When I got Tamzin she was rigged with a 130 (maybe bigger) jenny on a Profurl but still had the forestay in place.  And you're right with the right conditions and only the jenny up it seemed like she was flying.  But on the other hand with the main and jenny anything over 12-15 kts heeled her over and seemed to push the bow down in the water and rolling in the jenny didn't seem to do anything but mess things up.  Also She wouldn't tack worth a damn (probably my fault) and just didn't seem 'right'.  Finally I had  the jenny recut to Kern's specs and rigged the old stay sail I found in a locker.  What a difference.  The boat worked, it just felt better and although I don't have imperical data to support it I think she sails faster.  I personally don't think the boats were designed to sail as 'sloops', they're cutters and pretty damn good ones at that.

Larry:  Do you know what Kern's spec are for the genny? 

Pygmalion has a Kern Mail sail (luff 38'4", leach 39'2", foot 14'6"), a Kern furlering Jib (300SF) and a staysail (Luff 32'9", leach 24'8" foot 15'4" loose footed with a boom) in the sail inventory is a (hanks removed) genny? that measues Luff 40'6" leach 39'1" and foot 29'6" -  544 SF.

What I would like is to also furl the staysail for easy handling and to remove the boom as it sweeps the foredeck making that area almost unusable.

I sail in the SF bay so using the large genny is not common but I have gotten pretty good speed in very light winds with the genny using the spinnaker bail (I can't hank it on any more with the furler) and running off the wind.  Managing the sail single handed does prove a challange if the winds increase - so I don't use it much.

     

I have seen a few Westsails with a detachable forestay using a large Pelican hook(?).  Looked functional.

I have a few thoughts on this subject but remember that anything said here is just one persons opinion.

First:  Dragging the headsail across the inner stay while tacking has never caused a chafe issue for me.  I've been doing it for 35 years.  On occasion I must go forward and help a headsail pass through but  I'm sure the time spent doing this is far less than the time it would take to set-up or remove a detachable inner stay.

Kern used to say "Luff length is performance.  Foot length is crew abuse"  This is, of course, referring to going to weather.  With the wind forward of the beam the boat will perform better with more Luff length and less foot length.  That is, two sails instead of one. The Luffs are helping to "pull" you forward.  This requires about ten pages of explanation though because there are other factors involved.  The extra "pull" can be negated by a poor slot.  That is a slot that is choking down the air flow too much.  The picture of Soletro, though a nice picture, is showing a choked slot.  The boat would be faster with a smaller staysail, or smaller headsail, and/or different sheeting angles.

As the boat moves toward a beam reach, then "square footage" comes more into play and the "pull " of the Luffs airfoil becomes less. At some point, as you approach a broad reach, then extra luff is not going to help in performance.  Square footage has taken over as the primary mover.  Once on a run, then square footage is just about everything. ("just about"), but of course that square footage must be projected to the wind, as on a pole.

The Westsail 32 and 28 are low aspect ratio rigs compared to anything remotely modern.  This is not really a negative, but it is part of the explanation as to why the boats sail better with the two forward sails as opposed to just one big one.  (notice the small picture up by my name)  If sailed like a sloop when going to weather, there is too much space for the air to maintain a nice flow through the whole area.  The second sail just helps that air move along nicely and cleanly and making sure it hits the Mainsail correctly.

Certainly a big genoa can and has been used free flying with some effectiveness.  It is then a big heavy drifter.  I think a more proper drifter using 3/4oz to 2.2oz material is more effective 95% of the time.  I consider such a drifter a good investment for the Westsail.  Locally, here on the river, A typical sail is upwind with the Working jib and Staysail, and then back home with the drifter.

At any rate, get out there and sail.  Plan on being out on New Years Day.  It is tradition.

This is not directly related to this thread, but since someone mentioned halyard chafe with free-flying sails, I thought I would ask the following. I have been flying my drifter (head) from a swivel on the headstay, which in turn is connected to the halyard. Would this not prevent the chafe issue? I have been planning to add the bale setup, but I have not unstepped the mast yet and have been reluctant to install it with the mast up.

Ahoy Norm,

Sheeting to a car on the Staysail track should work fine as long as the sail is properly cut for that position.  My staysail is reefed about 50% of the time.  As such, the leach is pulled more forward of the mast., much as you are suggesting.  It works for me.

 

Ahoy Gary,

What you are suggesting about the bail on the mast head is true.  It may or may not be strong enough to support serious downward tension, but it was not designed for that.  Most boats spinnaker bails could not support such a load.  That is, the load necessary to properly setup a headsail for going to weather in 12k+ or so.