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Performance

Printed From: myHanse.com
Category: Hints & Tips
Forum Name: 300 / 301
Forum Description: 300 & 301 Hints and Tips
URL: https://www.myhanse.com/forum_posts.asp?TID=15226
Printed Date: 26 March 2026 at 23:37
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 12.06 - https://www.webwizforums.com


Topic: Performance
Posted By: PabloPicasso
Subject: Performance
Date Posted: 01 July 2025 at 11:15
My 301 has a furling genoa, would a self tacking jib be better for upwind performance when racing? 



Replies:
Posted By: martijnvdh
Date Posted: 01 July 2025 at 13:32
That would depend what you are comparing it to. 
Selftacker vs partially furled genoa - the selftacker would win every time.
Full genoa vs selftacker - the genoa will win as long as you are not overpowered. It also gives you the advantage of more sail area on downwind runs.

My feeling is that if overpowered, a full genoa combined with a reefed main will give better performance than a full main + selftacker.

Something I take into account during racing is the level of crew experience/competence. If you expect to lose a lot of time during tacking due to unpracticed crew, go for the selftacker if you have the luxury of choice.


Posted By: Mergus
Date Posted: 01 July 2025 at 15:39
I would also agree with the above. I have myself both 1) full genoa and 2) self-tacking JIB. 99% I am using the self tacking JIB, but the genoa only when sailing long passages with sidewind. Even in high winds I have never used the jib furled as it loses the shape quite easily (and same happens to the genoa).

But purely performance wise, in low winds naturally the genoa is better, but if there is any need to reef/reduce sail area the self-tacking jib will always outperform a furled genoa


Posted By: martijnvdh
Date Posted: 01 July 2025 at 15:44
An additional thought to take into account...what difference will it make in your rating / handicap? Depends on what system the committee of your intended race is using. I think that, in general, the biggest headsail determines the rating. Meaning that you will likely not be penalized for having a second, smaller, headsail.
For me it was the other way around, I only had a selftacker and added a genoa causing a 1 point penalty.


Posted By: sailingfree
Date Posted: 19 July 2025 at 20:43
Just want to chime in here. I did race with a self tacker, it had some advantages, namely better rating against Impala, MG27s and similar, so in 15kts plus we did rather well, and self tacking meant we could short tack much more confidently down some of the narrower channels in Poole Harbour. Much less drama and shouting and the crew just needed to slide across the deck.

One thing I did do was to use two ordinary sheets as well as the self tacker so that off the wind there was a much better sail shape, the self tacker can really mess up the shape offwind. The downside is more string in the cockpit though.

It also allowed me to three sail reach - see picture, we were doing nearly 9kts - which usually worked well, until we were overpowered. However, with lighter winds we were at a disadvantage, so in the end I had an overlapping genoa made which changed the rating for the worse, but overall we did just as well, and weren't frsutrated when the wind died down. We still sometimes used the self tacker when the winds were 20kts+ to make our life easier.



Now I've stopped racing, I've gone back to the self tacker which is a lot less work when I'm on my own. 


Posted By: PabloPicasso
Date Posted: 19 July 2025 at 20:48
All very interesting. I am considering my sail replacement options. 

Is that an symmetric or asymmetric spinnaker?
What size is it? 


Posted By: sailingfree
Date Posted: 20 July 2025 at 20:53
Thats a standard symmetric spinnaker. When it was measured for rating it was: 

Leech & Luff: 9.79m
Half width: 5.74m
Foot width: 5.64

This gives an area of around 50m2.

Pete





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