Cutter rig: Has anyone gone up in Yankee size?

[Evergreen]

Good day to all:

In an effort to improve light air performance, has anyone gone with a larger than stock Yankee?

I believe the stock size is 100% of the fore-triangle. If you did go up in size - how much, and how did it work out?

I believe one member in Maine increased the size of their bow sprint but I am not looking to chop of my boat unless I have to. I also heard of a member in Canada who went with a genoa size headsail for racing but I don't know how it performed. I do not want to remove my staysail so that is important when considering size.

Any and all experienced input would be appreciated.

Many thanks,

[grluecke]

I have a CD30K, and I use the Yankee and self-tending club-foot jib all the time.

If I lose some performance, then my 83-year-old mother-in-law does not have to crank in the Genny...

I'm at a more basic question...Does anyone know the proper specifications for the "stock" Yankee? Luff, foot, leach?

Mine is, I think, a little short. Maybe a couple of feet on the luff?

Are there OEM measurements for these that a sail loft would use to make a new one? Where would I find that?

YankeeJib.JPG

[Jim Walsh]

The sailmakers just have whatever lines drawings may exist for a given design which gives them a starting point. That's why the actual measurements taken from your vessel are so important. Whether you have a hanked on sail or roller furling, whether you prefer a tack pendant to reduce chafe or increase visibility, and so on. They also rely on measurements from previous customers who have the same make and model as you. That's one of the reasons I had my new suit of sails made locally.
I already have two overlapping jibs so my yankee is almost exactly 100%.

[Steve Laume]

I sail Raven with the standard cutter rig. I still like the club footed staysail and the high cut Yankee.

She came with a Genoa and a removable inner stay. I have only had the big sail on twice. Once was mid summer, around Fishers Island Sound, for about a week. While it did move the boat along nicely, I was pretty freaked out by the reduction in visibility. I had to be constantly moving around the boat to be sure nothing had gotten into my blind spot. When the wind picked up, I was over powered with few good options of reducing my sail plan. The thing came off and got stuffed back in it's bag. My other experience was off shore where the viability wasn't as big an issue. It worked great but had to come down as soon as the wind picked up and there is no way I would leave it up overnight. That proved to be a lot of work. The thing had to come down under building wind and sea conditions. Then you need to secure it to the life lines and get the Yankee back into the slot and raised back up again.

What I use most of the time when the winds are light is a free flying drifter. Basically a big Genoa that flies free but doesn't point quite as well. It now lives in a sock, so it is pretty easy to set up and take down. It flies outside of everything with the tack run through a block on the bow sprit. There is no issue with tacking or jibing it through the slot as it goes around the outside. When the sock gets pulled down it is easy to handle, stuff in a bag and stow down below. Your working sails are already in place and there is never a sail lashed to the lifelines.

This combination creates good options for a very wide range of conditions. It is a whole lot easier to add more sail when things are light than it is to get rid of it when the wind starts to pick up, Steve.

[Maine_Buzzard]

+1 on the drifter idea.

I use mine frequently when not hard on the wind, as it's a better very light air sail than a genoa. I have a 150 genoa and the yankee, and tend to use the genoa all summer, and the yankee in fall.

Try a used one to see-
You will find more gennys available than oversize yankees, and you might want check Atlantic Sail Traders, Bacons, and Minnie's for their inventory.
Get one with luff tape already, if you have a roller furler.

http://www.baconsails.com/

http://www.usedsails.com/

http://www.minneysyachtsurplus.com/

[Matt Cawthorne]

I have an oversized Yankee that I used for most of the first season that I owned my boat. It is a pain to bring across while tacking. It back winds the staysail. It is a pain to take off of the furler, and fold up underway. It has not seen service in 17 years.

Matt

[Jim Walsh]

Unobstructed view forward with a standard sized yankee is one of it's benefits.

[Larry McAnally]

I have a 125% on a roller ferler, and am very happy with the way it workes for me. I do have my inner stay on a quick release and rarely use the staysail.
it is very difficult to tack the large headsail with the short stay up. As mentioned, visability becomes an issue. I, like Steve, use a free flying drifter in a sock but generaly use the 125 which has roller reefing capability.

[Jim Walsh]

I make use of my staysail frequently. When I use my larger headsails I've found it easier to roll them up a little so they fit through the slot easily then roll them back out on the other tack.