Genoas - "Good, bad or ugly"

[David Hudson]

After acquiring a beautiful genacker for Amy Eleanor she flies offwind.

Being a tweeker, I am now looking to give my crew something to play with upwind. Many modern dinghies such as Ovy's VX One, are going for self tacking jibs. Is the day of even a lightly overlapping genoa over?

[Jonathan Stuart]

David,

Subject to having crew to operate it (ST-jib may be preferred when light handed) and with the usual caveats about not overloading the mast or boat, then a larger foresail with the benefit of some overlap must surely be worthwhile in lighter airs. Perhaps with an Aero Luffspar (http://www.aeroluffspars.co.uk/) so the genoa can be reefed?

But I'm interested in your gennaker. Earlier in the year we discussed a code 0 for the BRe (see http://www.swallowyachtsassociation.org/smf/index.php/topic,1078.msg7421.html#msg7421) but Matt advised the mast loading may be too great. So is your gennaker a "true gennaker" and sits between a code 0 and asymmetric? On what points of sail do you find it effective and, while I'm quizzing you, is it on a furler and is it flown from the hounds or masthead (I assumed the former)?
The gennaker still, presumably provides some upwind performance but was Matt happy that the loading would be less than a C0?

[David Hudson]

Goon morning Jonathan

My Gennaker, Asymetric or ever Halfwinder, hoists to a point some 100cms above the hounds. I have a striker patch in the middle of the sail, by means of a 4mm cord, gathers it into the companionway. The tack of the sail is positioned at the end of the bowsprit by using a continuous loop of 6mm cord cleated on the cabin top. I use 29mm harken blocks attached to the rear mooring cleats and cheek blocks to bring the sheets into the cockpit. I am using Harken cam cleats with fairleads to assist in singlehanded sailing. The sheets are 5mm and tapered.

The original shopping bag  design shown in many earlier photo's is now history.  The new design was tabled after my initial postings and is now a very good looking sail and I am very pleased with it.

Wishing to support the "Manufacturer's One Design" ethos, I would say this is as good as it gets.

Now let's see what colour combo's hit the water next year.

Regards
David

ps But what about genoas?