Heavy Weather Jib

When things start to blow it all depends on the heavy weather jib. After getting some advice from Rory McDougal on sail sizing, I got this from Rolly Tasker. It is their smallest storm jib at 28 square feet. When I first hoisted it I laughed because it looked so small, but when the wind is blowing over 20 knots it looks just fine. I have found that I can have fun tearing around the Bay in pretty much any conditions with the storm jib and first or second reef in 25 knots+. I only have one reef in the working jib and it is still 55-60 square feet reefed, so a second reef in the working jib would also have been an alternative to the smaller storm sail.

28 square feet!

Downwind reaching this sail works great. On a sail last week in SFs windy "slot" between the GG bridge and Berkeley, it was gusting to 30 knots and Little Cat was making 14 knots in places reaching with just the storm jib and a reef in the main. Coming home upwind into the wind and chop was a different story though - we could only make about a knot VMG into a 3 knot tide and wind gusting to 20 knots with the storm jib and two reefs in the main.


The prescription for Little Cat upwind in order of wind strength seems to be:
- up to 15 knots true wind speed is ideal for full working sail, especially in flattish water.
- about 18 knots true reef the jib and flatten the full mainsail with cunningham and sheet
- about 20 knots reef the jib and first reef main (both sails flat)
- over 20 knots use the storm jib and first mainsail reef (no chop) or second reef in the main with chop
- alternately no jib, a double reef in the mainsail, and engine at half throttle has got me home with the wind on the nose gusting over 40 knots in the Bay


I have sailed with full jib and main reaching downwind with the wind gusting over 30 knots - but it is hair raising and I have come close to capsizing. With the caveat that I'm always holding the sheet ready to let go, the prescription for me for safe sailing (reaching) downwind is:

- first reef jib and first reef main (good for around 20 knots true wind)
- storm sail and first or second reef main (25-30 knots true wind)
- storm sail alone (I don't have a third reef in the main, and have not had to try this yet).

One of the things that I have learned sailing in the sometimes gnarly conditions in the SF Bay and beyond is that my little Wharram likes a small jib (and bigger mainsail) going upwind, and a bigger jib relative to the mainsail going downwind. Before I figured this out, in strong downwind conditions I would be battling home in the shipping channel with a reefed main and no jib causing too much weather helm, and a strong tendency to round up (in steep waves and 20+ knots). Now I use the jib/storm jib with a reefed main, and it will surf home on autopilot with a light helm - awesome!