Banging on again........

[Krusty]

About V-twin riding sails; and without apology!

It seems that New Zealanders may be more enterprising (or perhaps simply less conservative?) than UK sailors.

In a wild and windy anchorage in the Outer Hebrides the crew of the only other yacht watched my boat sit comfortably through a gale with V-twin set while theirs ranged about, snatching at its chain. They joined the ranks of the converted.

After emmigrating "Down-under" they bought a van de Stadt and had a V-twin made to suit, using it throughout a cruise circumnavigating Tasmania before exploring New Zealand.
By responding to the curiosity of other sailors sharing anchorages and talks at sailing clubs, they have spread the V-twin. Here is some of their feed-back :

"Ahoy Keith,
Apologies for the long silence........We eventually parked the boat on her new mooring near Hobart. Thank you for your suggestion that wild night off Tasmania, we reached our destination 12 hours early! Eventually figured out we should have taken the main completely down.........

This photo of two yachts in NZ with their riding sails set reminded me of you! We sailed round NZ last year and have been turning all we met on to your great idea.... See what our Dutch friends on My Lady had to say below.

"After we recieved the info from you about the riding sail we made one and it works perfect . Everytime when we are on anchor we rig it up and it makes a big difference. On one of the pictures you see us together with Valhalla on anchor in Whangaroa . And yes we were the only boats with a riding sails and some people ask us what is that there in your backstay? "

In the pic of the two boats I sent you the boat on the left with white riding sail is Valhalla and we had spent 3 days in a cove with them riding out a force 9 in NZ. Their boat was nearly being thrown on it's beam ends by the savage veering/sheering motion. They couldn't believe how we just sat there like a duck.
After the blow they came over and we gave them the address of the sail maker in Wellington who made our R S.
Since then they have had no problems with sheering."

 

[prv]

I'm aware of the benefits of a riding sail, having sailed a yawl whose mizzen was occasionally used for that purpose, and I understand how the V design is even better. But does the tiny scrap of fabric in your photos really do the job? Looks too small to me.

Pete

 

[Krusty]

You either believe the owners of those boats pictured, or you don't.

As I commented above; "New Zealanders may be more enterprising (or perhaps simply less conservative?) than UK sailors."

(Look at the history of V-twin development in Albums on my profile page)

 

[AliM]

We made up a V-twin sail, as in your website, and used it at anchor in the Baltic quite a few times this summer. We reckoned that it reduced the swing about the anchor from about +/-50degrees without it to +/-10 degrees with it, in winds of about 15-20 kts - a huge improvement in comfort. However, it was a lot larger than the one in the NZ photo. I think the luffs are about2.5- 3m. Perhaps we could get away with a much smaller one.
Anyway, thanks for the design. It is really useful in places where you do not lie to the tide, but we've not needed to use it in our very tidal anchorages in East Coast mud holes.

 

[dovekie]

Another endorsement for V-riding sails from us. 70's GRP fin-keel sloop, reduces swing at anchor by at least half. And we too got the idea from Krusty.

 

[Krusty]

It's good to know it's starting to catch on in UK: Why am I so keen? Well apart from the comfort on board and the far lower risk of breaking out an anchor, the reduced distance needed for safety from a neighbouring boat would allow far more efficient and stress-free use of this county's crowded anchorages.

As a widely experience skipper sailing with me remarked: "One of these should be standard equipment on every cruising yacht" : And for the cost of a few fenders: Peanuts, compared to the potential cost of a smacking kiss from the nearest boat !

 

[Blueboatman]

Useful post, ta.
Having experienced a less-than-effective 'flat' backstay riding sail on a HR49 (sloop), which sailed round it's anchor really worryingly, the Vee format sounds the way to go

 

[causeway]

sounds like a great idea to me. now how can I do this with stuff which is already on the boat?

 

[Krusty]

sounds like a great idea to me. now how can I do this with stuff which is already on the boat?

If you have a storm jib with leech and foot near-enough equal, try sewing a (double) patch on the middle of the luff and sew a cringle into it. That would be its tack as a riding sail, with the clew becoming its head.

My friend in Oz did that for trials before having a sailmaker do a proper one for the NZ cruise..

 

[Fascadale]

Hi to Piota's former skipper. Good to see you back again.

 

[NornaBiron]

Ours has been in place all winter here in Crete. Much less snatch on the chain whenever there's a blow. The v-sail is fast becoming a permanent fixture on Norna Biron

 

[Zagato]

I hope to be anchoring quite a lot and I will be on a swinging mooring all winter so it would come in handy when I am on the boat but I don't think I have the room to put one on sadly! Could maybe try rigging a seperate line to come down near the rear of the boom and work something out from their with the backstay!