Down Wind Sails

[Baddox]

Teach a man to sail and he’ll have a hobby for life – buying more sailing gear.  To that end, I’m looking at buying a downwind sail.
We already have a symmetrical spinnaker but I’d like something easy for one to two crew to handle for cruising downwind in gentle winds and perhaps extend to some reaching capability.
So far, an asymmetric looks to fit the bill, either with a sock or furler while others recommend a code 0, which to me appear too flat cut.
Does anyone have any opinions or experience they care to share?

Assuming I go ahead with an asymmetric, what size would fit a Bav 30 Cruiser?  Iirc the I and J are 10.7 and 3M.

Next question.  Can anyone recommend a supplier or sail loft or have one for sale?

[Kibo]

I have a furling Assym. In light air it is fine but you can quickly get overpowered so if short handed then furling is the way to go v sock since you don't have to go to the foredeck to furl it - it furls similarly to the genoa although its a continuous line turning the furler not a drum system but still back in the cockpit.

I bought mine new from Quantum, local loft to where I had the boat at the time.

There are various options on size and cut depending on desired usage in apparent windspeed, wind angle you expect to use it etc, since you have a symmetrical then probably go for a more reaching chute with flatter cut and straighter (less full) luff and leach for example.

My advice is to talk to your local loft and they will advise you if you tell them where you sail, what your plans for usage are and what your experience levels  (or more importantly your crew's comport level; in my case that's the Admiral !) are.

Good luck

[Craig]

Have a look at an asymmetric sail using the ATN tacker.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zt_G0uVc5iY

I'm using it on my Bav 38 (2009) no problems. It doesn't require a bow sprit.

There is some concern that you may rip the deck from the hull as the upward forces have not been designed for in some models. I have had no problems but only use the sail in light winds. It is a much cheaper and easier to manage option than a bow sprit. 

Craig
" Shirley Valentine"
Gold Coast
Australia

[Bertie1972]

I'm interested too (same model boat as Baddox).  I was thinking of a cruising chute with snuffer as have experience of this system on previous boat, and having recently discovered a retro fit carbon fibre bowsprit kit was planning for that option.

But interested to hear more about furling asymmetric Kibo - is that instead of genoa or as well as?

[Symphony]

As already suggested talk to a couple of sailmakers as there are so many different choices depending on what you are looking for - although to be honest most with your requirements opt for what is generally known as a "cruising chute" which will cover wind directions from around 80 to 150. The actual size will depend on how much you think you can handle. For example because I am on my own I went for a smaller area of around 65 sqm (on a B33) whereas 70 is quite possible. I also have a Selden furler with fairleads and double jammer to take the furling lines back to the cockpit.

Although the furler makes it easier to set and douse the sail there is definitely a technique to avoid the sail looping back when you furl. It requires careful control of the sheet and furler to get a neat furl which is obviously easier with 2 people. If you do get a crease it means you can't then unfurl it. However once it is up in the right conditions it is a joy to use. Such things do not come cheap - mine was around £3k split roughly 50/50 between the sail and the gear. A snuffer would reduce this to around £2k.

 If you are in the UK you are spoilt for choice in potential suppliers. Mine was made by Kemps, but I also got quotes from Crusader and Elvstrom. All very similar prices and products.

[dawntreader]

.....a "cruising chute" which will cover wind directions from around 80 to 150.

...if you pole out 180 is achievable 

[Kibo]

Bertie,

The furling assymmetric furls around a torsion rope which starts the furl from the top, as somewhat described by Symphony. The tack is on a bowsprit which pushes the luff of the sail out beyond the genoa on the forestay. When you deploy the chute you only use that and have the Genoa furled.

So if I interpret your question correctly it is either/or genoa or Assym not both deployed simultaneously. The two sails do different and somewhat mutually exclusive jobs. Genoa good for on wind up to about 100 degrees apparent wind and assym down to about 150 without using a pole.... or as also stated you could use it down to 180 with a pole but 140 - 180 is much more suited for symmetrical kites.

Sorry if my post is a bit "jargonised" - I'm also a racer as well as a cruiser so on the race boats we might carry 7 or 8 different headsails and change them depending on wind strength, course, wind angle conditions, crew fatique etc etc !!

Hope it helps

[Bertie1972]

Many thanks for the info, sounds much more the thing for me especially when singlehanded.

Will likely be investing in this system in preference to a sock.

Cheers,
Bertie

[Mirror45184]

Bertie,

Would support Kibo's recommendation for the furling asymmetric. I have one on Synergy often use it single handed. Very easy to retrieve too when lowering the rolled up sail pull it inside the jib to keep it on the fore deck.

Cheers
Mark

[Krill]

We have the Bav 30 Cruiser and have a sock but use a symmetric spinnaker, made the ATN ourselves from a fender for £13 here;

https://youtu.be/vu0uXjSaZR4

this basically sails the spinnaker like an asymmetric, doesn't get you 180° off wind like a pole of course but loads simpler to sail & gybe shorthanded, i can even manage it alone - and of course is way quicker than Genoa + main

key to successful socks is an autopilot, although you could run the lines back to the cockpit if you really wanted to, but that's more faff to set up

added bonus is i can pole it out when there's more crew to handle it without carrying extra sails, to be honest in light winds i have just sailed without the tacker or need for a pole and the boats gone fine downwind @180°

sailing with the "atn" tacker here;

https://youtu.be/thtkv28AM7U

Getting the sheets back to the winches requires some ingenuity but on ours we have two strong points where jack lines connect, i used these to put turning blocks on to route back to the winches.

We dont race but we kept up with a 33' boat who was using a poled symmetric spinnaker at the same angle as us on our recent outing and i was happy with that given the size of our boat and little investment to get a spinnaker flying. keeping it simple means im more inclined to get it out from under the v-berth, and takes literally less than 5 minutes to set up & get deployed from the sock.

our symmetric is around 55 sqm which i feel fine with up to 15 knots, that's where i get twitchy with it and want to douse it, the boat on the other hand seems to cope fine with it

so yeah overall i would rate socks for shorthanded.

[Baddox]

Thanks for the replies everyone.  I'll try the tacker approach and keep a look-out for a suitable asymmetric.