sam@rocksvax.UUCP (Sam Houston) (10/27/83)
Ok sailors--want to help me spend some money?? I've got a new 29' cruiser/racer (a C&C sloop); presently equipped with a good North main and a roller-furled 135% cruising genoa (Hood twin foil system). Now, sometimes (say 4 or 5 Sundays in the spring & fall round the buoys club races and maybe 2 or 3 long-distance races) I like to get competitive. If money were no object I'd just buy a full wardrobe of racing and cruising sails. Unfortunately, $$ are a little dear, and next year I can only see my way clear to two new headsails and a spinnaker. The added headsails will be primarily for racing, and the spinnaker for both uses. Incidently, the area of operation is Lake Ontario, and average winds in the May to October period (we northeners actually lay-up for six months of the year!) are 10 to 12 knots in the peak wind early afternoon. Chop is typically a moderate 2 to 3 feet except in storms, and peak winds rarely exceed 30 knots. After consulting the books (Ross primarily), reading an article in last month's Yacht Racing/Cruising, and much agonizing on my own I had made the following mental decision: heavy #1 mylar (153% LP) #3 (~105%) dacron 3/4 oz. general-use tri-radial I had not planned on putting reefing on the #3, but after reflection, I may have this reefable to a #4 (seldom used in this area, anyhow). My general feeling was this would make me marginally competitive (I'm *really* a casual racer), and the following year I could fill in with a light #1, a 1.5 oz. spinnaker, and a #2. Then some of my racing *buddys* really confused me by saying my decision (for the coming year's purchase) was wrong; what I really needed was a "universal" #1 (say 6 to 16 knots apparent), and a #2 reefable to a #3. They didn't question my spinnaker selection. I don't like this approach for several reasons: * I dislike reefing genoas * the added reefing clew patch adds leech weight (and shake) to the #2, and results in an inefficient #3 when reefed * although I may be marginally more compettitive next year, the following year I would be stuck with an inferior inventory for the same $ expenditure Comments? Sarcasm? Any informed help would be appreciated. sam
chb@vaxine.UUCP (Music Mafiosi) (10/28/83)
I have just a couple quick points. Given your wind and chop conditions, a larger, fuller-bodied sail is going to be required to power the boat through that chop. Also on the C&C 29 I sailed on once we did hoist the #3 until about 20 knts (+-2). All this would argue that you could do without the #3 for most of the one season before you buy it, anyway. Making due with the reefing #3 wouldn't be terrible for one year, and you could have the #2 recut to be unreefable once you bought the #3 if it REALLY bothered you. By the way, I hop you threw that roller furling system overboard, and bought a twin-slotted headsail foil. Even for cruising, I find the luff fall-off so bad in any roller-furling system, that it loses all value as a convenience (especially trying to beat home when wet, tired, and the kids are squawling). Besides, the twin slotted arangement makes sail changes very easy, and a lot safer since you spend much less time up in the bow than the old shackle arrangement. Just my opinion.... Charlie Berg, Navigator HIGH ZOOT (J-36) Marblehead, MA.