"rhys" wrote in message
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On 26 Mar 2004 11:53:18 -0800, (Frank Maier) wrote:
I have a sloop, but one of my favourite points of sail is a beam
reach using a No. 3 on a pendant and my barely used, wire luff "genoa
staysail", a big light thing the original owner evidently couldn't
figure out. I had to reference a brilliant 1975 book called "Sail
Power" by Wally Ross to learn how to set the thing. (It involved the
toerails!)
But in ten knots, that amount of sail will trounce even the biggest
No. 1 and mainsail combo.
I have waxed poetic about the genoa staysail many times in this
forum. I think if people actually discovered how useful these
things were the cutter rig would become deriguer again ;=)
It really can't be beat on a close reach (except by maybe a code
zero), and if you're cruising it's a great sail in light to moderate
wind. The GS is hanked on above the heavy staysail, and
when the wind increases the GS comes off pretty quickly and the
heavy is hoisted. Beats the heck out of firing up the noisemaker
(particulalry when it's warm out). I have found in the light stuff
that if you give up and fire up the engine, it normally stays on.
But, if you have good sails that are easy to change you stay
involved in the sailing side and work your way through the
variable winds.
Matt