the percentage cut of the foresail. As she has by far more experience in these matters I think her opinion is much better educated than mine.

But in short I would think that there would be little extra room for extra foot length on the jib with the standard cabin top track position, however Im happy to be pointed in the right direction should that not be true

[Baha]

Wow...

Nice to see an old, helpful topic revisited!

I guess I am (again) missing something. I have tracks and cars for my headsail, and have never felt the need to use my winches, but I also use sailing gloves most of the time. If you time it at all right, there is never enough resistance on a tack, and I usually have no trouble trimming without a winch.

My M loves my 100 % jib I got from Judy. I also have a 150 and an asymmetrical...don't need the 150 and almost always single-hand, so the kite stays in the bag as well. If I were rich, I would get a top-down furler for it.

I sail in the river Orwell and do some coastal sailing on the Norfolk UK coast. I stay in if it goes above a 4. My sail plan works for me as it is simple and drives the boat along nicely.

[Photoman369]

ok im set to get a new head sail.
if i go the 150 route and just decide what kind of wind day it will be i can switch the car from the gunwale to the cabin roof.

so NOW my question is about reef padding for the Genoa. does it work well, is it gong to weight the sail down too much in light air. what are your thoughts on Padding.

[Baha]

ok im set to get a new head sail.
if i go the 150 route and just decide what kind of wind day it will be i can switch the car from the gunwale to the cabin roof.

so NOW my question is about reef padding for the Genoa. does it work well, is it gong to weight the sail down too much in light air. what are your thoughts on Padding.

I have luff pads on my jib from Judy. I have not noticed it being weighed down, and the sail shape is better.

[dlandersson]

That look about like what I have

[Photoman369]

Thanks for input on puffs pads.

Now I have another question.

I am looking to use the new jib with a CDI FF2 rolling fuller.
I want to use a Johnson quick realse adjustable stay tensioner. But I wonder if I could put that on the back stay in stead of below the jib on the forestry. The the sail will remain lower and easier to attach and unhook.

Will that work? Does loosening the back stay provide enough slack to easily attach the forestay?

[Tomfoolery]

I am looking to use the new jib with a CDI FF2 rolling fuller.

Make sure the new sail is configured with a bolt rope sized to fit the FF2.

Will that work? Does loosening the back stay provide enough slack to easily attach the forestay?

No, I'm afraid that won't work. The side stays counter the longitudinal force of the forestay, and the backstay doesn't do much most of the time (except downwind sailing mainly). The forestay pulls forward, and the side stays, being back-swept, pull backward. In fact, you can't tension the forestay really - you tension the side-stays, which are countered by the forestay.

Slackening the backstay won't change anything in any significant way. You still need to unpin the forestay. I do that by simply cranking down on the MRS (mast raising system) which results in enough slack to unpin the forestay, even with the shrouds tensioned to my liking before hand. Remember that they're wire rope, and like any other rope, they're elastic, and will stretch like stiff rubber bands under increased load.

Edited to add that you have to unpin the backstay before using the MRS, or you will be fighting it with the MRS and getting nowhere.

[Photoman369]

I am looking to use the new jib with a CDI FF2 rolling fuller.

Make sure the new sail is configured with a bolt rope sized to fit the FF2.

Will that work? Does loosening the back stay provide enough slack to easily attach the forestay?

No, I'm afraid that won't work. The side stays counter the longitudinal force of the forestay, and the backstay doesn't do much most of the time (except downwind sailing mainly). The forestay pulls forward, and the side stays, being back-swept, pull backward. In fact, you can't tension the forestay really - you tension the side-stays, which are countered by the forestay.

Slackening the backstay won't change anything in any significant way. You still need to unpin the forestay. I do that by simply cranking down on the MRS (mast raising system) which results in enough slack to unpin the forestay, even with the shrouds tensioned to my liking before hand. Remember that they're wire rope, and like any other rope, they're elastic, and will stretch like stiff rubber bands under increased load.

Edited to add that you have to unpin the backstay before using the MRS, or you will be fighting it with the MRS and getting nowhere.

Thank you then I guess I don't need the Johnson adjustable quick release. Just use the MRS pin it and let off the Mrs the shrouds will be the proper tension. Provided the forestay and shrouds are all set to correct length. In letting off the backstay how do I get that hooked back up at the proper tension. I has a stay adjust with two plates with holes to set the length you want, but how do you tension that.