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Sonia Johal - 1 Nov 2022

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Dick - 31 Oct 2022

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Sonia Johal - 31 Oct 2022

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Gary.OGrady - 31 Oct 2022

I’m about to cross the Atlantic too for the first time and have read probably too much on this topic. There are as many opinions as there are sail set ups so it seems to me that the best set up is what suits the crew and boat. Having never done it before I’ll have an array of set ups to try. Twin headsails, Parasailor, poled out genoa and main etc. I think I have all the bases covered except asymmetric and spinnaker so I’ll find out what is best for me. I think there is no correct answer to this other than what’s best for you. If you collect a lot of wind you’ll get there. Not too much though!!

Thanks Gary,

I completely agree with having a choice, but I do feel a poled out twin sail will be safer for me, as I prefer to use my asymmetric for coastal sailing without any ocean swell.

Fair winds for your crossing and I look forward to reading your OCC blog.

Best wishes,


Sonia
SY Salacia

Hi Sonia,
You might still decide that an asym offshore in swell is more than you want to handle, but I suspect you will be interested in my solutions to this challenge. I wrote it up: "An Offshore Asym: Use and Design" and it can be found in the Forum. I have single-handedly used our asym offshore with little worry after incorporating the above suggestions. And, sometimes, an asym is the only way to keep moving under sail on an ocean passage.
Come back with thoughts/questions etc.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Thanks Dick,

I suspect your article may give me the confidence to also use my asymmetric in light winds with the twin sail furled up.

Grateful for your kind feedback,

Regards,

Sonia
SY Salacia

At least one commercial loft has created a special double headsail on a single luff-wire {I think I saw it in Yachting Monthly], using lighter than typical sailcloth. Idea is the two sails lap over each other when on the wind, and then are goose-winged downwind. We used a 'conventional' double yankee with a twizzle/twistle setup across the Pacific.Really stable from +/- 140degrees apparent wind angle. Twizzle fitting was made out of rope, effectively a cruciform with loops for uphaul/downhaul & port/starboard poles. Much less rolly than reacting a pole off the mast as the twizzle fitting moves around within the foretriangle as the boat rolls. Biggest benefit (with a roller furler) is rapid sail shortening; just furl 'em in and the poles move forward. Regardless of whether twin poles or twizzle, biggest issue was setting up two sets of sheets, to the extent that I've toyed with the idea of putting double-blocks on the jib-sheet tracks. Another tip if you go for the twizzle setup is make sure the clew comes within reach of the deck; we have a very high clewed yankee so to get a pole to the clew we used an outhaul but it would be much easier if one just hooked the pole-end into the sheet bowline.

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Dick - 31 Oct 2022

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Sonia Johal - 31 Oct 2022

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Gary.OGrady - 31 Oct 2022

I’m about to cross the Atlantic too for the first time and have read probably too much on this topic. There are as many opinions as there are sail set ups so it seems to me that the best set up is what suits the crew and boat. Having never done it before I’ll have an array of set ups to try. Twin headsails, Parasailor, poled out genoa and main etc. I think I have all the bases covered except asymmetric and spinnaker so I’ll find out what is best for me. I think there is no correct answer to this other than what’s best for you. If you collect a lot of wind you’ll get there. Not too much though!!

Thanks Gary,

I completely agree with having a choice, but I do feel a poled out twin sail will be safer for me, as I prefer to use my asymmetric for coastal sailing without any ocean swell.

Fair winds for your crossing and I look forward to reading your OCC blog.

Best wishes,


Sonia
SY Salacia

Hi Sonia,
You might still decide that an asym offshore in swell is more than you want to handle, but I suspect you will be interested in my solutions to this challenge. I wrote it up: "An Offshore Asym: Use and Design" and it can be found in the Forum. I have single-handedly used our asym offshore with little worry after incorporating the above suggestions. And, sometimes, an asym is the only way to keep moving under sail on an ocean passage.
Come back with thoughts/questions etc.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

Thanks Dick,

I suspect your article may give me the confidence to also use my asymmetric in light winds with the twin sail furled up.

Grateful for your kind feedback,

Regards,

Sonia
SY Salacia

+x

 

Sonia Johal - 31 Oct 2022

+x

 

Gary.OGrady - 31 Oct 2022

I’m about to cross the Atlantic too for the first time and have read probably too much on this topic. There are as many opinions as there are sail set ups so it seems to me that the best set up is what suits the crew and boat. Having never done it before I’ll have an array of set ups to try. Twin headsails, Parasailor, poled out genoa and main etc. I think I have all the bases covered except asymmetric and spinnaker so I’ll find out what is best for me. I think there is no correct answer to this other than what’s best for you. If you collect a lot of wind you’ll get there. Not too much though!!

Thanks Gary,

I completely agree with having a choice, but I do feel a poled out twin sail will be safer for me, as I prefer to use my asymmetric for coastal sailing without any ocean swell.

Fair winds for your crossing and I look forward to reading your OCC blog.

Best wishes,


Sonia
SY Salacia

Hi Sonia,
You might still decide that an asym offshore in swell is more than you want to handle, but I suspect you will be interested in my solutions to this challenge. I wrote it up: "An Offshore Asym: Use and Design" and it can be found in the Forum. I have single-handedly used our asym offshore with little worry after incorporating the above suggestions. And, sometimes, an asym is the only way to keep moving under sail on an ocean passage.
Come back with thoughts/questions etc.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

+x

 

Gary.OGrady - 31 Oct 2022

I’m about to cross the Atlantic too for the first time and have read probably too much on this topic. There are as many opinions as there are sail set ups so it seems to me that the best set up is what suits the crew and boat. Having never done it before I’ll have an array of set ups to try. Twin headsails, Parasailor, poled out genoa and main etc. I think I have all the bases covered except asymmetric and spinnaker so I’ll find out what is best for me. I think there is no correct answer to this other than what’s best for you. If you collect a lot of wind you’ll get there. Not too much though!!

Hi Gary,
I wish you a fabulous trip. Lots of wisdom in what you write.
On the North Atlantic, sail configurations for most boats will not be all that much different than coastal cruising (perhaps more heavy weather stuff): wind from any direction and changeable. That is unless you are doing the Africa to Carib trip where trade winds often prevail. And even there, most boats carry the sails and gear they would for coastal cruising as it is a short period of sailing compared to a cn.
Much of the previous discussion was centered on around-the-world conditions where trade wind sailing definitely prevails and an easy to handle double-headsail rig can work well and may be left up and largely unattended for long periods. This has not been a configuration that has much appeal other than a cn in the trades. And, even then, my observation is that most boats do not have a dedicated trade winds rig.
And, since you flag this being a first Atlantic crossing, please look at my “Key Attitudes in Passage Making” which I wrote initially for the US Naval Academy publication, The Helmsman and has been picked up elsewhere, most recently SAIL magazine. Come back with any thoughts/comments/questions.
It can be found in the forum.
My best, Dick Stevenson, s/v Alchemy

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Gary.OGrady - 31 Oct 2022

I’m about to cross the Atlantic too for the first time and have read probably too much on this topic. There are as many opinions as there are sail set ups so it seems to me that the best set up is what suits the crew and boat. Having never done it before I’ll have an array of set ups to try. Twin headsails, Parasailor, poled out genoa and main etc. I think I have all the bases covered except asymmetric and spinnaker so I’ll find out what is best for me. I think there is no correct answer to this other than what’s best for you. If you collect a lot of wind you’ll get there. Not too much though!!

Thanks Gary,

I completely agree with having a choice, but I do feel a poled out twin sail will be safer for me, as I prefer to use my asymmetric for coastal sailing without any ocean swell.

Fair winds for your crossing and I look forward to reading your OCC blog.

Best wishes,


Sonia
SY Salacia

I’m about to cross the Atlantic too for the first time and have read probably too much on this topic. There are as many opinions as there are sail set ups so it seems to me that the best set up is what suits the crew and boat. Having never done it before I’ll have an array of set ups to try. Twin headsails, Parasailor, poled out genoa and main etc. I think I have all the bases covered except asymmetric and spinnaker so I’ll find out what is best for me. I think there is no correct answer to this other than what’s best for you. If you collect a lot of wind you’ll get there. Not too much though!!

I shall miss Diane 💕

FYI I think Diane has retired but John Grant is always very responsive.
Simon

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Sonia.Johal - 24 Oct 2022

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Simon Currin - 24 Oct 2022

Sonia,
We had high-clewed twin headsails built for us by Owen Sails in Scotland . They are excellent.
Simon

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Sonia.Johal - 22 Oct 2022

Hello Team OCC,

I’m a newbie to the OCC, still an associate and still prepping my boat for her first >1000nm ocean crossing.

My boat is a 2014 Hanse385 sailing sloop with furling jib.

My plan is to follow a downwind trade wind route, while using a “twin head sail” instead of my existing asymmetric spinnaker or standard jib with mainsail.

I have heard of Elstrom’s “Blue water runner” and Northsails’ “Tradewind sail”.

C/ Please would you share your own twin head sail recommendations?

D/ Would a bespoke twin head sail made with used sails be efficient enough?

Great News Simon,

I know Owen Sails well, as they completed my last rigging check and provided all of Salacia’s canvas work. I shall call Diane for a quote tomorrow.

Thanks again 🫡,

Regards,


Sonia
SY Salacia

Thanks BWallace,

I appreciate your suggestion, as I have not heard of the Twizzle rig before… Simon has also shared a link regarding this rig…. I’m on it thanks 😊

Regards,


Sonia
SY Salacia

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Simon Currin - 24 Oct 2022

Sonia,
We had high-clewed twin headsails built for us by Owen Sails in Scotland . They are excellent.
Simon

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Sonia.Johal - 22 Oct 2022

Hello Team OCC,

I’m a newbie to the OCC, still an associate and still prepping my boat for her first >1000nm ocean crossing.

My boat is a 2014 Hanse385 sailing sloop with furling jib.

My plan is to follow a downwind trade wind route, while using a “twin head sail” instead of my existing asymmetric spinnaker or standard jib with mainsail.

I have heard of Elstrom’s “Blue water runner” and Northsails’ “Tradewind sail”.

C/ Please would you share your own twin head sail recommendations?

D/ Would a bespoke twin head sail made with used sails be efficient enough?

Great News Simon,

I know Owen Sails well, as they completed my last rigging check and provided all of Salacia’s canvas work. I shall call Diane for a quote tomorrow.

Thanks again 🫡,

Regards,


Sonia
SY Salacia