High aspect blade jib

Jack Hardie

26th January 2009 at 12:51 PM

Posted by Webmaster on behalf of Sandy Woodward:

I am the owner of Sonata “Tiger Rag” GBR 8026N, used to race her but have become too decrepit (now knocking 77) along with my friends who used to crew. Spinnaker work and the foredeck are just too much for us. Just sheeting the big Genoa in any wind is a bit of a problem too.

I am looking at minor modification to the Working Jib measurement. As far as I am aware, no one has ever used one for racing anyway, at least I certainly never even had one.

I have recently been sailing an RS Elite which has a high aspect self-tacking jib. This rig has required my complete re-education in how to use it. It is, of course, entirely different from having a 115% or a 150% overlapped genoa. Basically, this kind of jib becomes no more than a ‘flap’ for the mainsail, primarily helping to shift the ‘upwash’ a couple of degrees broader on the bow and improving ‘stiction’ and flow round the back of the mainsail. Thus the mainsail becomes the primary driving sail rather than much of the drive being generated by the genoa. Sheeting it well inside the shrouds is a necessary part of this.

I notice that the working jib luff measurement is 6324 max as opposed to 7440/7470 on the No2 and No1 genoas. I intend fitting a different working jib using the full luff length (4740) available in the fore triangle, barber-hauling the sheet in as necessary [possibly as much as halfway in from the shrouds], and leaving my genoas and spinnaker ashore. I realise that in so doing I will be out of Class but I can join in handicap racing locally and spare myself all the poblems of old age handling big genoas and spinnakers. I am looking into getting a new IRC handicap on this basis.

I realise that this is not strictly a Class matter, but I thought it might be of interest because a jib of this kind might turn out to be as good as or even better than the No2 genoa and, if so, might offer a more useful design for the Class “working jib”.

I’d be glad to know of a local (Chichester harbour) Sonata owner who’d enjoy doing some side-by-side trials in the Spring when my new jib should be fitted.

You can email Sandy on johnwoodward347 at btinternet dot com