| Technical details | |
| Producer: | UK Sailmakers (UK) |
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Pošalji poruku
| Technical details | |
| Producer: | UK Sailmakers (UK) |
To make your genoa pull better and last longer, position the genoa lead block properly. As the photos show, too many sailors sail around the with the lead block too far aft. As a result, the top of their genoa flaps in the breeze and flogging is a sail’s worse enemy. The fore and aft position of the lead block affects the tension on the leech and foot, which in turn helps you trim the top and the bottom of the genoa. When the lead is moved aft, more tension is put on the foot and the lower part of the sail, which means you are trimming the bottom of the sail and not the top. Similarly, when the lead is moved forward, more tension is put on the leech of the sail, which only trims the top of the sail, not the bottom.
What you are trying to do when trimming the sail is to strike a balance with the lead position that gives the proper trim on the upper and lower parts of the sail. To get close to finding the right spot for the genoa lead block, trim the genoa tight for going upwind and then move the lead block so that the leech and foot touch the shrouds at the same time. To fine tune the position of the lead block, you will need to look up at the sail to make sure that the top and bottom of the sail are trimmed evenly. If the top of the sail is luffing, move the lead forward a few inches. If the upper leech is hitting the shrouds and the foot of the sail is more than a foot off the shrouds, move the lead back several inches.
Look a the top draft stripes to see both of these genoas are luffing in the top third of the sails, while the bottom half is drawing well.
The best way to find the right position of the lead block is to use all three sets of telltales on your sail. They indicate how the wind is flowing across the sail at three different heights. You want to get all three flowing in the same direction.
Moving the lead block when the sail is trimmed is difficult because there is a lot of load on the sheet. Without a special block and tackle system installed to move the lead block, move the lead on the opposite side of the boat to the new position you want to try and then tack and look to see how the sail sets. If this position is right, move the original lead to the same position on the track. Another way is to roll up the genoa and then move the lead. Once you’ve moved it, unroll the genoa and check how the sail sets.
This may sound like a lot of work, but you won’t have to do this every time you go sailing. Once you find the right spot, put a mark on the track so that you can move the lead back to the same place easily in similar conditions.
Reef points on a roller-reefing genoa.
One last point about genoa lead positioning: When roller-reefing, you will have to move your lead block forward. Reefing moves the clew of the genoa forward, which means the lead also has to move forward or you will not be putting enough tension on the upper leech when you trim in. If you don’t move the lead block forward when reefing, the top of the sail will flutter violently in a stiff breeze. Since most sailmakers put reef marks on the foot of their sails, take some time one windy day to reef to the reef point on your sail, find the correct lead block position, AND THEN MARK that spot. (UK-Halsey)
