Just a short note to thanks all who chimed in on my head sail question. The short story is that I decided to go with a 3Di Nordic composite sail (so-called light/medium) that has a maximum AWS wind of ~ 16 knots. The light wind equivalent has a maximum AWS wind of ~ 12 knots and I already have a lightly used light air (maximum AWS of ~ 8 knots) so I opted for the lt./med since the light air was covered and the expected coastal winds are about 2 knots higher (7 vs. 5.5 knots) than those in the upper Neuse river where I have done most of my racing to date. I also have an almost new 140% (Hood Vectran) and a bullet proof 90% from North. Thus I have a reasonable (IMHO) set of upwind sails for my racer/cruiser for local club racing. I also have both a 3/4 oz. masthead symmetrical kite and a smaller, stronger reaching kite. I appreciate the comments on changing head sails to meet the conditions, etc.,--in an ideal world this is the solution. OTOH, in my world, finding enough KNOWLEDGEABLE crew (6+ depending on wind) to race is almost impossible for local regattas and not that easy even for something like CRW. So here is how I compromise, to wit: 1). All my head sails are used on a furler. Thus headsail changes on the fly are not possible even on the rare days that my crew is both numerous and knowledgeable. All buoy races are done with the headsail that crosses the starting line--although it may get changed between races. 2). Most of my racing is now in non-spin. SAFELY handling a mast head kite in winds > 12 knots with limited crew (number and knowledge) is not easy and when the inevitable goes 'awry', people can and do get hurt--one of my most experienced crew was slammed to the foredeck by an errant kite guy a few years ago and was evaluated for a concussion at a local hospital as soon as we got off the water. Fortunately he was OK but this is not something I want to repeat. Note he was my most experienced crew! 3). Since I cannot change head sails on the fly (see 1), I prefer to use the largest headsail I can since I need it for downwind sail area. I find it easier and quicker to reef the main and rarely furl the headsail to reduce sail area upwind. 4). The bottom is painted yearly and scrubbed/wiped down before each race by a diver. Currently I use Petit Vivid, a hard ablative and plan to try Odyssey this year. 5). I usually have 5-6 regular crew, most of whom have been racing with me for 5-10 years. The only ones that I have lost left for medical reasons, moved out of the area or went cruising. Believe me, I know the importance of good crew as well as how to keep them on board. Note that this is 1-2 shy of the 8 knowledgeable crew I believe are required to race my boat to her potential, especially in a breeze. I am sure there are more compromises in my racing efforts but even with these above, I find after ~ 25 years of club racing that I still enjoy the thrill of the competition, the joy of occasionally passing or even beating a competitor and, of course, the agony of analyzing WTF we messed up as we had back to the dock for sandwiches and adult beverages!! Even in the latter case, I am confident that there will always be another race where there is the potential to do better! Like a golfer, all it takes is one good shot on the course to make him/her return. For a club racer, all it takes is a well sailed, competitive race for me to return. So that's my current racing story and the background of my choice for the head sail.
Charlie NelsonWater Phantom1995 C&C 36 XL/kcb
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