genoa roller reefing and sail shape?

[wotayottie]

has anyone really solved this issue? I beat today into 20/ 25 knots with the genoa reefed to the first mark put there by Kemps. The sail is 2 years old and hasnt been thrashed - yet is set like s shopping bag, with maybe the central 2 thirds of the luff just loose and flappy. When fully out it has a reasonable shape to it.

So whats the answer? Padded luffs? And how does your genoa set?

 

[KREW2]

Do you have a genoa car to play with?

 

[wotayottie]

yes. makes no difference - there is simply too much cloth in the middle of the sail.

 

[wotayottie]

Hmm. just seen the posts on foam luffs further down the board - two posters saying they work well.

 

[LadyJessie]

I think it very much depends on the thickness of your sail material. I have a North Sails genoa and it is made of a very heavy thick dacron. It is a real cruising sail. It makes it easier to maintain a good (isch..) sail shape even when you roll it up. I have sailed other boats with very thin genoa sails and have noticed the same thing as you; very difficult to create any beneficial sail shape when rolled up. I am no sail expert but these are my observations.

 

[graham]

I think the other problem is that the sacrificial strip plus the other reinforcing in the edges of the sail increase the diameter of the roll at the top and bottom as you roll up.This will lead to some slack cloth in the middle causing the bagginess you get.

For the type of sailing I do the convenience of roller reefing is worth loosing a bit of reefed down performance for.

 

[bedouin]

I think to try to make a roller-reefing genoa to cope with winds from F1/2 up to F6-8 represents an impossible compromise. The resulting sail will be too heavy to set well in the lightest winds, and will have poor shape when reefed in stronger winds.

In my experience the shape of a reefed genoa is pretty much at its worst at the "one reef". As you reef down more the shape tends to improve and beyond the 3rd reef the shape begins to look respectable again, although the bulk of the rolled up sail must disrupt the laminar flow.

My #3 genoa makes a much more satisfactory roller-reefing sail. It is flatter cut and so keeps a reasonable shape right the way through the wind range.

My preferred cruising selection at the moment is to keep the #2 roller genoa on for the majority of the time and to use a gennaker or asymmetric spinnaker to cover the light airs.

 

[awol]

My solution ain't pretty, certainly not ecological, but it worked for me the only time I used it.

Knowing that I was going to be racing in silly winds I procured a few lengths of foam pipe lagging - the 3/4" stuff fits my Profurl foil quite nicely - and slid it on and up the forestay while still on the mooring. Worked wonderfully giving a nice flat genoa over the bit with the foam. The non-ecological part? If you foolishly fully unroll the genoa the foam goes AWOL very quickly and it ain't no fun trying to refit new bits while the boat is sailing.

 

[wotayottie]

out of curiosity - do you fly the number 3 at the mid point of the forestay or as low down as it will go.

 

[bedouin]

I set mine just a couple of feet above the deck. It has a fairly high clew, which probably helps maintaining the shape as it is rolled up, and also means that there is no real need to move the genoa car when reefing.

This one has a fairly short luff, if I were specifying a replacement I would go for a longer luff, to increase the range of winds in which it could be used.

 

[mdonnelly]

just received new genoa from Crusaders last Thursday in time for trip to Girvan next day. Has padded luff. Wind en route F6 and reefed to first dot placed by crusaders. Sail set perfectly. Very, very pleased.