[MHml] a new downwind sail

[Paul Nudd]

DCal1216 at aol.com wrote:
> I also agree with Gordon,
> My own Crowther cat Green Flash, uses a 1,700 sq. ft.  Asymmetrical 
> spinnaker, with Airx 900 on the luff, and Airx 700 for the  body.
> We have tortured this sail in some serious races, and it is  still doing 
> great.
> If the boat is capable of good boat speeds, I feel that the  asymmetrical 
> spinnaker, on a bow sprit, is the best all around  sail.
> If the sail is to be tacked to the bows, an asymmetrical may  still be a good 
> choice. The tack could be brought to the lee bow for close  reaching, 
> centered for broader reaches, and taken to the windward bow for  downwind legs.
> The main advantage over the symmetrical is, it's superior  close reaching 
> ability. A well designed asy, can be used quite high in the light  stuff, be a 
> very efficient reaching sail, and still work well  downwind.
> Of course, this would not be dead downwind but using angles  around 140 true, 
> or keeping the apparent wind about 90 degrees, and jibing  downwind.
> Symmetrical would be easier to jibe without a bow sprit but,  because of 
> their rounded shape, would be much less efficient sailing "hot,"  compared to a 
> draft forward, flat leech, asymmetrical.
> Dave, Calvert
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I would agree with Dave and Gordon for racing.
XL2 is 38' x 25' and I use a 1900 sf .75oz masthead assym on a 14' 
bowsprit. It does all the good things dave describes above. I love it.
But for cruising I would remove the bowsprit and use a masthead .75oz 
symmetric of probably 2200 sf and a fractional 1.5oz symmetric of 
probably 1200 sf, both would be bought second hand, very cheap, ex 
monohull. I would put my 180% genoa on a furler, raise the boom and have 
less roach at the top of the main to make stowage easier. Cruising is 
not about the ultimate in performance but more about reliability and 
ease of operation.
Paul Nudd