The Best P-40 Sail Inventory and Rig (Revised June 2006)
I think everyone has his or her own opinion regarding the "best" cruising sail
inventory and rig. My "perfect" Pearson 40 cruising setup includes only 6 sails
and converts the P-40 sloop rig to double roller furling cutter. I have made the
leap to a double (headstay and staysail stay) roller furling rig.
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1. Main - 8.3 oz with a two-ply head and leech. Two rows of reefs, both
very deep (9 and 18 feet up the luff respectively). They are like a #1.5 and a #
3 reef.
2 and 3. Roller furling Staysail/Storm jib and storm trysail - very heavy duty - bulletproof -
the storm jib is set on a roller furling inner forestay and
the trysail sets on a separate track beside the main luff track.
4. 100% yankee (high clew) - 9.3 oz, foam luff, roller reefable, high
clew is for visibility and to keep the foot out of the waves.
5. Asymmetric spinnaker - full size (180%) - tri-radial – no pole. I
happened to have a .75 oz from my old boat so I am using that but I would
recommend 1.5 oz - with a "snuffer" or "Chutescoop"
6. A flat-cut tri-radial "Code 0" or as Doyle calls them "UPS". I
have this sail and have tried it out a few times and it is incredible. This is the sail that
replaces my old 135% genoa. - it is 2.2 oz, and is roller FURLable (not REEFable,
FURLable only) and be set free standing on its own luff rope using the spinnaker
halyard. It will be taken down when not in use. These new Code 0 sails can
nearly go upwind (somewhere around 45-50 degrees of apparent wind angle in light
air) and
work well up to about 120 degrees apparent wind angle. They can handle about 8
to 9 knots apparent wind at 45 degrees apparent wind
angle and about 18 to 21 knots apparent at 120 degrees apparent wind. I think
these Code 0 sails will remarkably improve the performance of
most cruising boats.
Here is my logic on the headsails (It only applies to long range cruising, not
day sailing or coastal cruising. This assumes you are trying to get somewhere
and not just playing around): The P-40 is fairly easily overpowered with a
large headsail. When I originally bought "Passion" I used my 135% headsail but
it spent a lot of time partially reefed (which is bad for the sail). I switched
down to the old 100% jib that came with the boat (now replaced with a new 100%
high clewed yankee) and found that the P-40 sailed nearly as fast as with the
135% in most conditions. Whenever the wind got over 8 or 9 knots of apparent
wind, the 100% was close to the 135%. Under that velocity or when the wind
started to move way aft were the only times the 135% was appreciably faster.
Even the 135% becomes pretty ineffective when the wind went aft. This meant
that the REEFable 100% jib filled nearly all my needs; for wind strengths up to
about 35-40 knots apparent where the storm jib comes in, and down to about 9
knots apparent where I needed a lighter and larger headsail. If you believe as I
do that normally a long distance cruiser will not spend time beating dead to
windward in light air but instead will turn on the motor, then the 135% is only
very valuable when off the wind in light air. This is the Code 0's forte. The
Code 0 also can sail very close to the wind in light air, thereby giving you
power and speed in light air. This means you can set a 100% yankee and leave it
on the furling system all the time and when you need light air or off the wind
performance, the Code 0 fills in.
Like anything, there are compromises. The Code 0 requires more work because you
have to set it but in my mind, this is offset by the reduced wear-and-tear on
the yankee which does not need to be reefed as much or as often. Regardless of
what you have been told, partially rolling a headsail damages the sail. Roller
reefing a headsail puts loads on places in the sail where there is no
reinforcing and that is not good.
So that's my "perfect" cruising sail inventory and rig.
Chip
