Un-stretching a stretched genoa luff ?

[Boo2]

Hi,

The No.2 genoa luff was hard to get tension into last time I sailed Sunrunner and I wondered whether there is anything much a sailmaker can do to rectify this assuming it is down to luff stretch ?

Thanks,

Boo2

 

[Uricanejack]

They wont be able to shrink it. I am sure a local sailmaker could put a hem or take a bit out at the foot so it will fit and be usable. So long as you are a cheep old bugger like me who doesn't care about prefect shape and wining races.

 

[Daydream believer]

Hi,

The No.2 genoa luff was hard to get tension into last time I sailed Sunrunner and I wondered whether there is anything much a sailmaker can do to rectify this assuming it is down to luff stretch ?

Thanks,

Boo2

Should be able to put a cunningham eye in the foot, 9 inches up, so you can tension at the bottom & pull some curve forward. You would have to use some 4mm line & do a fixed lashing from foot to eye so that you can still furl if you have a furler. If the actual grouve does not start for the first 12 inches or so then there will be a chance to bulge the luff a bit. As it is at the bottom it will soon roll out as you furl the sail

 

[LadyInBed]

If you are going to unstitch it, then try using the sail sans strip to see if you get the tension you want before heading to the sail maker.

 

[Deleted member 36384]

I have had an old genoa adjusted by a sail maker to take stretch out of it as it suited me to do that instead of buying a new one. It worked OK was still a baggy sail. When the sail came back there were a series of flashes cut out of the luff and leach and sewen back up again. There is only so much they can do.

On another yacht we had a head sail that could be reefed, so instead of just the cuningham as mentioned above above, you could have a small reef put into the sail, new tack and new clew. Hold the No 2 for a bit longer in stronger winds with the reef. To be honest if the luff is stretched out, the rest of the sail is likely to be as well. Tightening up the luff only will pull the draught forward but do little to flatten a baggy sail.

 

[Pye_End]

Roller furling or hanked?

Could it be that the luff rope has stiffened and needs replacing?