Saiing with a cutter rig

[westernman]

I thought a Yankee was a sail which went from the top of the top mast to the end of the bow sprit and halfway down the length of the deck.

if you don't have a top mast and bow sprit, it can't be a Yankee.

 

[robmcg]

Out of curiosity, where did all this "Yankee" business come from? I'd never heard of it until three or four years ago; a cutter's headsails were always staysail and jib.

Pete

Or a Yankee pair. All I can say is that our headsail is labelled a Yankee and was ordered as such from the sailmaker. Most cutters list their sail inventory as staysail and Yankee. Maybe a corruption of the original use?

 

[lampshuk]

Not wanting to hijack the thread, but perhaps divert it a little: does anyone have experience of adding an inner forestay to a relatively small AWB? I have a Moody 31 and seem to have spent a disproportionate amount of time beating in strong ish winds with the genoa rolled well in - at which point it sets like a wet paper bag.

I have a ring bolt in the roller plate, but that seems like a long way forward if I am going to rig a small foresail. I am thinking of fitting a strong point about a metre back from the bows (which could also give me a nice big central cleat) and a removable stay fitted fairly close to the masthead (don't want to have to add back stays). I don't have a mast winch, so I guess it will be a shortish 3-1 tackle stropped to lower end of the stay.

Has anyone done this to a Moody or similar ? I will post this on MOA, too.

 

[pessimist]

Out of curiosity, where did all this "Yankee" business come from? I'd never heard of it until three or four years ago; a cutter's headsails were always staysail and jib.

Pete

We had new sails ten or eleven years ago. The sailmaker referred to them as Yankee and staysail. We just assumed he knew what he was talking about.

Colin

 

[NealB]

I've always thought a Yankee was a foresail with a short cut luff, giving a high clew (sort of the opposite to a deck sweeping genoa).

A nice looking sail, to my eye.....

 

[biscuit]

Thanks to all respondents, food for thought...

 

[dunedin]

Not wanting to hijack the thread, but perhaps divert it a little: does anyone have experience of adding an inner forestay to a relatively small AWB? I have a Moody 31 and seem to have spent a disproportionate amount of time beating in strong ish winds with the genoa rolled well in - at which point it sets like a wet paper bag.

Does the genoa have a foam or rope luff (and sail under 10 years old)? If no get one before spending money on extra forestay. A good sail with foam luff should set pretty well when part furled - ours certainly did today in winds of 20-30 knots true (apparent higher). With a cutter we would not have pointed as high and been a lot longer getting into shelter of calm water

 

[TQA]

Does the genoa have a foam or rope luff (and sail under 10 years old)? If no get one before spending money on extra forestay. A good sail with foam luff should set pretty well when part furled - ours certainly did today in winds of 20-30 knots true (apparent higher). With a cutter we would not have pointed as high and been a lot longer getting into shelter of calm water

My cutter certainly would not point as well with a partially furled genoa and it is less than 6 years old and has a foam luff. The staysail has better shape and much more importantly is close enough to the main to have a good 'slot'.

 

[mobeydick]

Having the inner stay well forward is often called a slutter rig, although boatbuilders often don;t like that... A true cutter rig is designed to sail with both headsails pulling at the same time whereas a slutter is really a way of giving you a choice of headsail. Southerly did this on a few of their boats - you get a good-sized self-tacking inner jib which is great for short-handed and also can be carried in stronger winds without having to furl it it and lose the shape to some extent. On passage in light airs when you tend to be on one tack for a while, you can furl the jib and set the outer genoa and get the extra sail area - you will have to furl it to tack though. Because you have the jib as well you can make the genoa out of a lighter fabric as well I would imagine.

Or, as I did with mine, take the lazy sheet around the front of the genoa and gybe it instead of tacking. It is easier than roll-tack-unroll, and fine for passage making.

md