[jkumin]

Self-tacking jibs are very common in Scandinavia, using a curved track and a traveler car. You don''t need a club foot, which are known as leg-breakers for good reason. If you go to the Rutgerson marine hardware website they sell kits with the requisite hardware. The jib needs to be 85-90% to fit, so as stated above masthead boats that depend on power from overlapping headsails will be underpowered in light to moderate air. Boats designed for these setups have big mains and can be adequately powered up by 6-8 knots. A Catalina 27 would need more like 12 true before it would move with such a small jib. You might try something like a 110. Given a little practice they are easy to tack singlehanded on a 27'' boat and will give a broader wind range.