Storm Jib

tome

tome

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I though yesterday was a good day to get out the storm jib for a bit of practice. The high-cut jib hoists in the foil with additional eyes on the luff to put lashings around the foil. Sheeting arrangements aren't good using the genoa tracks, so I bought a pair of snatch blocks to rig berber haulers.

My crew was ashore and I wanted to drop the genoa. It was far too windy for me to unfurl and drop as (unlike a hanked sail) it would have gone everywhere and I'd soon lose control of the beast. Even when my crew returned I though it unwise in the building wind, so we left under reefed genoa instead.

Made me realise how useless my storm jib is when short handed. Time to measure up for an inner forestay and a proper hanked-on storm jib methinks.

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Thanks for the advice - you have confirmed my own suspicions. Although my Body Mass to Genoa Area ratio is considerably more favourable than yours. in this respect, I still don't fancy swapping sails in a blow.

I'll be going down the inner forestay route too but not in the near future - too many other things to worry about.


<hr width=100% size=1>I'm average size, Its just that everybody else is short.
 
Yup agree completely! Also with the trisail, suspect it is just surplus weight unless there is a dedicated track for it!

<hr width=100% size=1>I Have The Body Of A God... Buddha
 
Fitted an removeable inner forestay some years ago. If I suspect I have to go to windward in inclement weather I hank on appropriate No 3 / 4 or Storm jib ready. I am then able to use either RR Genoa or jib as required without leaving the cockpit. Can also be rigged quickly under way ......

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The other reason for doing this is that as the genoa is progressively furled, her pointing ability deteriorates which isn't good for windward work. On a return from Cherbourg last year I had to let out more jib than I wanted to to make the course towards Chichester Bar.

I really like the idea of a bagged storm jib, ready to go with sheets and haulers which I can quickly hoist if I need it and put the genoa to bed. I might even use it for a hanked-on no 3 jib or Solent blade.

I've set the trisail using the existing track and this seems better than having a boom crashing around. I gather Solent coastguard had to get 3 boom-battered heads to 'ospital yesterday pm. The track gate isn't far above the boom and I'm reasonably happy with this arrangement as I would hope to drop the main in good time. If all else fails, I have a 3rd deep reef permanently rigged in the main.

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totally agree, I've just been doing a safety list in order to get the boat I race on up to the required standard for the red funnel regatta (RORC cat 4) and the rules state that both storm jib and trysail must be capable of rigging without the use of the luff groove.

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But neither Storm Jib nor Trysail are required for a Cat 4 race!

Other than that - I agree that ORC/RORC special regs are an excellent source for current best practice for safety equipment and procedures.

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The special regulations for even Cat 1 monohulls only require the storm jib to be able to be rigged without the use of a luff groove - the trysail does not have to be so rigged, it can be rigged in the mainsail track if desired.

Cat 4 vessels have to carry a storm jib but do not have to carry a trysail if the mainsail can be reefed to less than 40% (that % is from memory, I have not double checked) of its luff length.

There are numerous cases where the Offshore Special Regulations are misquoted on this forum - why I do not know as the regulations are freely available on the International Sailing Federation internet site (www.sailing.org) and are well worth a read.

John

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