sails for a vancouver 27

[lohfoo]

I'm sailing a 1978 Vancouver 27. I have to replace the sails: a 125% genoa (that I find too big and cumbersome for that boat,) and the main. I'm thinking of getting a cruising yankee only. This is how the boat is normally rigged (yanke and trysail) isn't?. Will it be too small in light air? And concerning the main, any opinions on having two reefing lines instead of three? Also,the winch for the roller-furler's sheet is located on the aft railing, just by the tiller....is this common?
Any Van27 owners out there ready to share their experience?
Thanks
CL

 

[Babylon]

Vancouver 27 Sails

Standard headsails for a V27 are a No1 yankee (high cut foot) and a stays'l. Some owners have a 110% or a 120% yankee, but I'm pretty happy with my new No1 Yankee on roller-furling gear, and the traditional hanked-on stays'l. On shorter passages when I don't want the bother of using the stays'l, I find it gives sufficient drive, even in lighter airs. Owners who've tried sailing with a large genoa report that, especially due to its low-cut foot, it tends to foul on the inner-stay when going through the wind.

We also have a cruising chute, but I've not yet tested this.

As regards the furling line, every boat seems to have a slightly different setup. Our furling line runs through a turning-block fitted on the rear rail (pushpit) then forward again via a traditional cleat on the outside of the cockpit coaming to the stays'l sheet winch when I need extra purchase to pull it in. Other boats use a cam-cleat. Your setup, with its own dedicated winch seems fine to me - if it works, no need to change it.

The mains'l on our V27 has two reefing lines only. I've thought about fitting a third set of reefing points, but not yet done this.

You'll get good advice from the Vancouver Owner Association website: http://vancouver.informe.com/login.php

You could also contact Arun Sails in Bosham for advice on sails and an estimate of cost (speak to Ivan or Jerry): http://www.sailmakers.com/

Good luck and good sailing,

Babylon