Reply To: foresail

My Headsail sheets go to tracks on the main cabin roof, about 1 metre either side of the mast. This means that my jib is shorter in the foot, in order to fit. Technically it is a 100% headsail, that is no overlap on the main, (ie a number 2 jib), with the resultant loss of drive in lighter winds. I have made up for this with a taller mast and a highly roached fully battened main, which is shorter in the foot to restore balance (weather trim). As I sail on the Scottish west coast, in the wild and woolly Atlantic, low winds are rarely an issue and the fact that my previous large jib was frequently partly rolled helped make my decision to change easier.

The slot is a lot better and I point quite well, certainly a lot better than before and use my flat cut asymmetrical chute in winds under 8 or 9 Knots, accepting the loss of pointing ability, to make up for the reduced drive…… DavidH