Trailer Sailer - Sail Plans

Sail Plans

Most trailer sailers cater for a variety of uses. The ideal sail-plan for this is the fractional rig with the ¾ fractional being popular. Fractional rigs are where the height of the foresail only comes up to a fraction of the height of the mainsail. With these rigs the mainsail is the powerhouse and trimmed first, the advantage for cruising is that the centre of effort of the main sail in relationship to the centre of resistance of the hull is such that the boat will usually sail under main sail alone . The headsail can be on a furler to reduce sail or furl away easily without the need to go onto the foredeck. Furler sails may not as efficient for racing, so a separate head sail may be needed for this purpose. An alternative is the self tacking headsail. Asymmetrical spinnakers are a useful addition for cruising as they are easier to tack. A short bowsprit aids their use. Both bowsprits and asymmetricals may bring penalties in race handicaps if carried with symmetrical spinnakers. The sail wardrobe should be flexible to enable different sails for cruising and racing.

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