Dinghy development: Sail Sizes

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Sail Sizes

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Dinghy development
Forum Discription: The latest moves in the dinghy market
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3334
Printed Date: 19 Aug 25 at 8:31am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Sail Sizes

Posted By: MpHarris
Subject: Sail Sizes
Date Posted: 31 Aug 07 at 9:32am

I'm looking for a new jib for my cherub around about 5 m2 just for playing around with when not racing. I'm struggling to find any measurements for jibs though. For example a fireball jib etc, lots of sites just have total upwind sail area rather than individual sizes. Was just wondering if anyone can suggest a possible jib to use or any websites that they have found that give individual sail sizes for various different classes.

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Cherub 2663 "Sweet Dreams"
RS400 451 "IceBerg"

Replies:

Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 31 Aug 07 at 9:47am

Jibs are very critical for upwind performance and relatively cheap so in your place I'd get a new jib for racing and use the old one for casual sailing. The chances of getting a jib that fits a Cherub are low because the J measurement is relatively short on most boats. If SD still has the tall rig its going to be even more unlikely... Not so much getting a rag that fits the triangle as having a reasonably sheeting angle without changing the boat.

If you have a sailmakers who are good mates you could give them dimansions and ask them if they know what might fit, but personally I couldn't ring up Banks or whoever and ask thenm for a means to avoid buying a new sail. Not good manners!

I know of no common location for detail measurements: I fear you're just going to have to trawl through every class website for the rules... Rules for the International classes are readily locatable through www.sailing.org as a starting point.

Posted By: Smight at BBSC
Date Posted: 31 Aug 07 at 10:03am

I think with a cherub as unique as yours (rig wise) your going to just have to bite the bullet and buy a new jib.

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RS600 988

Posted By: MpHarris
Date Posted: 31 Aug 07 at 10:20am

I put an friends rs400 jib on at the weekend without to much of an issue (stu hopson added a snout to SD) , couldn't point as high but was going as fast as the 400s upwind by footing off and sailing further. Unfortunatly this was a temporary loan as its his only spare and rs400 jibs are apparently very rare.

Having spoken to a few people looks like i'm going to cutdown the main and mast to make it 05 legal so i can source upgrades with time, so i'm just after something to fill in for the time being.

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Cherub 2663 "Sweet Dreams"
RS400 451 "IceBerg"

Posted By: guytoon
Date Posted: 31 Aug 07 at 10:59am

5 sqm seems enormous for a self tacker Cherub.

My mast is 2m from the forestay and my jib halyard is 1.7 m from the top of the mast => about 4.9 between track and halyard. My jib is just 4.8 sqm. I think I could go to 5sqm but not over.

Most of the fleet is around 4.6 sqm.

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Cherub 2692 "NBS"

Posted By: BBSCFaithfull
Date Posted: 31 Aug 07 at 11:47am

The jibs on my 14 range from 5.63- 5.9 something so a 5m cherub jib seems a tad excessive

Alex

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Posted By: Isis
Date Posted: 31 Aug 07 at 11:56am

It depends where your mast is. On a converted boat with the mast further forwards I think youd be lucky to fit that much jib in... on a new boat on the other hand I think personaly id go for at least 5.

If you havnt already seen it matt theres a great article by kevin elway in the files of the members yahoo group talking about aspect ratios and main/jib sizes and their effects

Sorry I cant help on where to scrounge a jib from though!

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Posted By: MpHarris
Date Posted: 31 Aug 07 at 12:53pm

Thanks for pointing me towards the article its really good. Its nice to se that for once in sailing someone has properly worked out the effects and its not just down to speculation.

Makes me feel more confident about chopping my mast down a bit too, being a bit on the heavy side i was a touch dubious. I'll have a dredge through some class websites and see if i can find anything. If anyone has any ideas please let me know.

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Cherub 2663 "Sweet Dreams"
RS400 451 "IceBerg"