On Sun, 26 Nov 2006 09:16:07 -0500, in message

DSK wrote:

Ryk wrote:
Since the numbers are calculated as LP/J*100, it also depends a lot on
the rig design, ranging from small foretriangle fractional rigs to
older masthead boats with a huge J dimension and a short boom. A 135
is a small sail on the former and a great big sail on the latter.

Good point. The Yankee 30 is a masthead, with large but not
extreme J dimension. I'd lean toward a larger genoa for
normal sailing and a staysail for the heavy days.


My
boat fits into the latter category and I would probably choose about
110 for cruising comfort and ease of tacking, then hoist a spinnaker
off the wind if it isn't blowing.

Go see your sailmaker for advice based on local conditions, type of
boat, and the kind of sailing you want to do. It's usually free...


A good sail inventory is a basic necessity, and I don't mean
large numbers of blown-out racing sails. It's amazing to me
how many people are cruising with crap sails. But then,
diesel fuel is still relatively cheap....

Depends on the local racing fleet... Non-competitive racing sails may
still have years of performance cruising capacity left in them. Still,
I agree that cruising with bad sails is not fun for me.

A cruising spinnaker, a 120 or 135 (depending on where & how
most sailing is to be done, I might even go to a 145 but
then I like to go fast) on a roller, and a staysail, would
be a good set-up.

I carry a good inventory, but sail changes tend not to happen a lot
when cruising, and then not until far after they should. Unrolling a
big genoa and getting it down on the deck can be nasty work if left
too late while the wind is rising. Most cruisers around here seem to
hoist sail at the start of the season and leave it on the furler until
the fall.

It's great to fly my mylar 150 until the wind gets up over 7 knots,
but I would never keep it on the furler. If I wanted a general purpose
cruising sail I would go smaller than my standard 135 that I use club
racing.

Again, it's hard to generalize over different rigs and venues

Ryk