A2 or Code Zero?

[Cariadco]

I have an Archambault 40, with an A3 of 110 sq m, and an A4 of 160 sq m, and under ORC Club Certificate.
I sail a large Genoa of 52 sq m and trying to decide to go for an A2 or a Code Zero.
My sailmaker suggests the Code Zero of around 110 sq m, and they can fit it to a Furler I already have.
We mostly race double handed, sometimes with 3, here in Corfu
Any recommendations on which sail to go for please?

 

[Ingwe]

I have to ask but why don't you have an A2 already? As it's normally the sail that gets used by far the most on any asymmetric boat. Or is it that your A4 isn't really an A4 and is just an A2 design in a heavier material (from the size I am guessing that this might be the case)? If this is the case a proper A2 would still be of benefit as it will be lighter to handle short handed / will set better in light airs and will enable you to sail deeper in light to moderate airs. Also depending upon the age of your A4, downwind asymmetric design has improved an awful lot in the past 10 yrs.

As for the code zero you have to think about how often you would actually use it because if you have overlapping headsails the only scenario you are likely to need the zero is when you are reaching and it's too light for you to hit hull speed with the genoa, but it is too tight an angle for your A3, or occasionally in really heavy airs and your worried about blowing out the A3 - but if your short handed I am guessing you would stick to a headsail at that point.

 

[flaming]

What hole in your performance are you trying to plug? A code zero and an A2 do very different jobs.

 

[Cariadco]

What hole in your performance are you trying to plug? A code zero and an A2 do very different jobs.

Somewhere between my large genoa and the A3.

 

[flaming]

Somewhere between my large genoa and the A3.

Then I have no idea why you are talking about an A2. An A2 is designed to run deep in medium wind. If it's a gap between the genoa and the A3 you are looking for then it's a code 0.
If however you really do have a big genoa, then the gap you're looking to plug will be relatively small. So consider whether it's really worth it. Alternatively you may decide that you could give up the genoa in favour of a smaller jib, sacrificing a little bit of light wind upwind performance for a lower rating, but retaining the reaching performance with the code sail.

For completeness
Code 0 - light wind close reaching sail. Sometimes also used as a very heavy wind broad reaching sail These days split into MH0 and FR0, meaning masthead or fractional. Some boats carry both...
A1 - light wind reaching and VMG in sub 10kts
A2 - Medium wind VMG running
A3 - Medium wind reaching
A4 - Heavy air full size VMG runner
A5 - Heavy air reaching
A-6 Very heavy air VMG running. (Chicken chute)

 

[Cariadco]

Then I have no idea why you are talking about an A2. An A2 is designed to run deep in medium wind. If it's a gap between the genoa and the A3 you are looking for then it's a code 0.
If however you really do have a big genoa, then the gap you're looking to plug will be relatively small. So consider whether it's really worth it. Alternatively you may decide that you could give up the genoa in favour of a smaller jib, sacrificing a little bit of light wind upwind performance for a lower rating, but retaining the reaching performance with the code sail.

For completeness
Code 0 - light wind close reaching sail. Sometimes also used as a very heavy wind broad reaching sail These days split into MH0 and FR0, meaning masthead or fractional. Some boats carry both...
A1 - light wind reaching and VMG in sub 10kts
A2 - Medium wind VMG running
A3 - Medium wind reaching
A4 - Heavy air full size VMG runner
A5 - Heavy air reaching
A-6 Very heavy air VMG running. (Chicken chute)

Thank you Flaming, much appreciated detailed reply.

 

[mrming]

This info is in flaming’s post but is worth pulling out as a separate point:
- IRC boats discovered they could improve their rating by going down to a smaller, usually non-overlapping headsail, and that the majority of the time the trade was worth it.
- Newer IRC designs started being configured like that out of the box.
- However in very light airs people missed their big Genoa.
- The Code 0 was therefore developed to rate as a spinnaker but is used more like a big, baggy Genoa, tensioning the luff, and naturally footing off a bit in the very light.

You say you have a big Genoa, but looking at pics of the Archambault A40, it looks like most have a small, high-aspect, non overlapping headsail of the kind favoured by IRC optimised boats.

Is yours different / larger? If not then you could likely benefit from a code zero IF you find yourself tight reaching / trying to beat in very light airs a lot. I have no idea how all of this relates to ORC by the way, as I have only raced IRC (and CHS before). HTH.

 

[Ingwe]

You say you have a big Genoa, but looking at pics of the Archambault A40, it looks like most have a small, high-aspect, non overlapping headsail of the kind favoured by IRC optimised boats.

Is yours different / larger? If not then you could likely benefit from a code zero IF you find yourself tight reaching / trying to beat in very light airs a lot. I have no idea how all of this relates to ORC by the way, as I have only raced IRC (and CHS before). HTH.

You have to be careful looking at pictures of A40's as most of the pictures you get if you google Archambault A40 are actually of the A40 RC which was the later model that they optimized for IRC - its easy to spot which are which as the original A40 had one wheel whereas the A40RC has twin wheels.

 

[Cariadco]

So now, I'm looking the following changes:
Dump my big genoa and get new a smaller non-overlapping Jib, so my handicap will improve.
Then a new Code Zero but still in discussions regarding it's size.
Then we'll see the total price.
Just to a curve to things, someone came upto me yesterday and announced their interested in buying my boat, and did I want to sell it!!!!
I believe now, it's the only A40 in Greece.
What's a girl to do??

 

[flaming]

So now, I'm looking the following changes:
Dump my big genoa and get new a smaller non-overlapping Jib, so my handicap will improve.
Then a new Code Zero but still in discussions regarding it's size.
Then we'll see the total price.
Just to a curve to things, someone came upto me yesterday and announced their interested in buying my boat, and did I want to sell it!!!!
I believe now, it's the only A40 in Greece.
What's a girl to do??

If you know what boat you want, and selling your current boat can get you that, then do that… but if not….