Jennaker, or Jenny
The Jennaker was the most useful and cost affective sail on the boat, she is in a big red and blue sail bag and lives in the sail locker. In the many weeks of light winds that we have experienced, where our normal sails would have moved us at a maximum of two knots, Jenny would get us going at over four, saving a fortune in Diesel costs (Kelly does not do 2 knots without a big fuss!)
The sail has tack and clew clearly marked, both lines we use we leave attached in the bag (the clew could do with being a little longer, never got round to dragging one out of the bag of lines - see aft lazarette). Jenny has an easy to use sock which really helps when you are sailing shorthanded. In fact, in light winds, I can fly Jenny on my own.
We have successfully flown this sail from 3 knots of true wind to 20 depending on angle of sail. A racer saw the weight of cloth and stated it would fly in 30 knots, not with me as captain it won't! In light conditions you can sail up to 50 degrees apparent .
Disclaimer: Kelly and I have gained most of our sailing experience by trial and error we are not trained professionals. The following suggestions are what works well for us, there probably are better ways, I am just detailing our system just in case the people who buy Rosie, like we were, are intimidated by the sail and are scared to use it. It is a piece of cake!
The sail has tack and clew clearly marked, both lines we use we leave attached in the bag (the clew could do with being a little longer, never got round to dragging one out of the bag of lines - see aft lazarette). Jenny has an easy to use sock which really helps when you are sailing shorthanded. In fact, in light winds, I can fly Jenny on my own.
We have successfully flown this sail from 3 knots of true wind to 20 depending on angle of sail. A racer saw the weight of cloth and stated it would fly in 30 knots, not with me as captain it won't! In light conditions you can sail up to 50 degrees apparent .
Disclaimer: Kelly and I have gained most of our sailing experience by trial and error we are not trained professionals. The following suggestions are what works well for us, there probably are better ways, I am just detailing our system just in case the people who buy Rosie, like we were, are intimidated by the sail and are scared to use it. It is a piece of cake!
Single hand setting the sail:
You need to spill the wind in order to pull down the sock which means letting go of either the tack or the clew. (Apparently racing boats blow the halyard!). In normal conditions blowing the clew and pulling the sock down to the bow is easiest since that is where we pack the bag. However in high wind conditions, blowing the tack and pulling the sock down behind the mainsail works well, also this is where the winches are if you really left it too late. IMPORTANT: If you release the tack, stop the wind generator first and go into neutral. I feel you should learn by my mistakes!
- Take the bag to just in front of the stay sail and tie it on.
- Run the tack over the life lines, through a block on the bow and cleat off. We can adjust the length just before we raise the sock, hard to do now as sail still in the bag. Never put a stopper knot on this line.
- Run the clew outside everything to a block (I use one of the snatch blocks) situated as far aft on the toe rail as possible, just by the pushpit, then forward to another block just aft of the gate stanchion, then on to the jib winch. Never put a stopper knot on this line.
- Attach the green spinnaker halyard - the one on the loose block at the top of the mast, NOT the one coming out of a sheave, this one will chafe through in hours due to the angle of pull - out side jib sheet ensuring it is appropriate side of the head stay.
- Cleat off the sock lines.
- Raise halyard fast, should be able to do without the winch, then cleat off on winch once feel it is at top.
- Ensure the white sock stripe is not twisted, if it is try and spin the whole thing like a skipping rope. Never a problem if care is taken on packing the bag. The dousing/raising line goes up in this white stripe pocket and it will jam badly if twisted.
- We find that it is easier to fill the sail if wind angle is >70 degrees apparent (depending on wind speed we have found you can fly her up to 45 degrees apparent), then you can adjust and trim back once it is full, so at this point maybe adjust course.
- Now the sock is out of the sail bag and part of the sail is hanging down, you can adjust the sheets. Hard on the wind get the tack as close to the bow block as possible, down wind sailing you want the sail flying in front of the boat so leave it longer. (You can always let it out, you cannot take it in easily). Pull the clew in as much as you can at this point before the sock is raised
- Un cleat the sock lines and raise the sock as fast as possible. If the wind is strong and you pull it up slowly the wind fills the sail and jams the sock, especially at the top.
- Cleat off the sock lines and run back to the cockpit to trim.
- The simple rule someone told us once to trimming the sail is to let the sheet out until the leading edge starts to fold, then pull it in a little. Seems to work so I will pass along the tip.
- The second tip we were given is douse the sail if: You start seeing lots of white horses. You see squalls. At night.
- We heeded these tips for a few days then we left it up and didn't touch the sheets for 7 glorious days and nights on the way to the Marquesas! Once you see how easy it is to douse you worry less.
- Sometimes running down wind the mainsail will steal all the wind so I normally throw in up to 3 reefs in the main.
- In really sloppy conditions the tack can drop and get under the anchor. Here I use a piece of shock cord to tie the sheet up when loose but not fully stretched when the sail is pulling.
You need to spill the wind in order to pull down the sock which means letting go of either the tack or the clew. (Apparently racing boats blow the halyard!). In normal conditions blowing the clew and pulling the sock down to the bow is easiest since that is where we pack the bag. However in high wind conditions, blowing the tack and pulling the sock down behind the mainsail works well, also this is where the winches are if you really left it too late. IMPORTANT: If you release the tack, stop the wind generator first and go into neutral. I feel you should learn by my mistakes!
- So far I have never performed this operation on my own, but it seems doable
- Choose line to release based on notes above, ensure no stopper knot in line and flaked nicely, then release.
- Un cleat sock line and pull down sock as fast as possible then re-cleat
- Pull in sheets and hank leaving a 5ft length between hank and sail.
- Lower sail 8 ft
- Put loose sail and the collar of the sock into the bag but not the lines
- One person slowly lowers the halyard while the second concertinas the sock on top of the bag ensuring the stripe does not twist.
- Pull bag up and around neat pile, disconnect halyard and put lines on top
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