Howdy all,

Some of you may remember my project to install a solent stay, tacked just aft of the existing forestay on our ketch. Project completed! Actually, the project was completed some time ago, but life circumstances and all, just got out to try it out yesterday. The solent works very well, enabling tight sheeting angles and significantly higher tacking angles than the regular 130% jenny. Our solent sail is 250 sq ft, reefable to 150 sq ft. The leach of the sail falls about a foot (or more) forward of the spreaders, so this sail can be sheeted pretty flat, but still maintaining nice shape. I move my traveler cars pretty far forward on the track with this sail to achieve optimum sail shape. Bottom line in yesterdays conditions: hard on the wind, with 14-15 knots apparent wind, was able to achieve 32-33 degrees apparent tacking angles with the sail still powered up with good flow. With this light wind, and no mizzen set, we were making 4.0-4.2 knots steadily. I’m very pleased with this set up, and it’s going to be nice next year crossing the Gulf and in the trades with the wind forward of the beam. More details on the engineering of this set up are in my previous posts on this same subject. I’ve attached a couple of photos…

David Tye
Blue Moon, #189