jimi
Well-Known Member
I’m with you on that. I’m sure that with foils changing luff tension makes absolutely no difference to the cruising yachtie. If the luff falls apart cos it’s tensioned then a trip to the sailmaker is long overdue
Calling Beneteau 331 owners (or anyone for that matter) for help with sail rigging advise!
- Thread starter Still Grinning
- Start date
Old Harry
Well-Known Member
I adjust the genoa luff tension often whilst sailing & never leave it tension ed up when furled
Old Harry
Well-Known Member
if luff tension is released once furled tightly, the furled sail is gripping the luff & over time the luff tape will relax & something has to give
jimi
Well-Known Member
Interesting, it’s not something my sailmaker has ever mentioned. I’d have thought halyard tension irrelevant on roller reeling cos as soon as even one roll is in the luff tension is on the sail
ex-Gladys
Well-Known Member
One of the major controls on sail shape - particularly for a jib, which has no other shape controls - is luff tension. On the main, there is also foot tension. The sail cloth will stretch, and if your sail has luff tape you shouldn't dream of keeping it under tension
Javelin
Well-Known Member
The halyard is there to hoist the sail, its not there to tension the luff.
I see this all the time where owners over tension the jib halyard, cleat it off and forget it.
Same goes for the main halyard when used on an in mast furler.
If you pinch a section of luff between your fingers, either just above the furler drum or boom, you should be able to twist 90 degrees.
If you over tension its like pulling on a cunningham control line, it depowers the sail.
This pulls fullness in the sail forwards and twists of the leach.
Its a depowering technique that racers use all the time.
If the wind gets up and you want to avoid having to roll the jib in a bit then sure, tension the halyard and this will depower the sail and save you having to roll some in for maybe half a wind force.
But please remember to ease it back off again when you finish sailing.
For those of you using three strand or braid on braid halyards, the stretch in the rope itself will usually act as a safety margin for your sail but if you are using cruising dyneema or sk78 dyneema and above, over tensioning your halyard will damage your sails.
I see this all the time where owners over tension the jib halyard, cleat it off and forget it.
Same goes for the main halyard when used on an in mast furler.
If you pinch a section of luff between your fingers, either just above the furler drum or boom, you should be able to twist 90 degrees.
If you over tension its like pulling on a cunningham control line, it depowers the sail.
This pulls fullness in the sail forwards and twists of the leach.
Its a depowering technique that racers use all the time.
If the wind gets up and you want to avoid having to roll the jib in a bit then sure, tension the halyard and this will depower the sail and save you having to roll some in for maybe half a wind force.
But please remember to ease it back off again when you finish sailing.
For those of you using three strand or braid on braid halyards, the stretch in the rope itself will usually act as a safety margin for your sail but if you are using cruising dyneema or sk78 dyneema and above, over tensioning your halyard will damage your sails.
Still Grinning
Active Member
Wow! And as usual a plethora of new information adding to the original question. Every day is a school day! 
The more I learn the more I realise how little I know, and I wonder if I will ever know enough to really call myself a sailor...
Just to be clear - is it being suggested that every time I use the genoa I tension the halyard, then unfurl, then furl, then untension? Or is Javelin suggesting less tension whilst unfurled too (although that seems counterintuitive to the way the Facnor furler is designed...)
And for all those helpful souls at the beginning of this topic - eventually I had a closer look at the halyard swivel. To say it was shot was an understatement, but really didn't notice it when I was first putting the genoa on. Under tension it became clear the bearings had at least partially collapsed. Communicating with Facnor, they were amazed it had lasted 17 years.... So, now the proud owner of a new swivel (having picked myself up off the floor when I saw the price), and furling seems smooth and wrap free - at least as much as I can test on shore with no wind!
Hope to test at sea in the very near future (boat was launched on Wednesday)!
Thanks again to all, the helpfulness of these forums is 2nd to none!
The more I learn the more I realise how little I know, and I wonder if I will ever know enough to really call myself a sailor...Just to be clear - is it being suggested that every time I use the genoa I tension the halyard, then unfurl, then furl, then untension? Or is Javelin suggesting less tension whilst unfurled too (although that seems counterintuitive to the way the Facnor furler is designed...)
And for all those helpful souls at the beginning of this topic - eventually I had a closer look at the halyard swivel. To say it was shot was an understatement, but really didn't notice it when I was first putting the genoa on. Under tension it became clear the bearings had at least partially collapsed. Communicating with Facnor, they were amazed it had lasted 17 years.... So, now the proud owner of a new swivel (having picked myself up off the floor when I saw the price), and furling seems smooth and wrap free - at least as much as I can test on shore with no wind!
Hope to test at sea in the very near future (boat was launched on Wednesday)!
Thanks again to all, the helpfulness of these forums is 2nd to none!
Javelin
Well-Known Member
When you raise the Genoa, pull it up all the way and cleat it.
Go forward and pinch a section of the luff, just above the drum, that isn't in the foil groove.
If you can't twist it then the tension is too tight, slacken the halyard off and inch.
If you can twist more than 120 degrees, then you might need to add a little more tension to the halyard.
You can also pinch the luff betwwen your finger and thumb around the foil.
You should beable to move the luff up and down 1/2".
Once happy cleat and forget.
To give you an idea of whats happening, grab a tea cloth by the corners.
Pull it so the edge is straight, with no creases.
This is the correct tension.
The pull it harder and you will see material below pulling up as a soft crease.
Remember the sail is shaped so pulling too tight will essentiall do the same thing.
Depending on who made your sails the luff rope can be anything from cheap polyprop rope, through braid on braid to Dyneema.
Constant high tension on cheaper sails will stretch them over time and put unecessary stress on the stiching.
