Head sail inventory

[jarcher]

My Scampi 30 only has a 155% and a 95%. The boat tends to heel easily in just moderate wind, and I am thinking that perhaps I should consider adding a smaller sail, like a 140% or a 135%.

Any comments or suggestions?

Thanks...

[sailingdog]

Where do you sail? What are the winds there like. On Buzzards Bay, a 135% would probably make a lot more sense for most monohulls your size, since our winds tend to be a bit brisker than other areas.

[blt2ski]

What is considered moderate? 10-15? if so, while my boat heels easy, with 4-5 folks on the rail I can use my 15-20 with needing a reef right in this range depending upon wind temps, ie colder sooner than warmer. I find for my rig, a 110 then is the better sail.

BUT, with that in mind my cruise/day sail genoa is a 140 which is nice for this purpose, I can go about to the same winds before needing to reef, but i usually only have spouse and myself or equal on board, with a crew I can go another 5-7 knots of wind before needing to reef. An issue I did not realize when I ordered this sail tho, I recall you probably with the same, I have a mini forestay. My old 133-135 could go around the stay easy enough, the 140 does not, then again, it might be because the 140 is a new laminate, the old a 25 yr old original dacron sail and very flimsy. If I had to do this again, I would go a bit smaller in the 130-135 range to hopefully avoid this issue.

I could see a sail somewhere tween the 155 and 95, where is another story and issue, how you use the boat, when you need said sail etc. but tween 120-140, or even a 145 if racing, reef, then a 110 depending upon how the 95 is cut, or a 110-120 with a full luff if the 95 is a shorter luff but longer LP. I am toying with a 95% foretriangle, the is luffed about 80% vs my 110 at 95%, but an LP around 100-105 for windy days 30-40knots before needing a storm jib.

Marty

[tommays]

We have a BIG inventory

Light #1 (9 KNOTS MAX) has been a big race winner but had to be given up on due to requiring repiars after every race

The vast amount of time we use the heavy #1 < 20 knots at which point the #3 provides plenty of power

We have a #2 (135 ?) it does not get a lot of use

When we go out that way we pack the storm Jib as it can get wicked

Next big issue is the main as are short race main does NOT have reef points and we have to decide if we want to have the other main on hand with two OR three reef points when were going to be out for a long time

Then there is the spinnaker inventory we carry a 1/2 and 3/4 which covers most of when you would even want to be using one BUT we do have a 1-1/2 chicken chute and bring a reaching chute out for long events

You should be doing one long race around the Island were there could be a LOT of condition changes and during the week it will most likely change a lot

[svHyLyte]

perhaps I should consider adding a smaller sail, like a 140% or a 135%.

Given the J on your yacht the, step down to a 140 or 135 isn't that great. A cursory look at the Scampi indicates a hull form that should be fairly easily driven. Accordingly, you may find a 105% moderately high cut (i.e. with the clew a foot or so abve the life-lines) to be a pretty versitile sail in all but very light winds. If you have a good sail-maker (Evolution?) he/she should be able to give you the advice you need to make a good decision.

FWIW...

[jarcher]

Originally Posted by sailingdog

Where do you sail? What are the winds there like. On Buzzards Bay, a 135% would probably make a lot more sense for most monohulls your size, since our winds tend to be a bit brisker than other areas.

I guess I should have mentioned that the goal is to do well in races.

Mostly I sail on Greenwich Bay around Warwick, Bristol, Newport, but I do want to get out to Block Island at least once this year for race week. Winds vary tremendousely. Last season, the evening races were often drifters, but sometimes we would see the 20+ knot night.

I didn't get out enough on afternoons to say for sure, but we had some heavy days. I have not found that crew weight on the rail makes a big difference. It seems that over 10 knots we're fighting the heeling, even after depowering.

My spinnaker is a 20 year old junker that is about two feet too wide, so I am adding a new all purpose spinnaker made from Sailkote 60 (a .6). I may add a lighter chute as well for light air running, but I have not decided yet. It depends if I am able to sail the West Bay evening races (the AHYC I know I can make are non-spinnaker).

The money might be better spent on an additional head sail, since I know I have trouble keeping the boat flat.

[jarcher]

Lots of great comments here, thanks everyone!

I shoudl have also mentioned that the wind speed I mentioned in the original post was true wind, not apparent.

I am talking with my sailmaker and he has some ideas as well. I was just trying to get more opinions, and people here often have very good opinions to give ;-)

Yes, the boat has a baby stay but the mast is like a phone pole and I have never observed any pumping. So, the baby stay usually gets disconnected. If not, I have a crew member walk the sail around it. Easier said than done, I know.

In very heavy air I can use the 95% and reconnect the baby stay (just in case) and that sail is small enough that the baby stay is not a problem. Well, not a big problem anyhow. The 95% is in pretty good shape, holding its draft where it belongs in all but the highest gusts.

I was thinking that the top end of the 155% might be 10 to 12 knots true wind (14 to 16 knots apparent when close hauled). Interesting comment about the 140% maybe not being enough of a reduction.

At what true wind do you guys start to reduce your head sail area?

Thanks again...

[Faster]

One observation I'd make based on some of the past boats we've raced... the so-called #2s (ie - 120-135%) genoas seemed rarely used. On our last boat it was because of the way the sails set wrt the shrouds - the 150 put the shrouds in a deeper part the the camber, the working jib set inside the shroulds, but the #2 ended up with a wider sheeting angle and resulted in lower pointing ability.

Generally we carried the 150 (perhaps with a reef in the main) until the switch to the #3 was warranted.. the #2 seemed to stay in the bag.

I think in many cases you'd do better with a full main and a good, efficient 100% jib anytime the wind strength is likely to be adequate. However with the Scampi the main may be too small for that strategy.

[sailingfool]

I think the 150% (actually 153%) is the primary use racing sail, racers carry that sail until the heel stays over 25% with a double reef...typically around 20-23, may be less for your boat. Then a good small sail, and don't worry about the transistion area unless your budget is unbounded.

[paulk]

Didn't the Scampi design win big at Cowes, or the half-ton (or whatever ton) championship when it first came out? Look up the inventory they used then. I would think sailing in Narragansett Bay & Block Island Sound means you'll have enough wind to use a #2 frequently while racing. The longer the legs, the more sense it will make, so it does depend upon the kind of racing you enjoy.