Jib Furling Systems - an enquiry!
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Technique
Forum Discription: 'How to' section for dinghy questions and answers
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=9555
Printed Date: 08 Aug 25 at 1:10am
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Topic: Jib Furling Systems - an enquiry!
Posted By: Olly Platt
Subject: Jib Furling Systems - an enquiry!
Date Posted: 30 Jun 12 at 9:55pm
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Hi Everyone, new to this forum so my first question is. Has anyone else tried this http://www.aeroluffspars.co.uk - Areo luffspar? I was reading about it on the Wayfarer http://www.wayfarer.org.uk/forum/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=1154&start=30&hilit=Winsbury - forums and was wondering what the general consensus was on furling your jib. I had a couple of near misses with other boats on the start line last week, these could have been costly as we were hit by some strong gusts of wind. I'm sure I could have avoided the other boats with clearer visibility. Does anyone else furl their genoa on the start line? Olly Platt |
Replies:
Posted By: Do Different
Date Posted: 01 Jul 12 at 7:56am
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Sure you'll see some classes with their gennys furled in pre start but that's to preserve the sail and give an easy ride while hanging about. Into the sequence I would say a bad idea. You simply have to be looking and talking to your crew all the time to keep a map of where everyone is and what they are doing. It helps if you have a clear plan for yourself as to how you will be approaching the start, rather than mooching up and down the line hoping to wing it. You say you were hit by big gusts, without the genny out you stand a strong chance of having less control as the sail plan will be unbalanced. The boat would be inclined to want to round up, with a very heavy helm and maybe stalling the rudder.
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Posted By: kfz
Date Posted: 01 Jul 12 at 8:28am
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Isnt that aero system reefing rather than furling? what do you want? ------------- GP14 Fleet Captain Liverpool Sailing Club http://www.liverpoolsailingclub.org/ - Liverpool SC |
Posted By: ColPrice2002
Date Posted: 02 Jul 12 at 12:36pm
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Hi, The Aero system is roller reefing - that is - you can reduce the foresail size and still use the foresail. Most Wayfarers (and Wanderers) are fitte with roller furling for the jib (roll up completely). If you're racing, then you won't want either of these - extra weight! (until it's blowing F6+) Approaching a start line does require a good spatial awareness of where all the other startes are, and where they are likely to be. You'll also need to know who has right of way etc at an instant. I don't know how you were taught to handle gusts - I've heard a couple of methods, but for starting you need to position the boat just where you want it, and at the speed you want (typically full speed as you cross the line). If the gust was making you less controlled, then dump the power by releasing the sheets - that's better than trying to head-up/bear away etc... The Racing rules are about changing course - or not changeing course if you have right of way) - but the speed may be varied... Colin
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Posted By: fudheid
Date Posted: 03 Jul 12 at 8:32pm
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Furling your jib will shorten its life. furling the jib will stretch the leech and cause hooking. Leave your sails down until needed and hove to with the jib backed whilst you wait for your start - you don't need to reach around the start line, sure practise the first leg or part of it. keep flogging and furling to a minimum to lengthen the life of your jibs, no one wants to replace them so look after them.  ------------- Cheers you only me from over the sea...... |
Posted By: ColPrice2002
Date Posted: 04 Jul 12 at 12:22pm
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Hui, Could you please explain how furling a jib stretches the leech? I can understand that if it's reefed (i.e. part rolled then used) - but when it's furled, the tension is all on the luff wire (as normal) and there's no load from the sheets at all. Colin
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Posted By: fudheid
Date Posted: 05 Jul 12 at 5:46pm
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when you furl you tend to keep some tension on the sheets to encourage a nice smooth furl this load is predominately on the leech and foot tapes - even if you loose the sheets once furled a genoa will still keep some of that load. Also sailcloth is so tightly woven that if you (furl (or fold) the sail in the same way every time you will give it 'memory' increasing the potential of a hooked leech. That's not to say that occasional use will shag your sail, on the asymetrics when it was very light if a furler was fitted we would furl the jib to increase the pressure on the kite but then we were buying new jibs every 18months...... because the leech was getting hooked. If the furler worked you would see more boats with them but the hard facts are is that they are a compromise easy handling over sail longevity - exactly the same on yachts. ------------- Cheers you only me from over the sea...... |
Posted By: gbrspratt
Date Posted: 06 Jul 12 at 10:35am
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Posted By: kfz
Date Posted: 06 Jul 12 at 11:42am
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The systems ive used Theres no real tension in the cloth, the drum is normally spring loaded and produces a little tension in the cloth but this must be nothing compared to to what happens to the sails during a normally day or even the flogging they get on the slip waiting the trailer sailor in front to clear.
Plenty of downsides of reefing systems which are well documented on the net but this is isnt really one them.
Kev ------------- GP14 Fleet Captain Liverpool Sailing Club http://www.liverpoolsailingclub.org/ - Liverpool SC |
Posted By: RS400atC
Date Posted: 06 Jul 12 at 12:05pm
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Used to have an old 505 with a furler. It was nice to be able to launch and recover without the jib in a blow. The 505 had the bottom bit of the furler tucked away inside the deck, so you still had a deck-sweeping genoa. The only downsides are the weight aloft in the form of a swivel, expense and you would not want to roll a brand new sail that tightly, much less a laminate one. Also you can't have a forestay, it tangles. But for the club sailor with a softer dacron jib, it is worth considering IMHO. Racing, we used to sometimes roll the jib on light runs, but only really light winds. |
Posted By: gbrspratt
Date Posted: 06 Jul 12 at 1:05pm
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the trouble with furling a jib is that you a trying to put a nice purpose designed 3d shape around a straight wire. You basically crush the middle of the sail and stretch the outsides. Sailmakers now put luff flatteners on yacht sails which are designed to make the fore stay thicker where the shape of the sail is so when you roll the sail it physically draws the shape out of the sail. This means it rolls smoothly and can be sailed partially furled with minimal damage to designed shape and the sail sits better when fully furled. ------------- |
Posted By: fudheid
Date Posted: 06 Jul 12 at 6:59pm
Trust me no matter what or how you furl a jib/genoa you are shortening its life its foot and leech will be tight on the wire or spar and regular furling of hard finished race dacron -like most wayfarer genoas - will make it hook. yes it is not as bad as flogging which is why you need to keep flogging to a minimum hoist just before you launch etc etc.... regular or prolonged use of a furler is second to flogging for shorten the life of foresails- remember it is used for ease of handling over performance/longevity. ------------- Cheers you only me from over the sea...... |