Submitted on August 24, 2005 by Marc Auslander

Question: I will be replacing my cruising, roller furling 130 Genoa. I am wondering if there is a way to get better leeward visibility than with my current deck sweeper, and what the performance trade-off would be. My boat is a (classic) Tartan 30. I'm pretty sure I don't want a Yankee - I really can't change the clue position much without running out of track. So, can a sail be cut with less of a skirt, and would that help?

Thanks,
Marc

Answer: Hi Marc,

The sail can be cut with a straight foot. A deck sweeper is a more efficient sail when it is sheeted in all the way and the deck is sealing off the bottom of the sail. However, most boat owners prefer a sail with very little foot roach. The sails roll up better and the foot doesn't flap when you ease the sheet out for reaching. The other advantage of less foot roach is that you can see under the sail in very light conditions when the boat is not heeling over. Once the boat lays over a little, you will still have a big blind spot ahead and to leeward.

Regards,
Dan Neri

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