Cadences - Finding the "perfect" sail-Set for sailing in the trade winds?

Sailing in the trade winds - all I knew before, this should be a dreamful and simple experience: Leaving the harbour, putting up two genoas/headsails, one to port and one to starboard. Attach the tiller in the middle of the boat (or: switch on the auto-pilot, tomorrow more about this!) and: relax! Two or three weeks later, after reaching the other side of the atlantic, just get the sails down again. Smile and be happy!

For us, this seems to be a bit different. We are still trying to figure out the "best" configuration. A compromise, between relaxing and "active sailing".

You want to know a little bit more? First of all, "Cadences" doesn't have a "double forestay" and only one genoa and one spinnaker pole. But we have a cutter rigg, so a second (smaller) headsail for heavier winds. This is a so-called "trinquette" (french version of a staysail). We have a second spinnaker pole, too. So we have tried this configuration on the first leg to Mindelo. Nice sailing, calm, very little rolling and pitching in the waves. But now, with winds only from 12-15 knots, far too slow.

So back to a more "normal" sail configuration: putting up the main sail, together with the genoa. "Wing-On-Wing". Two saails with 45sqm each - nice! But not perfect at all: If you are sailing dead before the wind, the sails should be trimmed 90° to the wind. Very difficult if you have spreaders pointing back. So we were always very close to an accidental gybe, and stearing was not relaxed at all! Not to talk about autopilot ... (yes, we have rigged a safety line to prevent a gybe, but already broke two of them). The "moderate" swell makes it even more difficult ...

ASo whats about spinnaker and gennaker? Very good in daytime, but at night we prefer to keep these sails down to prevent damage. And not suitable for winds more thn 20 knots (you remember our blog-post from yesterday? Good fun, very good speed, but we ripped the gennaker). And sailing with spinnaker and gennaker is NOT relaxing at all: one crew very concentrated on the helm, one for adjusting the sheets. Getting up and down, changing sail configuration - not the relaxed version we were expecting ... maybe a little bit later, when everybody gets a little bit "bored" and wants a little bit more "action".

Yesterday, we found another solution, that works (at the moment) quite well: we have put up our "Code-0". Yes, this sail is normally not configured for reaching courses. But with a course app. 20-30 closer to the wind: perfect! We get very good speed, the stearing is easy, we can change the configuration very fast. Tomorrow, we will try to combine the Code-= with mainsail or genoa. So still a little bit to do!I am pretty sure: we will find "our" ideal configuration of sail set until we reach St. Lucia!


Stay tuned!

Cadences, 2019-11-22, 20:23:17 UTC