Slack luff of mainsail
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Posts
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I have a Pogo 36 and a recent All Purpose horn GV.
In strong winds (20 knots and more), the luff of the mainsail is very weak.
I’ve tried various setting changes without success. Does anyone know what the problem is?
Lionel
(Kairos)
Hello Lionel,
Interesting question!
The horn sail is very powerful, especially in the upper reaches, and it’s best to anticipate reefing. You’re talking about 20 n . In true wind and upwind conditions, the first reef should already be taken. If it isn’t, the boat tends to heel too much and its heading becomes mediocre.
Of course, if you’re sailing at full throttle, you can postpone this moment. The same goes for broad reaching.
It’s a good idea to observe the exact location of the problem along the mast, as different remedies are available.
The first is to check the forestay tension, which is often to blame. B.Hantzperg, our AIP trainer, has often told us that you can only sail well if the forestay is not armored, and that this is the basic setting! Our first astonishment during these courses was to see the tension he put in the mainsheet, but not only….
Best regards
XavierHello Xavier,
At 20-25 knots, I have indeed already reefed one or even 2 reefs, but this has no influence on the furling. It happens with one or two reefs.
I tend to tension the genoa and/or staysail well. I haven’t noticed any difference.
On the other hand, when the wind is on the beam or on the beam, and the luff is dropping, taking in a lot of downhaul reduces the amount of reefing. Bounding the mainsail also improves the situation, but the top surface stalls pretty quickly and you’re badly trimmed.
All Purpose’s advice is to slacken the mainsail halyard, even if it means making pockets. I’ve tried this but haven’t found it to be conclusive. Hence my question on this forum.
I’m surprised to be the only one to have this problem with production sails.
Lionel
(Kairos)
and what about backstay tension?
I have a horn mainsail on my 850 and it’s clear that the solent horn combination is more balanced than the genoa horn
Hello Bruno,
There are no backstays or runners on the Pogo 36 equipped with a carbon mast and a horn-type mainsail.
The mainsail is 45m2. I have a 39m2 genoa and a 25m2 staysail. Vibration occurs with both the genoa and the staysail.
This is probably due to the fact that it happens when the apparent wind is on the beam. In this configuration, interactions between the mainsail and headsail are minimal.
Lionel
(Kairos)
Hello,
For my part, I installed a cunningham adjuster (using a piece available on the piano), it flattens the sail (thus reducing the power) and eliminates the windlass fastening. For me, it works until you really need 1 reef.
Eric
Xanax.
Hello, Eric,
.
My problems start precisely when you have to take 1 or 2 reefs, i.e. from 20 knots and when the apparent wind is on the beam.Do you have a luff vibration at these speeds?
Lionel
(Kairos)
Yes, I do have a ‘vibration’ that appears on the luff when the wind picks up enough, before I make the decision to take 1 reef. Honestly, I don’t have the exact value in my head, nor the wind angles, but 20 kts seems coherent to me and I would have given a slightly wider angle (from beam (20 kts apparent) to beam). In fact, I used this setting to be able to flatten the mainsail without forcing too much on the foot (because the efforts start to be really costly in these situations) and I appreciate it because it acts on both the foot and the luff, so you can see the sail flattening out.
I can only advise you to get in touch with Brice, one of the 4 current owners of AP in Carnac, who, despite a first impression that may seem a little tonic, is a qualified technician. I have no doubt that his expertise should provide you with solutions.
In this respect, I suggest you take a look at the excellent tutorials that your office has posted on our website, which will undoubtedly help you to fine-tune our beloved sails!kind regards
Xavier
Eric,
For me, it’s the opposite. As long as the wind is moderate, everything’s fine. From 20 knots upwards, the stronger the wind, the more it vibrates.
Reefed or not, genoa or staysail, it vibrates. It’s not permanent, it depends on the boat’s movements, but it’s a real pain!
Lionel
(Kairos)
Xavier,
I am indeed in contact with Brice and I don’t doubt his skills.
However, the problem has been going on for over a year and the solutions found have not completely solved it.
Sliders have been added to the reefing rings 2 and 3. This solved the problem as long as the wind was less than 20 knots. The mainsail, once shod, is now a little higher and just fits into its canopy. So we can’t add any more.
For the time being, he’s only suggesting that I ease off the mainsail halyard, even if it does make pockets. The first trials were not at all convincing.
So I’m not extremely confident about what’s to come…
He did mention the possibility of fitting a luff nerve if all else failed, but said he’d never had to go to that extreme in his entire career!
Lionel
(Kairos)
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