SO37 / SF37 Blade headsail performance

[busytown]

Having spent the last decade plus racing boats like Mumm30's, Vipers, Melges32's, etc with blade headsails or at the most a 110%, I am interested in hearing if anyone here has modified their SO/SF37 to use at most a 105/110% blade jib?

I have a 2003 Sunfast 37

I am sure someone has done it, just wondering if you can offer insight?

[MartyB]

I don't have an SF37, I have an older mast head boat with a similar design to the SO/SF37's.

Yes you can make it so a blade works well. Most of the SF versions should have come stock with a Genoa car behind the shrouds on the deck level for up to 155-160LP genoas. These larger head sails will net you sail area displacements in the 24 to 26-1 relm.
Then you should also have a cabin top carr setup for 90-110 lp jibs too. I added these to my Arcadia. Great thing to have when using blades. They allow me to point into the 30 degree relm. I can also point with my 155LP genoas to 30 degrees also. Smaller LP genoa's do not go as high, because in my case, the trck gets wider going forward around the cabin, then narrows. A blade will still not point as high as the tracks I mentioned on the cabin top.
I find having both is a good thing. WInds above 20, I can fly a 110 and a main with a reef. I can get to about 20 with a full main and 150 out.
THink about the use of the boat and its design before shoving the blades to the side. Oh, the blade and main in my case, only put me at around 19-1 sail area to displacement vs the 25-1 in my case with a 155 genoa. Helps a LOT in light winds like I was in today.

marty

[zgunay]

Greetings. I have also a similar problem. My boat is SO45 performance(2006). It came with a big overlapping genoa which I never use anymore. I mostly cruise with a 110 genoa and my genoa car is always at the forward end of the tracks which is almost where the shrouds are.

I mostly do cruising with the boat, and I open sails only when there is medium to heavy winds (which is very prevalent at the south-west cost of Turkey). If I have to sail closehauled to a destination, the boat does not sail very high (35-40) and I end up making too many tacks. To sail higher, I need to sheet the genoa from an inner position (or a system of barber hauler) and I need help on how to achieve this. Where is strong on top of the cabin to attach the load of the genoa???.

Any body can advise me please.

[busytown]

So i was talking to the prior owner, he mentioned that the working jib he went with was the #2, guessing about a 135.  But when he used the 3, which is a 105/110 the boat goes to weather like a beast.  I have 2 cam cleats on the cabin top for the foreguy, ideally placed for inhaulers.  

[jdl01]

Hi Busytown,
I have a SO 379 Performance which is probably not quite as tweaked as your boat. Nonetheless, here is my experience: I have both a 135% genoa and a 95% self tacking jib - UK X Drive fat leech with 3 battens. The whole suit is X Drive. For satisfying performance, anything over 10 kn true will give me a good ride to weather with the self tacking jib. Reaching below 55 degrees and it starts to feel weak, even with a barberhauler. Cruising alone, I carry the 95% with the code 0 rigged in a sausage bag on deck. If the wind starts to fade, I switch to the code 0 and carry on although I cannot point higher than 50 degrees. It's safe, satisfying cruising for an old guy.

[Capt Erik]

Hi,
I am interested in your self tacking jib setup. Can you describe it please. How is it attached and how is the clew run?