Different sail top instead of "yard".

  • 16 Jun 2020 00:31
    Reply # 9039422 on 9033736
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    David D.: One more comment on the "Roamer rig", from the owners of one.

    This is a boat called Nicos which is a Newbridge Virgo Voyager. She's a few months away in the queue for the website's Featured Boat. I don't think Inga and Andy will mind if we have a little preview, since it answers David's question nicely.

    Here is a photo of the sail, and an extract from the article Inga and Andy sent:


    "...possibly some may not call this a pure junk rig,  but its unusual, quirky and we love the way it sails, its easy to reef down, and seems to handle quite a lot of wind,and points up wind nicely, I would say, Nicos is quite predictable to sail, and easy to tack, and seems to fly down wind with the sail sheets out, and can be sailed hard over in good wind  or at a sedate pace... we are still learning about her every time out and having not sailed any other junk rig boat, we  have nothing to compare to, but I can see why people who have this kind of rig love them, its a joy to sail..."


    Last modified: 16 Jun 2020 00:45 | Anonymous member (Administrator)
  • 15 Jun 2020 02:43
    Reply # 9037224 on 9033736
    Deleted user

    Thanks for the comments all.  I was just surprised when I focused and saw this.

  • 15 Jun 2020 01:06
    Reply # 9037087 on 9033736

    One virtue of having a yard is the fact that the weight of it helps the sail come down.  Without it you may need downhauls to reef or furl the sail.  Even if the battens were heavy enough to bring the sail down, the top panel would need a downhaul, or you would have to go on deck to secure it.  You would also need a downhaul to keep tension on the luff of that top panel when deeply reefed.  There are times when I curse my yard, mostly when the wind is light, there is a sloppy swell, and the yard slams around, and occasionally when I feel lazy, and hoisting it makes me puff, but I accept that as the price to pay for all the wonderful virtues of the rig.

    Last modified: 15 Jun 2020 01:07 | Anonymous member
  • 14 Jun 2020 10:04
    Reply # 9035931 on 9033736
    Anonymous member (Administrator)

    How pointy is a pointy sail, and how bad is it?

    Somehow ‘pointy’ has become synonym with draggy in this JRA world. I can understand that a Bermuda-sail with little roach does not produce much drive near the top, but even a pointy junkrig, like that of Ingeborg, is much less pointy than the original rig.
    The yard-less JR that David Dawes shows us, needs not be bad, except that both sails appear to be flat. My main argument against that yardless version is that without a yard, two panels are reefed away from start. That is actually my strongest argument for keeping Hasler and McLeod’s moderately high-peaked sails; one gets more area and longer luff for a given mast length.

    I have been out on day-trips the last two days. The wind has varied between very light to a good breeze. Yesterday, as the day before, we sneaked out under full sail, and returned a few hours later, boiling along with two reefs in the sail. I surely am glad for every square meter, and also for dividing the area into seven panels. Just look at Roger Taylor’s Mingming II. He is anything but a fair-weather sailor, but he is still happy with the big, 'pointy' JR (with a very stout mast) for his voyages to the north.

    I have recently fitted extra telltales at the leech of the two upper panels. These indicate a nice, attached airflow when sailing on the wind, and it is not difficult to keep those telltales flying (..if I over-sheet the sail, they all fall behind the sail..).

    Finally, read in NL 29 about the flat-topped Hi-Power rig and what happened when they added a 3-panel fanned top to it.

    Arne

     

    Last modified: 14 Jun 2020 17:54 | Anonymous member (Administrator)
  • 14 Jun 2020 08:18
    Reply # 9035872 on 9033736

    Bob Burns, Roamer, used sails like this for his circumnvigation (JRA NL no. 13 and 15).

    Aerodynamically, a 'pointy-top' is not good, it results in increased drag. We're better off with a low-angled yard in that respect.

    There's a loss of area in the top of the sail, unless the mast is longer.

    Such a triangular top panel needs to be constructed and set like a headsail set flying, with luff tension applied (that's OK at full sail, not so easy with just the top panel set in a gale).

    Altogether, not much to recommend it, that I can see.  

  • 12 Jun 2020 21:48
    Message # 9033736
    Deleted user

    I was looking at some pics of an Australian Badger and noticed this different junk head arrangement.  

    Obvious advantage is no concentrated load on the center of the yard.

    Disadvantage is flogging of the upper sail leading edge maybe?

    I am sure this has been discussed before.

    Thoughts or can you direct me to an original thread on this?

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