[MHml] Do I need a screecher?

[Scott Meyer]

arjan at pacbell.net wrote:
> I have been starting to sail my new 43' cat around the last few weekends and
> Ihave a self tending jib and a asymetrical spinnaker. I can point pretty high
> with the asymetrical but that's been in lighter winds <10knots. however I can't
> sail to deep nothing below about beam reach. Where does a screecher become an
> advantage? and is this just a slightly fatter cut genoa?

I think that one key point is the sheeting angle.  Assuming that you sheet your
spinn
outside the shrouds, if you sheet the screecher outside the shrouds as well, it is
basically just a smaller spinnaker.  If you can sheet it inside the shrouds it
is a whole
different animal.  But,  if you're sheeting inside the shrouds, perhaps a large
genoa
for upwind in light airs would give you more bang for the buck.  But then you
need a really tight sheeting angle...

That said, I have both and the spinnaker is so much easier to use that I rarely
bother with the screecher.

-Scott

-- 
Scott Meyer - "Endless Summer" F41 #17 - www.summ.org