E34-2, drifter (gennaker?), asymmetrical

[patrscoe]

N.A.,
I have been going through something similar and also singlehand a lot.
Seeking a performance based light air sail, I was convenience that a Code 0 was what I wanted. What was reinforced to me by a professional racer and sailmaker is that a Code 0 was design more for fractional rigs to obtain more headsail (to work with the current racing rules). On a masthead rig, a good well cut light air 1#1 genoa will work the same. For a Code 0 to perform as it is design, it should be on a stay and a top down furling. Sure, you could get it design with a wire luff, as I originally thought but my sailmaker said that the $3k sail just would not perform well set up this way - waste of money.

There are different types of Asymmetrical sails. A2 is a downwind all purpose 'cruising' sail, A3 is design to reach and go downwind and A4 is a heavy A sail downwind.
A3 or A2+ / A2.5 seems to be what you are seeking. It is smaller than a A2 and flatter. I found that a Code 0 with gear / top down furling was about the same costs as a new A2 and a used drifter. You can also set up your asymmetrical sail aft of the forestay. It does not perform as well but unless you are racing or seeking VMG all the time, the slight less performance vs the east of gybing is worth it during the those relax days.

 

[southofvictor]

Does anyone have pics they could share of their tack line setup? PO doesn’t look to have made any specific provision for it. Thinking in general that we will run through a block on the anchor roller, but curious exactly how others are mounting the block. Here’s a shot of our anchor roller. Forward end is just about even with or maybe slightly behind the forward end of the pulpit. Bow lights seems (???) protected by the curve of the pulpit. I’m concerned that the pin over the top of the anchor seems like it would be a sketchy location, might be OK in really light conditions but it’s already a little bent from who knows what.

 

[Christian Williams]

Aside: Jim, keep an eye on the furler lead from the deck block to the furler drum. If it rubs the drum, as the photo suggests, the block can be moved forward for a more acute lead angle. I have had two lines part from such chafe.

 

[Loren Beach]

Sure, you could get it design with a wire luff, as I originally thought but my sailmaker said that the $3k sail just would not perform well set up this way - waste of money.

A very fine loft manager (UKSails NW) that I knew for many years before he retired, used to talk me out of spending money.
I would kid him about his sales "technique" and how he made his customers even more determined to buy a sail from him.

 

[southofvictor]

Aside: Jim, keep an eye on the furler lead from the deck block to the furler drum. If it rubs the drum, as the photo suggests, the block can be moved forward for a more acute lead angle. I have had two lines part from such chafe.

Thanks Christian, I think it runs more fair than that photo suggests but I’ll definitely keep an eye on it and shift the block forward if needed. Appreciate the heads up.

 

[Christian Williams]

Probably OK and not an emergency. The thing is, the line rolls up in varying piles, such that it's fine most of the time except by chance the lead happens to rest against the drum. It took me 10,000 miles to figure this subtlety out. If you observe a furled genoa in strong wind, the drum rotates 10 degrees or so in response to the flexing of the sail by waves action and wind gusts. That sawing action causes the problem.

Not to beat this death, it just happened to be a revelation to me. Around the buoys it hardly matters, as the set is not in place for a long enough time to cause chafe.

Here's the discovery in living color ( a few minutes of video):

 

[p.gazibara]

You can also set up your asymmetrical sail aft of the forestay. It does not perform as well but unless you are racing or seeking VMG all the time, the slight less performance vs the east of gybing is worth it during the those relax days.

Getting the light sail out in front of your forestay isn’t just a racing thing. You really want to get it into unobstructed wind. As you head more downwind, the main will just shadow it. That’s why you see them tack out forward. No different that putting a symmetrical on a pole really. The cleaner the air, the better the sail will set/carry. There is nothing is worse than flogging sails when cruising.

I’m not convinced that a code 0 needs to be on a “top down” furler. Any continuous line furler should do. I fly my gennaker on a bottom-up continuously line furler, works fine. Since the luff is part of the stay it doesn’t need to be top down. On a true asym, where the luff is free and not attached to a stay it’s important to have the top down so the sail furls.
-p