how many sails

[Guest]

We have a Hillyard 9 tonner. 32' sailing yacht. We do not have roller reefing and I was wondering how many head sails would be the preferred amount. We have a no.1 jib and a genoa at present. The main is wound around the boom.

Cheers

 

[Guest]

You need a storm jib, before you consider any other sails.


Regards,

Peter
http://www.yachthawkwind.co.uk

 

[Twister_Ken]

I reckon a "solent' or 'spitfire' jib would earn its keep on most boats (though maybe not on Hillyards which seem to have such enormous donkeys that they get motored upwind quite often).

A Solent is sized about like a number 3, but is cut with a long luff and a short leech and foot, giving a blade with the clew several feet above deck level. Great sail for beating in hard weather.

 

[vyv_cox]

For coastal sailing with passages up to 24 hours or so I doubt the need for a storm jib. I have carried one for more than 15 years but have yet to fly one in anger. I have used a high clewed No.3 with a few turns on the roller, so this may be of similar sail area to a storm jib, but I could certainly have motored as an alternative.

Don't buy a new storm jib. Sea-Teach at Emsworth have a whole shed full of secondhand ones, virtually all unused.

I agree with Ken about the spitfire jib. We have one with a boltrope for the forestay, which is superb in use but can only be flown when the genoa has been lowered. Upwind in a F6 this sail works very well indeed but getting the genoa off and stowed below is extremely hard work. We are now planning an inner, removable forestay and a hanked on jib.

 

[kingfisher]

1-2 bft light genoa
2-3 bft heavy genoa
4-5 bft standard jib
5-8 bft high aspect jib
9- ? bft storm sail (hope I never have to use it, though. My hankies are bigger)

Oh, and the spinakker of course.

BTW, I'm strictly into cruising. I change sail for comfort, not for speed. If you have only a few options, you're bound to be sailing the wrong combination at some point. Consequences: too much heel, an unbalanced boat, too much stress on the rig,...

Obi-Wan

 

[charles_reed]

Get a roller furler - it doesn't mean you can do with only one foresail, but it does mean you don't have to spend tas much time, energy and angst on the foredeck.
Even if you don't get one the following suit will serve well.

Basic sails,

Fully battened main
150% roller genoa
100% blade jib or solent
65% yankee cut roller genoa
Full size GP 3/4oz US spinnaker

Fancy sails

Light weather genny (say 180%)
Asymmetric
Spare main or trysail - I've got a 4th reef in my 2 mains for >F8.
Small 1.5oz US spinnaker

Storm jib useless - roll your yankee, more control and less waste space, I agree with Vyv here, mine has never been used though I've been out in 54 kts on the rolled yankee.
The so-called cruising chute is also, in my opinion, next to useless, you might as well boom out your 150% genoa.

My sail utilisation coefficients:

Main 1.0
150% genoa 0.45
Spinnaker 0.25
Blade/solent 0.15
Yankee 0.1
Asymmetric 0.05

Hope that helps - why not discuss with a decent bespoke sailmaker

PS Nearly all my serious sailing (ie passage-making) is single-handed.

 

[johnt]

I carry 3 sails ..
cruising chute ..seldom used.
No2 roller genoa..on on plastimo 608 roller.
main ..boom roller.

Ive sailed widely between Cherbourg and Stavanger, and in all sorts of weather and never needed anything else!

thank you Ray Blackmore ..damn good sails !