New genoa and jib inhauler system

The latest upgrade is a new jib and genoa inhauler system to match the new headsail inventory.

How it works

A jib inhauler allows a smaller sheeting angle, it reduces the slot between jib and main and makes it possible for the mainsail to be sheeted further in.

The idea is to “haul in” the jib sheet towards the centerline. The pull strength must be perpendicular to the sheet.

Every boat is different, however inhaulers usually have a sweet spot in the light/medium stuff and flat water. Perfect conditions. Be greedy and you’ll lose out. You can’t outperform your keel, but it is very easy to choke airflow.

Jib

Our new jib is cut for winds above 14kn. In theory, above the typical inhauler sweet spot.

Veloce, however, lacks jib tracks on the cabin top. Sheeting as far out as the genoa tracks is less than optimal. While a jib track may sound like the obvious response, its position would result just above side portlight. Likely, vertical loads would crack the portlight due to deformation. A jib inhauler provides a way to move inward the jib sheet lead, leaving the vertical loads on the genoa track.

Genoa

What? Aren’t inhaulers supposed to be reserved for non-overlapping headsails? Yes, they usually are. There is a but, though.

The Sun Fast 32i has roomy interiors which makes for great pre-pandemic social life at harbour. However, her roominess means a wide cabin top. In fact, so large that the genoa tracks end up far outboards just behind the shrouds. So what? Well, it means that the correct sheeting angle can only be achieved by sheeting hard and moving back the lead, creating a very flat bottom shape. Not good in light air or choppy seas.

With a genoa inhauler we can pull in the genoa sheet from the cabin top with no need to move back the genoa lead. This, in turn, creates depth in the sail for the same angle.

Solution

Different settings match different sea states and twist profiles on each tack is a must. This in turn calls for separate mirrored controls. To simplify things however, I avoided taking the controls to windward and instead, left starboard controls on starboard side and port controls on port side.

To reduce clutter and lines drawn to the cockpit, we connected jib and genoa inhaulers to the same control.

We happily stole the concept from the Beneteau First 34.7, also known as First 10r, which comes with jib and genoa inhaulers connected to the same control. The purchase system is a simplified version however, because of Veloce’s shorter cabin top.

The jib inhauler purchase system at 6:1 permits easy trim under load.

The genoa inhauler purchase, at 3:1 needs more strength, but we can live with it because 1) the inhauler engages in the lower wind range of the sail 2) it pulls twice the length than the jib inhauler, required to achieve a similar angle, but further away from the tack.

Equipment on each tack

• 1x 40mm carbo cheekblock with becket
• 1x Cam cleat 150kg
• 2x 6mm folding pad eyes
• 1x low friction solid ring R30.56
• 1x 35mm snap shackle
• 12mt 6mm double braid line dyneema core
• 6mt 4mm single braid line dyneema (including some slack for splicing)

We chose to use low friction rings for the jib inhauler, because of the higher loads. The genoa inhauler features snap shackles instead, since we want to be able to completely disengage them when reaching.

Feedback

We need a few more hours on the system to provide a real feedback.

For the time being, it is clear that the jib inhauler allows at least 3 degrees extra sheeting angle, coming to around 8 degrees. We can easily pull in under full load.

The genoa inhauler impacts considerably the shape and provides additional power to punch through waves in light air. The difference is significant and its effect becomes obvious soon enough.