Headsail size for Rival 32, 150% too big?

[JamesDavis]

About to buy new cruising sails for my Rival 32. The main will be a crosscut quality dacron, fully battened. The headsail is furled and will be crosscut and again made from a quality dacron. I have toyed with the idea of a radial cut laminate headsail for better pointing but am worried about the life I'd get out of it.
I have been advised to get a headsail varying from 150% to 135%. Can anyone give any advice of which size to go for?

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[Robin]

IMHO on a Rival 32 the loadings are not high enough to justify a laminate sail, a good quality dacron should give good service and last well. I would talk to a good local sailmaker for advice about the cloth, cut and headsail size. Often a 150% genoa doesn't give any better performance than say a 135%, which is normal for a roller genoa, again the best man to advise is the sailmaker who will have the sailplan on file.

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[flaming]

If you have another smaller sail for strong wind use then I would take the 150% for the better light wind performance and change to the smaller jib in stronger winds. If you intend to use a well reefed Genoa in stronger winds though, I would be looking for a smaller sail, as it should roll better, particular if it is slightly higher cut.

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[ChrisE]

Don't know about a R32 but we had a 150% made for our R38 and it made quite a difference. We also reduced the sailcloth weight from 10 to 9 oz. Have you tried asking the same question on the Rival Owners Association webboard?


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[billmacfarlane]

A 150% genny can be hard work especially when short tacking. If it's a bigger genny than your present one, make sure your sheet winches are big enough for the extra load.

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