Spinnaker Sail Price

[Brunet33]

Now that I'm so lost, can you help esplain that in simple terms. I'm still new at all of this!

[GeorgeB]

Your “I” measurement is from the top of the mast down to where it intersects the main deck. This should be equal to the sail’s luff dimension. If too short, you have to ease the tack line a lot to trim the sail and the clews never seem to line up properly. The problem gets more the deeper you try to sail. If the luff is too long, you have the opposite problem, you will net be able to pull the tack down far enough when reaching which will make the sail fuller and make your boat heel much more than you want it to.

The “J” dimension is from the base of the mast to the base of the head stay. You want your max girth (or foot dimension) to be within that 180-160% range. Too short or too long screws up the geometry of how the sheet goes from the sail’s clew to the turning blocks on the boat, What usually happens is there will be a tendency to pull the clew down, causing premature collapsing of the sail.

You can happily fly you’re A-kite using your primary winches. You will need to be able to put turning blocks at the stern of your boat. You will need to run an adjustable tack line from the sail’s tack to a cleat. You raise or lower the tack to get your tack and clew to line up. Generally, you raise the tack as you go deeper and shorten it as you go up into a reach. I have two sets of spinnaker sheets. Normal ones and “dental floss” for those light air days when wind is below 10 kts true.

An A-kite works best with apparent wind angles (AWA) between 110 and 150 degrees. It takes practice to fly them deeper and besides, their efficiency and speed potential drops off considerably when you get beyond, say, 155 degrees. Sport boats that can readily surf can take full advantage of a A-Kite’s cut. For performance on our Catalina’s nothing beats a symmetrical. But on the other hand you can single or double hand an A-kite much more easily.

[roline]

I have both sym.75oz and 1.5 oz A-chutes on my Cal 9.2. When single handing I have flown each with different reviews. The A-chute is easier to hoist and drop with the snuffer, but overall the sym can fly at 60 to 180 degrees apparant, the A-chute only 90 to 150 apparant. On a beam reach the A-chute outflies the sym... just a little more sail area due to its cut. The A-chute can be a simple addition, just using the existing halyard and sheets from the jenny, just routed from blocks near the transom. Used A-shutes can be found for a fair price if you want to try them before shelling out for a new one built to your boats specifications. Great addition for cruizing.
For racing.....There are many "cuts" of A-chutes available depending on the apparant wind angle it is to be used for. They have the disadvantage that their efficiency slot is much smaller than the sym, thus to be at maximum efficiency you would have to have $everal of them..
I cat=41, jboat=39
J cat=11.5 jboat=11
cut=g2, fuller cut not designed for reaching much above 90 deg, ideal for deeper run
cloth 3/4 oz deeper run would reduce apparant wind, allow lighter cloth.
cost ~$1200 fair price, depends on true condition....