Another method is to use a single sheet of the Johanna style, as described in the updated Junk Rig for Beginners. This has good anti-twist. If you combine it with the topping lift type of lazyjacks, the lee topping lift will support the yard when you are down on three panels, and the twist will be just right. I sailed my tippy Frøken Sørensen many times to windward with only three panels set, and it worked just fine.

Arne

PS:
Remember, when sailing close-hauled in strong winds, one may ease the sheet a little and still point well, since the apparent wind and true wind direction are closer to each others.

(photo section 8-21)

Anonymous wrote:

Hi Jes, Perhaps you have met the limit of what a 21ft trailer sailer is capable of doing in open water.  You've already hit upon the solution to poor heavily reefed windward performance - do what you can to eliminate twist - perhaps rig reefing pendants to bring the battens together at the leech. I'd lead the tails aft instead of needing to leave the cockpit to tie them.

My own experience in the split junk rigged Coromandel Emmelène showed that if I wanted to make ground to windward in rough water, the thing to do was to bear away. A close reach, a fetch, will lift you slowly to windward, making less leeway and throwing less spray aft.

That's a good point, 'A man's got to know his limitations' as the man said!!

2) go to a 2 part sheeting system

-  is the answer, for sure. Just set it up so that both tails can be pulled together, in light breezes. The Easymatic lower block 

https://seamarknunn.com/products/easy-marine-easymatic-1-lower-block-4-1-2-1-with-cross-block-double-servo-cleat-93101?_pos=4&_psq=easymatic+1&_psid=080203f4b&_ss=e

does this very well, but has got ridiculously expensive now, so some alternative has to be found.

SLACKTIDE was able to beat in 45kt with unlimited fetch, making about 1/2 knot good, deep reefed over neutral current.

As you can see from the icon, she's a box barge with leeboardlike off-centerboards (work on both lee and windward sides). Our JR is dumbed down to match (only running sheets and haulyards). The only concession to efficiency is that we remove purchase from the reefed bundle in heavy winds, reducing twist.

If JR can drive us into the wind, it can drive anyone!  8)

Dave Z

Note: It must be said that the upper panel accentuates the CrabClaw shape, and we deep-cut the leech to help bring the CE inboard. I believe both these features help.

Stavanger, Sunday

I have found that the 3-panel top section  of my sails are quite good for upwind work.  In my 3 ton Johanna (1.4-ton keel), it takes a F7 before I need to drop this much sail ( 3 panels= 21sqm). Tacking angle is wider than when sailing 7-up in a breeze, but we definitely go to windward. With my new lazyjacks setup the yard and upper battens are well supported by the lee topping lift so the twist is moderate. The biggest brake when sailing to windward in Johanna is the 25cm thick mast. Its “sail area” of 1.6sqm can be felt when going to windward in strong winds. I have never gybed in these winds, but tacked around instead.

My 740kg Frøken Sørensen is much more tippy so when we, on her third trip, went out in F5-F6, with strong gusts on top of it, we also ended up on only 3 panels (about 9sqm) . This worked well, and we made a reasonable progress to windward. However, when we dropped to just two panels, just to see, we felt underpowered. Here you can see how the top section rigs.  The use of a little camber in the top panels helps in keeping the leech taut and avoid fluttering.

Mind you, the strong-wind sails I refer to were in sheltered waters. Close-hauled sailing offshore is a very different game. There I have found that the seastate rather than the wind is the limiting factor. This is why I like the full-keel boats (Contessa 26, Vertue) better for this work: They let one sail slowly to windward without losing too much ground in making leeway. A fin keel is more likely to stall each time the boat is being stopped.

Conclusion: The JR is definitely a good upwind rig in strong winds. In these conditions I really congratulate myself for having installed it. 

Cheers, Arne