2 genoa cars on one genoa track?

davethedog

davethedog

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Hello all,

Still looking at options for better dead downwind sailing and one of those is to have 2 headsails on the one foiler and have them on opposite sided when going downwind.

So, as we only have the 1 geneo car and track per side at the moment, and rather than fit another track, could I add an extra car to each existing genoa track (one for each sail)?

Hope that makes sense!

DTD
 
I use twin head sails for running. I've found that the 2nd poled out sail needs to be sheeted much further aft than the genoa track, I use a snatch block on a one meter line cleated on the aft quarter cleat and adjusted so the sheet turns and runs forward to line up with the winch.
 
Surely you can understand the Lady's description without a picture? There was a time when nearly everyone had a spare sheet with a snatchblock that could be used when broad reaching with the No 1 genny to open the slot, being a creature of habit I still carry one though it is more often deployed in reverse as a preventer but it has not been used this year.
 
I've recently viewed a boat with two cars per track, rigged for a standard genny plus jib on inner forestay.
With your suggestion of a twistle rig I'd be looking at running the sheets back to blocks at the quarters then fwd to the primaries, subject to deck layout. I use the spinny block at the quarter with just a single poled out headsail to give a more sympathetic angle for sail control and prevent the sheets pulling down across the guard wires.
 
Hi and intention is possibly use 2 poles and each will have a downhauls and fore and aft hauls to allow the sails to be furled if required (squalls?) without the poles moving. Other option is a block on the end of the boom for one of the sails and the other with the existing whiske role we have.
 
I’m not sure I understand the OP’s query. Why would you need two cars on one track to run with two poled out headsails? Surely one headsail is sheeted to the starboard car/track and the other headsail is sheeted to the port car/track. Am I missing something?
 
Sorry, still none the wiser. Why do you need two cars per track to run two headsails poled out? Sorry if I’m being a bit dense!
 
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Was thinking 2 cars to allow each headsail to be tacked if needs be (if the wind direction changes for example and I have not had the time to drop the extra headsail).
 
Quiddle said:
I've recently viewed a boat with two cars per track, rigged for a standard genny plus jib on inner forestay.
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That is exactly what I have on my boat. No problems except for the price of the genoa cars!
But the twin cars are only used for changing headsail. When poling out the genoa I run an extra sheet to a turning block fixed with a strop to the stern mooring cleat. This stops the sheet chafing on the gaurd rails.
 
Some people get away with running two sheets through the same car.
The slack sheet just lies on the deck.
 
Sheeting of any jib when not hard on the wind needs a sheeting poin that is as wide as possible. Genoa car tracks are kept in close to c/l to get best sheeting angle for beating to windward. So as said the best place for another sheeting block is on the gunwhale and usually forward further than used for beating. Thsi laocation for sheeting can be ideal for reaching but can also often allow you to fill a jib when running in a stable manner without a pole. So if OP has one of those slotted toe rails of ali then use that to shackle a block or just screw down a saddle ontot he gunwhale or deck to take a block. ol'will
 
This ^
I rarely use the Genoa tracks on my 10m sailing boat because I rarely sail close enough to the wind to sheet in that much!
Instead I have a block on the toerail about six inches aft and six inchess outboard of the end of the Genoa track which does for 50° to about 120° off the wind.
For running I have a block on the toerail about 18'' forward of the transom (gives the best lead to the winch). For close hauled sailing I have the usual block on the Genoa track. I tie on a seperate 'lazy' sheet for these latter two uses, sometimes at the start of a trip, sometimes during.
I have twin Yankee jibs for long downwind runs, so I sometimes have this arrangement doubled up. Sheets, lazy sheets, pole guys and uphauls make for an impressive amount of string above the foredeck, but it works (on the few occasions that I have deployed it).

20180921_205022.jpg

Heading out into the sunset from Vigo, heading for Lisbon. A 2 day downwind run with winds from 10kn to 30kn.
After watching the outboard end of the port side whisker pole bending alarmingly I've shifted the fore- and aft guys from the middle of the poles to the end.
 
LadyInBed said:
Best to leave your boom out of the equation and use tho poles.
When going downwind, squalls just make you go faster :) but you might have to adjust course a bit to cope with any wind shift.
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I’m intrigued about why you would leave the boom out of it.

My plan for two Genoas is boom for one and spinnaker pole for the other. I don’t see much of a downside at the moment apart from the horizontal distance it’s poled out being smaller, but if there is another flaw it would be good to know.
 
RupertW said:
I’m intrigued about why you would leave the boom out of it.

My plan for two Genoas is boom for one and spinnaker pole for the other. I don’t see much of a downside at the moment apart from the horizontal distance it’s poled out being smaller, but if there is another flaw it would be good to know.
Click to expand...
On my boat at least, the boom is constrained by the aft lower shrouds so the sheeting angle is poor. A pole gives me a much better angle. But on boats that can get their booms out closer to perpendicular, the boom is fine, using the mainsheet and preventer to pin it in place.
Some people worry about the boom hitting the sea in a deep roll. Quite legitimately imho, given the potential consequences (I've had a boom fracture at sea. Different circumstances but a very sobering experience!) But it depends on what conditions you'd be using that arrangement in.
 
Thanks for all the advice and am now erring towards the option of getting another headsail made up (same as what we have now to allow for redundancy if not used downwind) and then pole them both out using 2 x whisker poles (as we have one already so buying another will give us redundancy on that also).

Also, as we are main sail driven the boom we have is HUGE and if set all the way out can very easily hit the sea in a roll.
 
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