Submitted on October 6, 2005 by Kevin MacKenzie

Question: Hi folks,

I have a Ranger 33 and we race on the upper Hudson. I have a Hood SL furler on the boat. My old North genoas were decksweepers and I was wondering how low one could cut a 150 and still get it to roll up on the furler?

As always,
Kevin MaKenzie

Answer: Kevin,

The only limit the furler imposes on the foot of the sail is that the tack angle (angle between the luff and foot) must be less than 90 degrees. At 90 degrees or greater the foot of the sail will roll-up on itself creating a "fat spot" and will not furl evenly. Tack angles of less than 90 degrees allow the foot to spiral evenly up the foil as the sail rolls. You can still have a low clew on a furling genoa, but may not be able to have as much foot round as on a non-furling sail.

Aside from the foot, the other disadvantage of racing with genoas that fit a furling unit is the lost overlap in the upper leech. The head of a furling sail must be lower on the headstay (and therefor farther forward) to allow for the top swivel. The lost luff length is not as critical as the fact that the leech is moved forward at the top, reducing overlap on the main that is important to light-air, upwind performance.

In spite of these limitations, well designed genoas on furlers can be very successful in club level racing. A furling genoa with perfect shape can beat a tired full-size genoa!

Good luck,
Steve

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