I do it by feel.... if the boat is heeling alot, and the helm is heavy, it's time to reduce sail area. When I can't keep the weather helm under control during gusts, it's too late.
--->>> **** Weather helm is your best guide. If she's heeling so much you're having to use muscle to steer, it's time to reduce sail area. Reduce your headsail first on the C27. Then the mainsail. The C27 is a masthead rig. She's got a big foretriangle. She sails alot on her headsail (and on the aft half of the mainsail). On a masthead rig, you typically reduce foresail area before mainsail area. Also, it depends on how much rail meat you've got. In our case, we don't like to sit on the rail. We sail the boat fairly flat using sail controls and sail trim. We don't like to use muscle when sailing. Bijou is a tall rig, and our foretriangle is bigger than a regular rig. We sail on windy San Francisco Bay in 12 - 35+ knots most of the year We run a 95% jib (equiv to a 110% regular rig) most of the season, because winds range between 12 kt in the morning to 35 knots in the afternoon every day. We put reefs in and shake them out around here every summer day, all day long. High winds are rarely steady, they're usually pretty gusty. so we constantly trim our sails and "shift gears" to keep the boat flat. Before reefing, we take advantage of all the ways to depower the sails. For the mainsail: the backstay and outhaul to flatten the mainsail. Jibstay tight to keep the draft of the jib shallow. If it's gusty or we're overpowered, we put a lot of twist in both sails. We play the traveller in the gusts. Having said all that, we do reef often. Upwind, we probably put in the 1st reef at around 15-18 knots true wind (approx 20+ kts apparent wind) with a 95% jib. On a reach, we're probably don't need a reef until true wind reaches 20 kts or so. When it's blowing 25 kts with gust to 35-40 kts, we're double reefed (down to about 50 of mainsail area) with the 95% jib furled to 65% (storm jib sized), we often need to put a lot of twist in both sails . We run a 135% (equiv to a 150% on a regular mast) during our "not windy" months. If the winds pick up, we roller-furl that around 95% before we start reefing the main. Anyhow, that's how we do it. Racers may have a different perspective. We're too lazy to race often, but we ARE fast. Fair winds, Judy B 1977 C27 Tall Rig #3459 ________________________________ From: "[email protected]" <[email protected]> To: [email protected] Sent: Tue, April 6, 2010 11:25:41 AM Subject: Re: [IC27A] When to Reef the main Doug, I added a 2 line reefing system to my main and have had to use it once or twice. Everything is controlled from the cockpit. There are several diagrams of the single and double line sail reefing systems out the on the Internet. Check out this link http://www.myboatsg ear.com/newslett er/2008115. asp -----Original Message----- From: Doug <dj2...@yahoo. com> To: ic...@yahoogroups. com Sent: Tue, Apr 6, 2010 2:04 pm Subject: [IC27A] When to Reef the main At work today but the wind is 10- 20 knts today and I was thinking that I should set up the mainsail reefing for when I need it. There is only one reef point in my main. I don't know how the previous owner attached the tack as there is no reef hook on the goose neck. There is a block, line and cleat on the boom for the clew end. So for those that sail the C27 when do you feel the need to reef the main? In what wind conditions, like 12, 15, 20 knots? Doug
