GK24 To furl or not to furl..

[glaikitlassies]

..that is the question. We need a new foil. Want to be racey but have convenience. Removable furling drum? What type? Advice much appreciated!

 

[Richard10002]

I used to race a GK24 across the Irish Sea .... Based on our experience, I wouldnt bother with racey, and just go for convenience /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

I wonder if Get Knotted is still around?

 

[William_H]

Well despite the almost universal use of furling in UK I would not have it. Only 3 boats out of our fleet of 45 or so at our club have furling. One friend fitted it and then removed it. Another has fitted it and regrets it. We primarily race on Sunday afternoons. Individual jibs means correct shape and sheeting position for the jib so in practice far better windward performance.
If you are happy to cruise and motor then furler is good bt if you love sailing and are reasonably good at predicting winds before you depart or have crew to change a headsail then individual jibs are best. A twin slot foil and twin halyards can make jib change quicker and easier.

I am not expecting you to take my opinion as best for you but I do feel that opinions on this forum that a furling jib is as necessary as a rudder need to be balanced by at least one voice against. good luck olewill

 

[charles_reed]

Of course you can have the best of both worlds - my Rotostay, has a slot in the drum which allows me to use the solent, (mainly).

Looks as though the members of the club didn't do their research very effectively.
Still mass hysteria accounts for a lot. /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif /forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif

 

[lw395]

It depends on your crew and style of boat use at the end of the day. If you stick to selecting different jibs, then at some point you are going to have to get on the foredeck in a rising breeze, probably in a choppy sea, if you are two up then that leaves perhaps less experienced person steering. With a roller, you would just pull in a few turns.
otoh, if you race at all, or regularly sail in stronger breezes, a good no2 or no3 is a great boost to performance.
My last boat had a pretty big genoa, so a roller was the only viable answer for two up sailing. I went for a Harken, which was superb and has twin slot and removeable drum, so that we could go back to racing sails now and then. It is still a handicap over a racing foil because of the weight aloft, but I would do the same again.
If cash was no object, I would have a rollable sail of about 100-105% of foretriangle, hi aspect, short foot low clew, as well as the normal 135% or whatever.
Is your GK masthead rig?

 

[Nudge]

As Charles says, you can have the best of both worlds. I like the idea of his Rotostay. I have an "R" series profurl which allows the drum to be unscrewed and split, leaving a twin groove luff foil. Can't remember the last time the drum was on...

The only down side is that it uses a 5mm luff tape.

Any other forumites recommend any other flexible systems? Also interested!

Nudge

 

[glaikitlassies]

Masthead rig. Plastimo system fitted currently but drum held together with gaffer tape.....