C22 Headsail Tack Shackle Question

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Windwalker
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Joined: Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:37 am
Location: Spokane, WA

C22 Headsail Tack Shackle Question

Post by Windwalker »

Oops!, Put this in the wrong place initially. Hopefully putting it here will generate a response.

I have been noticing that my new-to-me 78 Chrysler 26 headsail tack shackle is mounted on a pennant about 1 foot long. This keeps the head sail off the deck and allows me to see under it, HOWEVER, I have also noted that the head of the sail is about 2 feet from the masthead (I think a 135 Genny). Is this normal? I have the original (I believe) Vector sails. If this is wrong, then one of the previous owners shortened the cable, shortened the sail, or I have a sail that is not made for my Chrysler.

Can some of you with a C26 please let me know if your headsail goes all the way to your masthead? Also, if your tack shackle is mounted on a cable, how long is that cable?

I tried using a rope to move the head sail temporarily all the way to the masthead and thought it was pointing higher into the wind (hard to tell as the wind was very swirlly). Does this make sense?

Thanks!
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EmergencyExit
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Post by EmergencyExit »

The C26 sailplan shows the full 170% genny goes nearly to the masthead, but the 100% one looks like a couple feet short of the masthead.

All of them show the tack attaching at the deck.

Beau
rjbranch

genoa hoist

Post by rjbranch »

Windwalker

Most sailmakers cut their 130 - 135 % genoas short of full hoist. Its a tradition I think that got started back with the MORC racing rule when 170% genoas were allowed without penalty. Most boats carried a 150% as their first step down and then a 130% sail. No one wanted to use the working jib because the luff is so short and with just 100% overlap it had no guts in heavy air. The sailcloth of the time did not allow real high aspect genoas and a full hoist 130% is just too much sails for most boats to go to windward with in heavy air.

I raced in a large (over 100 boat) Catalina 27 one disign fleet at the time and we were tuning up to host the class National Championships. My boat became a loft project with one of the big National sail companies at the time (Watts Sails). We did some very radical sails. Use conditioned yarn tempored cloth (like stiff cardboard but very light... and very expendable... we figured 12 races till not competative) and looked for any where else we could gain an advantage. We decided that big hole between the 130 and working jib was a place. We developed a sail that I have carried on every boat ever since. It is a 120% full hoist genoa. It can be a deck sweeper but we usually raised the foot some cause it was going to be the heavy air sail. And I mean heavy. On the Catalina 27 I would carry it with a double reef main to about 30 knots apparent before having to go down to the working jib. Most people were changing to their working jibs from the 130 at about 22 to 25 knots. On an Oday 28 I could go to weather to about 38 knots apparent with a double reef in the main. Nothing under 35 ft could touch that boaty upwind with that combination.

The full hoist give alot more drive than the shorter hoist 130, lets it point higher, and creates alot less heel. It turns out to be a wonderful cruising sail because you can see under it, the full hoist luff gives it alot of drive even in lighter air, and the short leach lets it stand even in very light air even though its a heavy air weight cloth. North still uses the sail in their inventory plans on race boats. But the 130's are still made my most with shorter luffs to let the sail not overpower the boat as soon. As you know its a nice sail to cruise with and if you put the pendant on it you can see under it, unlike when its on the deck.

bob branch
Harsens Island, MI
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Windwalker
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Location: Spokane, WA

Thank You

Post by Windwalker »

rjbranch

sail height

Post by rjbranch »

Windwalker.

You might want to approach it from 2 directions. On days when you are using it as a light to moderate air sail, use the tack penant so you can see under it. When its gonna be blowing at the top end of the sails range, tack it to the stem. It will be light putting in a genoa reef compared to using the tack pennant. When you are going to sail with a reefed main... and heavy air genoas with single and especially double reefed mains are very nice combinations. I would opt for it any day before I would go down to a working jib and full main, unless you have a day when you are already near top of the genoa & double reefed main with the wind expected to build. Then I'd go to the jib and full main and reef the main down as the wind went up.

Either way, learn the art of feathering in big wind to handle the gusts. Rather than let the boat heel excessively and put the rail in (a "never fast" with a fin keel boat) feather the boat upwind a bit let the boat stay at optimum heel. You may see anywhere from one to 3 feet of the luff of the jib luffed, but the rest of the sail and the back of the main are what will be driving the boat. As long as you can steer easily you are not overpowered. This method lets you really go to weather and still be able to steer over waves properly. It is dynamite fast and you will find that the helm in the feather range is quite light. You don't want to go so far up that the boat looses heel and comes up straight, you will stop and be blown into a tack or when the sail fills go driving directly sideways. That is what people think says they are going fast cause the "rail is down". Its just the wash of the boat going sideways and the wave washing up onto the deck. Feathering will increase the range you can sail a heavy clothed genoa by a good 5 to sometimes 10 knots. It creates a very comfortable motion on the boat beacause you can still steer around the waves. The real key is the reef and the mainsail leach being rock hard. The sail area of the main battens and roach are all you really need to sail on. Carrying a luff in the front of the main is not an issue in this technique. And the feel of the helm is just magic. Its why I came back to monohulls from the tri I sailed the last few years. You just cannot get this in a multihull.

bob
harsens island, MI
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