# Overlapping genny for a Columbia Sabre?



## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

I met with the sail maker today that will be building our new jib. He recommends a 155 for maximum pointing ability in light air. We are only 32' loa and 6'3 max beam. My concern is that the big overlap will kill the main ! A 155 will be several feet past the widest part of the hull. He believes that it's worth sacrificing the main to get good windward performance. Any thoughts? (I do know that the origonal boats carried up to a 170.)


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

You might be better off asking this question on a Columbia owners group, rather than a general forum. 

That said, do you trust your sailmaker? If so, why are you questioning his recommendation? Has he given you a reason to? Has he any experience with the same type of boat? 

Also, if the original boats of the same make had gennys as big as a 170, why is a 155 such an issue?


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

sailingdog said:


> You might be better off asking this question on a Columbia owners group, rather than a general forum.
> 
> That said, do you trust your sail maker? If so, why are you questioning his recommendation? Has he given you a reason to? Has he any experience with the same type of boat?
> 
> Also, if the original boats of the same make had gennys as big as a 170, why is a 155 such an issue?


 How do you read my post above as beeing "such an issue"? I merely asked for peoples technical opinion about sheeting well aft of the luff of the main. 
Do you put blind faith in your sailmaker?Thats not a very smart thing to do, many sailmakers have different opinions about sail construction,materials, overlap and so on. I put faith in a well known sailmaker for the #1 and what I got was a piece of crap that's going in the trash.
I highly doubt that there's a Columbia owners group discussing a boat of which only 140 were built.
I think the question is more general than that, Let me explain it to you. When you sheet the jib well aft of the main, on a narrow hull, you will back wind most of the main going to windward unless you stall the main by oversheeting, obviously not good. So on a Sabre which has a 6'3" beam does it make sense to try and maximize the head sail for windward work or drop down to a 120-130 and maintain the draft in the main, roughly 50% of the way aft so that both sails work together. 
I know that Jeff is familiar with this boat hopefully he can give me some constructive input.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

noscreenname said:


> How do you read my post above as beeing "such an issue"? I merely asked for peoples technical opinion about sheeting well aft of the luff of the main.
> Do you put blind faith in your sailmaker?Thats not a very smart thing to do, many sailmakers have different opinions about sail construction,materials, overlap and so on. I put faith in a well known sailmaker for the #1 and what I got was a piece of crap that's going in the trash.
> I highly doubt that there's a Columbia owners group discussing a boat of which only 140 were built.
> I think the question is more general than that, Let me explain it to you. When you sheet the jib well aft of the main, on a narrow hull, you will back wind most of the main going to windward unless you stall the main by oversheeting, obviously not good. So on a Sabre which has a 6'3" beam does it make sense to try and maximize the head sail for windward work or drop down to a 120-130 and maintain the draft in the main, roughly 50% of the way aft so that both sails work together.
> I know that Jeff is familiar with this boat hopefully he can give me some constructive input.


I understand about sheeting well aft of the main's luff. I have a 150% genny on my boat. It has many of the same issues with narrow beam, at least with respect to sheeting the genny.

I don't put blind faith in anyone... but if I delegate something to some one whose opinion I value and trust, then I generally don't worry about it too much. I don't know your sailmaker, or what your relationship is with him. But it does sound like part of your issues have to do with having trusted your first sailmaker, and been burned in the process.

In the age of internet, I've seen discussion groups and mailing lists for even the most obscure things... so it isn't all that improbable that there is one for a boat, of which only 140 were built. Beautiful boat BTW, with long graceful overhangs fore and aft.

As for backwinding the main with an overlapping genny, take a look at these posts:

http://discoverysailing.org/faqsj24one.html

https://www.setsail.com/c_central/sail_advice/sail_advice.html


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