Light air racing

  • May 15, 2013 6:43 PM
    Message # 1294200
    Westsails cant move in light air? Someone forgot to tell us.
    We won a light air race on a reaching course by quite a bit... :) My knot meter actually under reads by a few tenths. 8k true wind 12k apparent.




    Last modified: May 15, 2013 9:17 PM | Anonymous member
  • May 16, 2013 8:11 AM
    Reply # 1294537 on 1294200
    Anonymous
    Gary, 

    Can you give us details on what a "windseeker" is?  
  • May 16, 2013 10:29 AM
    Reply # 1294683 on 1294200
    Tate, basically a jib of medium proportions built from very light material with a powerful shape. Designed to get the boat moving in very light air..usually used in apparent wind up to about 10k. We were abusing that sail in this instance.
    Ours is free flying on a spectra luff
    Last modified: May 16, 2013 10:30 AM | Anonymous member
  • May 16, 2013 11:06 AM
    Reply # 1294720 on 1294683
    Anonymous
    Gary Burton wrote:Tate, basically a jib of medium proportions built from very light material with a powerful shape. Designed to get the boat moving in very light air..usually used in apparent wind up to about 10k. We were abusing that sail in this instance.
    Ours is free flying on a spectra luff
    How does she do when heading downwind or is it an upwind sail only?  We're interested in building a light air sail inventory.  I've heard some of the asym spinnakers "cruising" will work well for both to a point. 
  • May 16, 2013 11:20 AM
    Reply # 1294736 on 1294200
    I have not really tried that sail off the wind... I do have an asymmetrical and symmetrical for that...since this sail is quite small it will probably be ineffectual off the wind in very light air.
    A code 0 furler makes using this sail very easy and convenient....but I hope to have a slightly larger sail with strengthened leach and foot built (for more abuse)
    Last modified: May 16, 2013 11:27 AM | Anonymous member
  • May 16, 2013 6:56 PM
    Reply # 1295050 on 1294200
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Gary:

    Nice race - I'll use the video on the home page soon... Do you have a pic of the how the code 0 is attached and setup?

    I have an old jib w/o hanks that I've used a couple times in light winds.

    Jay

    Last modified: May 17, 2013 2:25 PM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
  • May 17, 2013 10:47 PM
    Reply # 1295785 on 1294200
    Jay, the rolled up sail on the code 0 furler is raised with a masthead halyard. The furler drum has a snap shackle that attaches to the bowsprit just behind the permanent pro-furl on the headstay...so the sail flies inside/behind the headstay. Because it has a spectra luff line, it is tensioned as hard as possible to prevent luff sag...but this happens anyway.


  • May 18, 2013 9:08 AM
    Reply # 1295968 on 1294200
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    Gary: How about tacking -- do you roll it up or ? 

    I tried the 150% jib tacked ahead of the furlex furler and with a mast halyard on the spinnaker bale got pretty good tension on the luff cable and it worked good but tacking is almost impossible w/o much fussing - though with longer sheets it might work better. w/o the furler it is tough to land the sail - with the gusty winds on the bay - don't want to get caught with to much sail up...  

    Last modified: May 18, 2013 9:10 AM | Anonymous member (Administrator)
  • May 18, 2013 11:50 AM
    Reply # 1296025 on 1294200
    We just tack it like any other headsail...300 sq foot is smaller than a super yankee. The sheets are 1/4' line for lightness.
  • May 19, 2013 10:33 AM
    Reply # 1296433 on 1294200
    This picture shows the furler:

    Furler
     

    Last modified: May 19, 2013 10:33 AM | Anonymous member