simon wrote:The original thread was to find out what benefits I (being on the larger side, 17.5 stone) would gain by using the jib, im looking for more speed, not worrying about the cost as the jib sits in my box doing nothing.
Simon 1970
Simon - The boat will only go so fast, but the jib should offer better acceleration and you will notice a distinctly different feel upwind with the jib driving the bows through waves rather than bouncing over them. You'll hold more power in general out on the wire, but you're going to need a really good wind.
On a really windy reach when most folk are pitchpoling you may find with your handsome figure perched on the rear beam you can hold more power and therefore boat speed, but when it does go wrong I'd like to be there to see the splash!
As mentioned, you'll be sailing upwind more freely and it's a different art to keep boat speed and compromise pointing. Downwind you need to keep the gybes up (just as you do in the bar!) to keep the jib telltales flying so it's no longer just a dead run.
Overall it's great fun and in my opinion I prefer to sail the boat with the jib and by the way the Sport Nat's is a great event and somewhat different to the unarig Nat's. It is however more hassle and being lazy I tend only to bother for the Sport Nat's. Another reason for my laziness is that very few people can really make the two sail format pay on handicap against a well sailed unarig boat. I'm fairly sure that if I raced myself in the two formats I'd be quicker unarig. The longer the reaches the more the chance of success.
So - I'd say give it a go but not against unarig 15's and get along to the Sport Nat's where you'll see us all falling off our trapezes!!
The furler can be very useful to launch/land and also stops the mast getting bashed to bits and scarred in the process. You're bettor off with a lighter jib sheet and flying leads/blocks. Be sure to have a single piece forestay for unarig sailing and you'll need the top strop and joint gubbins with furler for the jib - I highly recommend you do this bit!!!