>From a racing perspective I would consider the rating but also the sheeting angle.
If you plan to race spinnaker and the 135% is for upwind only; there is a case to be made about taking advantage of the 3-second credit as others have noted. However, on most days in a JAM fleet, I would want the 155% downwind. On my boat (Eduam), my racing headsails include a 155, 135 and a 95. This past season, I had to press my cruising 140% Dacron into service as a No 1 when the 155% laminate was pulled through a stanchion one too many times. The biggest problem with this was the inability to find a decent sheeting angle for the 140%. Eduam has both deck mounted track (for No. 2) and a cockpit coaming track for the No 1 (155%). The deck track is lower and outboard of the cockpit track. When the 140% was sheeted to the deck, I couldn’t point with the fleet (too far outboard). However, if I moved it to the cockpit track (in and up), the track was higher and I would lose the top of the sail. In short, I was never happy using the tracks for the 140% when racing. If you decide to go with a 140%, I would make sure your sailmaker measures your tracks/cars and you discuss sheeting/pointing as part of the design. I probably lose 3 or 4-degrees going to the 140 from my 155%. It is conceivable, my poor sheeting angles are self-inflicted issues due to my own inexperience when ordering the sail. I was 26 at the time and it was the first sail I had ever purchased for any boat. I went with a national brand who had made multiple sets of laminate sails for the previous owner (much accomplished than I) and deferred to them on the design. But the 140% seems to be in no-man’s land on my boat in racing trim. Perhaps I should have asked a few more questions. Live and learn. As far as cruising with the sail, since most of my cruising is shorthanded, I was initially leaning towards a 130/135% but was talked into going with a 140%. For most of my cruising in Long Island Sound/Raritan Bay/Hudson River, I am really glad to have the extra sail area. A light air sail with the better half and dogs? Roll out the full 140%, leave the main packed and still enjoy sailing. Breeze pipes up on a delivery? Roller reefed, the sail comes in at about equivalent to a 100% - sail balance and pointing suffer a bit - but great for flexibility. Tuck in a reef or two in the main, and the boat is reasonably under control in any of the conditions I would consider sailing in. When cruising, if you prefer to sail in lighter air rather than motor, I wouldn’t hesitate to go larger than the 135%; especially if you have confidence in your furler and main reefing systems. That being said, I am opposed to using the engine in anything but the most still days – not for any moral high ground - but because the single cylinder Yanmar is noisy, scares my dogs, melts the ice and warms the beer. Obviously, your needs may vary. Cheers, matt *Eduam* - C&C 27 MkV (564) RYC New Jersey > *From:* Charlie Nelson via CnC-List <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> > *Sent:* February-09-21 12:23 AM > *To:* cnc-list@cnc-list.com > *Cc:* cenel...@aol.com > *Subject:* Stus-List New sails, new wind > > > > Hello all listers. > > > > I have a hypothetical for the racers among you. > > > > I need to replace my 3DL headsail--its mostly patches after ~ 5 years of > club racing locally. This is about my 3rd laminate style headsail---and my > last! > > > > I am probably going with the North 3D Nordac which has replaced the former > 3DL technology with what they call a composite sail--not laminated but > still built over a 3D mold of the sail shape desired--if I understand this > correctly. I do not need the super light and costly Raw or Endurance. > > > > Anyhow, I plan to move to a new sailing area off Southport, NC near Bald > Head Island at the mouth of the Cape Fear River--basically on the NC coast. > > > > All my club racing to date has been in the Pamlico and Neuse Rivers, > occasionally racing to Ocracoke across the Pamlico Sound. For these areas, > a 155% headsail is the largest you can race with locally without penalty > and so that is what I have always used. > > > > The North sail maker suggested because of the higher coastal winds that I > may not need a 155% since the wind strength is higher at the coast. OTOH, a > racer there uses a 155% headsail and says he does well with it. > > > > I checked the historical average wind speed for Southport and New Bern and > the coastal winds are from 20-25% higher than at New Bern. > > For instance, the avg. wind speed varies from 5.5-8.1 knots in New Bern > vs. about 7-10 knots in Southport, or about 25% higher on average. > > > > Further, I know from experience that my masthead rig becomes seriously > overpowered once the wind gets greater than about 12 knots true, when its > time to reef the main(I only have 1 reef point) and if it goes above ~ 15 > knots, I need to roll the headsail a few turns (or change down to a 135% or > 90% headsail). > > > > I am not inclined to go less than the 155% allowed locally (PHRF) but > maybe I should--the local North guy suggested ~ 140%. This might better > match the local wind and is less expensive since less material is used. > OTOH, I don't want to be under canvassed on the light air days. > > > > Further, there is the question of sail material weight to consider. > > > > I plan for this to be my last headsail purchase and may use it some for > local cruising in addition to club racing. BTW, it will be used on a furler > either way. > > > > So what would the listers do!! > > > > Charlie Nelson > > 1995 C&C 36 XL/kcb > > Water Phantom > > > > > > > > > > Thanks to all of the subscribers that contributed to the list to help with > the costs involved. If you want to show your support to the list - use > PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray > <https://na01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.paypal.me%2Fstumurray&data=04%7C01%7C%7C173dec3db22f4a0565af08d8cd122539%7C84df9e7fe9f640afb435aaaaaaaaaaaa%7C1%7C0%7C637484825149358784%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJWIjoiMC4wLjAwMDAiLCJQIjoiV2luMzIiLCJBTiI6Ik1haWwiLCJXVCI6Mn0%3D%7C1000&sdata=Q3fK0EfK9c0oP6lAbUL%2FpcGkzlJtdsjynCqbG3uCKB8%3D&reserved=0> > Thanks - Stu > > > > -- > > Debbie Jeffcoatt > > cell 416-251-2650 > > > Thanks to all of the subscribers that contributed to the list to help with > the costs involved. If you want to show your support to the list - use > PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks > - Stu
Thanks to all of the subscribers that contributed to the list to help with the costs involved. If you want to show your support to the list - use PayPal to send contribution -- https://www.paypal.me/stumurray Thanks - Stu
