Should I move my genoa car when I furl the sail?
I have a 135% genoa on a roller furler. When the wind picks up, I roll away a few turns to reef it, but the sail shape goes terrible and the top flutters. Someone told me I need to move my genoa car. Should I adjust the car every time I furl the sail?
Answer
Yes, you must move your genoa car forward every time you partially furl your headsail. When you roll the sail, the clew moves forward and higher up the forestay, changing the jib sheet angle and ruining your sail shape if the car stays put.
Why the sheet angle changes
Sailmakers cut headsails to distribute sheet tension evenly between the foot and the leech. On a fully unfurled 135% genoa, the sheet bisects the angle at the clew. When the wind builds to 20 knots and you take four rolls in the furler, the clew moves forward along the deck and rises higher off the water.
Leave your genoa car in its original aft position and the sheet angle becomes too shallow. The winch pulls horizontally along the foot. The foot becomes board-tight while the leech goes slack. The top half of the sail twists open and flogs in the breeze. This destroys your pointing ability upwind. The constant flogging degrades the sailcloth, snaps the leech line and tears the UV strip.
Finding the correct car position
Finding the right spot for the car after reefing requires basic geometry and observation. Follow these steps:
- Follow the clew: Move the car forward on the track by the exact distance the clew moved forward. If you roll away 1.5 metres of the foot, move the car forward 1.5 metres.
- Check the bisection: Stand near the shrouds and look at the sheet. Imagine a line continuing from the sheet through the clew and into the sail. This line should point toward the middle of the luff.
- Watch the telltales: Head up slowly into the wind. The windward telltales on the luff should flutter and lift simultaneously. If the top telltale lifts first, the leech lacks tension and you must move the car forward. If the bottom telltale lifts first, the foot lacks tension and you must move the car aft.
Adjusting pin-stop tracks
Sailors often fail to adjust their cars because moving traditional pin-stop tracks in a blow proves difficult. Standard Lewmar or Schaefer cars require you to pull a spring-loaded plunger while the sheet holds immense load. Never force a pin-stop car forward while the sheet remains tensioned. You risk trapping your fingers or watching the car slam to the end of the track.