SVN solovelanet

SVN solovelanet Global n1

SVN solovelanet: rivista digitale dedicata al mondo della vela. Articoli di navigazione, di nautica e barche a vela

Issue link: http://svn.uberflip.com/i/1201062

Contents of this Issue

Navigation

Page 55 of 93

56 SVN Solovelanet Global If we need to equip a gennaker or a code 0 without a bowsprit, the pulpit will always be a hindrance that prevents the sail from working at its best. It will therefore be necessary to hook the tack higher, but this will cause a decrease in efficiency. With a bowsprit everything improves, especially if we have a furling sail such as a code 0. In this case, neither the pulpit nor the stay will interfere with the correct furling of the sail. A bowsprit allows us to equip the furling sail while we are in the harbour, and leave it hoisted and ready to be unfurled. If we intend to keep it hoisted for a long time let's always remem- ber to provide it with UV protection, or to protect it with a sock. Another thing to be taken into account is the im- provement in manoeuvrability. The more forward we move the tack point of the reaching sail (gen- naker, code 0, etc), the more space will be freed between the sail and the stay. Even though this may not seem so important, it will allow us to perform "inward" gybing more easily, especially with a weak wind. In practice, it means moving the sail between its luff and the stay instead of turning it outwards towards the bow. With weak wind, the pressure is generally not strong enough to allow the clew to "fly" beyond the bow, and for this reason Jibs might result in tangles which are hard to unravel. At present, design is evolving more and more towards dolphin strikers, rather than simple bowsprits. One reason for this is so that we can insert the anchor into the structure, in order to pre- vent it from hitting the hull while we are setting sail, which happens frequently on boats with "straight" bows. In some cases, it is the bow hardware that is used as a bowsprit to equip reaching sails. Howe- ver, be careful not to get carried away and use the bow hardware for this purpose. The anchor and its chain work mainly with a downward pull, whereas if we equip a gennaker the stress will be upwards. It is better to make sure that the structure of the bow hardware is suitable for the stress we want to apply. The latest trend is to add a "guy" connected to the stempost under the bow roller, so as to be able to equip any reaching sail without problems. "Is the bowsprit on cruise boats just a fashionable trend or the response to a real need?" We asked three sailmakers. In this photograph: a removable bowsprit, a fast system for equipping a bowsprit on a boat that is not fitted with one

Articles in this issue

Links on this page

Archives of this issue

view archives of SVN solovelanet - SVN solovelanet Global n1