starter question re. gennaker

F

FairweatherDave

Well-Known Member
Joined
28 Sep 2009
Messages
2,089
Location
Solent
Visit site
Being at the beginning of my bigger boat ownership I have just got my gennaker out the bag for the first time. But what to do with it? I've never flown one. I'm sure I'll be able to rig it but the practicality of "the hoist" and "the drop" concern me. Do you simply hoist the sail on a broad reach with the bulk of the sail in the bag and sheets already attached and then sheet in, and furl the jib? Do you need one crew on the gennaker halyard and another on the sail itself up front?
Am I right that a gennaker is a "cruising shute"? Mine has no "snuffer". My boat is a Jeanneau Sun 2000 (ie 22ft) with a furling small jib and a bowsprit for the gennaker. Any pointers or a brief description would be appreciated. (Goes without saying I would have lots of sea room and light airs to play around in). Apologies if this sounds naieve but this summer might be the right one to go over to the darkside!
Dave
 
Hello Dave.

There was a thread here started by WARWICKSAIL"Costs for rigging a chute" on10/2/10 to which I replied,and may be of some assistance in your gennaker query. My reply was post No 6 on the thread.
I usually furl the jib before setting the chute, mainly so that I can easily see if there is any snarl-up of sheets or tack lines,and only unfurl after retrieval of the chute beneath the boom .
Your having a bowsprit wil be handy when gybing,as it takes the luff well away from the forestay and helps prevent a wrap around; otherwise rig as for the chute.
No one ever holds the halyard!!


ianat182
 
I think the Kemp Sails website has a good basic guide?
Personally I leave the genoa out until the kite is flying, it prevents the kite wrapping around the forestay.
 
I think the purists might say that a gennaker is different from a cruising chute as it is cut rather flatter and can be flown at close angle to the wind but the practicalities of flying it are the same. You will need a spare hallyard attached to the head to hoist the sail, a line from your bowsprit to the tack which is best lead back to the cockpit, and a long sheet or sheets (some people only rig one side) attached to turning blocks well towards the stern of the boat. If the sail has been bagged correctly, the clew, tack and head should be lying in the top of the bag allowing you to attach the various lines before hoisting. Mine is in a snuffer and I furl the genoa to get it out of the way before hoisting, racers will hoist the gennaker first. However, the general advice is to hoist in the lee of the main on a broad reach and it is then a question of adjusting hallyard, tack line and sheet for optimimum set dependent on the relative wind angle. These sails are not very good on a dead run and the general advice is to tack downwind. When dropping, just reverse the process and drop in the lee of the main.
 
Thanks for the replies so far.

Ian, I missed your thread in my initial search, but it is precisely what I was after. Enjoyed the follow-up post from Ludd too. Thanks. The link to it is

http://www.ybw.com/forums/showthread.php?t=228199&highlight=chute

I shall mentally rehearse the procedure when I'm not getting hassled to get off the computer:mad: I had found the Kemp sails site but will look again.

One technicality..........distinguishing the clew from the tack. I'm guessing the tack has the sharper ninety degree shape while the clew is more open (say 100 - 110 degrees) and that the tensioning line inside the edge of the sail is for the leading edge from tack to head. Am I right?

May ask more questions when I get some peace:D
cheers
Dave
 
Yes that is correct.When you're sure you have the right corners mark them with a waterproof marker pen,Head,Tack, Clew, it is the tack(tackline) which is rigged with the snapshackle, but the Head could also be rigged with this too, for quick retrieval of the chute into the sailbag . The bowsprit being ahead of the stem may give even more power,as it does in dinghies and generate a lift to the bows as in planing. Great fun when it all goes right.
We had an indicarted 9knots all the way from Calshot to Yarmouth a year ago and never dropped to less than 8knots,we were sailing with the outgoing tide true but the sail and boat was so stable and un-pressured on the beam reach,it was a dream sail for us in my Tiger. It doesn't always go that well but is worth the setting , up to F3, as it was then.

ianat182
 
Cruising genacker or chute

It may be symetrical in which case only identifyiong the top is important. However the tensioning line described in one edge may well be there to stop flutter in the leach. (leach cord).
You could attach the tack to the end of the bowsprit but as said it is easier to use a line from a pulley at the end of the bow sprit to the tack and back to the cockpit. by doing it this way the sail can be stowed in its bag on the foredeck until pulled out by the 3 ropes. Sheet halyard and tack line. Don't forget to tie down the bag so it is not lost.A long tack line means you can free the tack rather than disconnect it so it can be pulled in under the boom with the tack still connected to a long line. It also means you could launch from under the boom just the same way you retrieve it.
basically just give it all a go you make your own refinements. good luck olewill
 
Thanks Olewill and Ian. It does look like a leach tensioning line, but nothing matters until I have done a hell of a lot more familiarising myself with my new boat (safely tucked 60 miles away while the soft stuff is up in my attic teasing me).

Roll on summer, this is what it will be like on our first hoist....

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TEpu_EZlCCk&feature=related

And cheers Iw395, Kemp sails guide to flying a chute was tucked away in their "technical data" section. Also very helpful.........

what can go wrong?:eek:
 
Code 0

If you´re racing shorthanded or cruising then maybe take a look at the new Code 0 system out from Seldon - you basically roller furl the gennaker using a single line reefing on a drum with swivel. It´s fitted with a anti-tortion line which works great cause I recently made my own from bits and pieces.

One problem is of course a gennaker is not cut as flat on the luff as a Code 0 so doesn´t furl quite as neat but it works OK. You can whip it in and out in a matter of seconds.

Only other problem is draft interference when beating from the furler but you easily drop it on the halyard when it´s rolled up.
 
U tube clip

Nice little clip thanks Dave. However around here we never sail without a shirt (long sleeved preferably) and never without a hat tied on. I use an Arab type all round hat. And of course sun glasses.
Obviously sun is novelty to these 2 young guys. (around here it is a menace.) The boat looks nice however a bit like yours I imagine and mine. (21ft) I use a normal spinnacker rather than genacker. I use indivdual hank on jibs so in a blow the jib is so tiny that when going down wind I need more sail. A spin is the answer so I have a small one for a blow. Week before last we put up the tiny one on a square run. The boat just flew in what was later found to be gusting 27knots. We passed 2 of the much bigger opposition in about a 1NM run. All a bit scary however.

I know what you mean about waiting for the season to start.Looking forwar impatiently. I get that way every spring and after 26 seasons it doesn't change. After a couple of months I am a bit jaded from too much and a break is called for. Our season is starting to wind down. After tomorrow a break for a few weeks. Weather looks hopeful gentle winds I hope. good luck olewill
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top