I may be a bit lazy, as I’m a cruiser and not a racer; or maybe it’s just the way the reef points are set up on my main. But I don’t even reeve the first main any more. If things pick up, I go straight to the second reef. Less fiddling, and I’ve never missed the sail area between the first and second reef. The headsail tends to be the primary driver on our boats, anyway.
— Fred Fred Street -- Minneapolis S/V Oceanis (1979 C&C Landfall 38) -- Bayfield, WI > On Jun 18, 2019, at 1:28 PM, Marek Dziedzic via CnC-List > <cnc-list@cnc-list.com> wrote: > > Until it is really blowing, I always prefer to have both (preferably small) > sails up. This provides for better balance and gives me more options for > adjusting the sails. This is particularly helpful when going upwind, because > the two sails work together. If I were in your place, I would try to take the > second reef on the main and let some of the jib out. The furled jib has an > advantage that you can reduce it or unfurl a bit, as the situation warrants. > > If reefing the main was not the option (as you mentioned), I would do what > Andrew suggested – I would drop the main and use the jib alone. Different > boats behave differently in that situation (you may have problems tacking and > you may have quite a bit of a lee helm), but again, your furled sail can be > easily adjusted up or down, as the situation changes. > > To be completely honest, I would have dropped to the second reef at 20 kt. > and adjust the jib (more initially, less eventually). I always subscribe to > the idea to “do what is necessary, before it is necessary”. Additionally, at > high wind, I prefer a smaller main – or you get way too much weather helm. > > Marek > 1994 C270 Legato > Ottawa, ON
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