Noun: 1. staysail - a fore-and-aft sail set on a stay (as between two masts) (nautical) Usually with a modifier, any of a variety of specialty triangular staysails set forward of the foremast. Once the stay is installed, with a T-fitting at one end, use the turnbuckle at the other to set the proper tension with the tensioning lever engaged. When ordering your staysail, we talk about percentage of STL, or … Used in combination with a partially-furled genoa or working jib and a reefed mainsail, the staysail provides plenty of power. If your boat has a conventional jib track, make sure the lead isn’t too far forward. Various combinations of reefs and headsail size allow the boat to be balanced in every condition. Check to see that the leeches of both sails are parallel. In the 90 to 120-degree range, use a staysail only if conditions are favorable (moderate to fresh wind with relatively smooth water). The forestaysail can also be used under a genoa or reacher as part of a double-head rig. View fullsize. On a Maxi 72, a spinnaker staysail will give another 100m2 of sail area, which powers up the boat more, bringing the apparent wind forward. Provided the wind is more than 7 knots, even just bearing away 10° or 12° from fully upwind means you can start to feel the benefits of a genoa staysail. Enjoy and subscribe! It is surprising how little you need to ease sheets from close-hauled to start feeling the benefit of adding a genoa staysail. It enables you to ease fully, or trim without the risk of deteriorating or overheating the cover on winches, thanks to … First published in the February 2020 edition of Yachting World. With a properly sized furler and properly designed staysail, the sail can be safely and efficiently reefed to a much smaller size for the really hard going, giving much more versatility than the non-reefing staysail commonly used for heavy weather.The non-reefing staysail will either be too large for storm conditions, or too small for “normal” heavy weather, which is far more common. Mike Sanderson is one of the most respected professional sailors on the circuit, having skippered ABN Amro to victory in the 2005/06 Volvo Ocean Race and sailed with Oracle in the America’s Cup. As sailors are increasingly looking to gain smaller and smaller advantages in competition, staysail technology is trickling its way further down the sport. If the angle is broader than 120 degrees, do not set a staysail. Our staysail sheet, without elongation, is ideal for precise settings. Cruising with your staysail can add horsepower and ease, giving you options in a variety of conditions. Therefore having optimum sail shape when “off the wind” has a small impact on the boat’s overall performance when flying the Staysail by using a jib boom. n. Nautical A triangular sail hoisted on a stay. Branko Vukojevic (#175, H2OBO / Stargazer V) a. With a Hoyt boom, make sure the outhaul is pulled tight to achieve flat foot sections. Examples of how to use “staysail” in a sentence from the Cambridge Dictionary Labs Staysail definition, any sail set on a stay, as a triangular sail between two masts. A benefit of this setup is that it maximises luff length and allows the sail to sit close to the deck. All rights reserved. "Ino-Rope's choice: Our Ino-Rope experts have selected à ready-to-use product for you, according to your navigation needs. As seen in the case of the Staysail, it will be used to fly a relatively small sail compared to the rest of the boat’s sail plan. On a typical bluewater boat, a single reef and a staysail are perfect for going to windward in more than 25 knots. In many cases the staysail is an easier sail than the jib to handle through gybes as it can be furled. As the boat sails at broader angles, the blanket of the mainsail, as it is eased out, limits the effectiveness of the staysail. When reaching, keep in mind the first rule of sail trim: when in doubt, let it out. What I like about the staysail, since I am basically … When the However, the past five years have seen staysails become a ‘must have’ item on high-performance raceboats, not least in the Volvo Ocean Race, where footage of triple-headed VO65s blasting along became some of the defining images of the 2017-18 edition. The mizzen staysail is a beautiful, effective, and easily managed addition to a yawl or a ketch rig’s quiver. When my wife takes her watches I don't get called on for strength tasks if the staysail is up instead of the genny. Spec your staysail. Most sailors tend to over trim. Drop the lead aft until the foot of the staysail is flat. If it is, the foot of the sail will be round and full. Because the staysail may impair light-air performance, a great solution to this problem is a retractable staysail stay. Make sure the sail is eased to the point of luffing, then trim to barely remove luff. Learn how to make the most of your cruising experience with Quantum expert Dave Flynn’s staysail trim guide. Thus, if your boat has a bowsprit, you can bring the jib in as soon as the sea begins to build, and continue sailing with a rig that’s all inboard—one that balances nicely when the mainsail has a reef or two in it. How to use your spinnaker staysail to turbocharge your boat. On slower, lower performance boats, you will want to keep the staysail flying for longer, most of the way up the wind range until you’re thinking about using the J4 jib. The longer the bowsprit, the closer to the headstay you can mount the attachment for your staysail. When looking up the sails from the aft quarter, the slot between the three sails should be roughly parallel. When it gets windy, the staysail is the perfect sail. If you’re racing on a short windward/leeward course, the risk of sending the bowman up on a white water foredeck might not be worth it. If your boat is equipped with a Hoyt boom, the staysail’s tendency to twist (leech opening up and causing the top of the sail to luff before the bottom) can be controlled by the boom. In its staysail format, the sail sets under a spinnaker or lightair reacher and is used to break the slot between the headsail and mainsail just as the working staysail would. Adding a staysail gives a boat a small jib that can balance the boat in heavier wind and sea conditions. It is common to use a 2:1 halyard to increase control and reduce compression in the mast. These packages calculate the fastest theoretical…, For me, helming downwind, particularly in big breeze, is one of the absolute joys in this world. 2. When tacking a cutter, you have the jib and staysail to sheet on each tack. This can become quite a chore when short tacking through narrow waterways. The furling unit is clipped directly to a deck padeye. The genoa should be trimmed in almost to the spreader – trim the staysail to match this profile. A tough boat can forereach through about anything with a deep mainsail reef and a robust staysail setup. Most cruising-boat masts are sufficiently overbuilt that when the boat is hard on the wind, the leech of the main will support the load of the staysail stay. We pour that passion into each of our newsletters to help you enjoy sailing even more. It’s measured as a jib, so you’re getting added power for no penalty. We’ll take a look at some of the factors to be considered for this sort of an improvement. In a sloop (see image) the basic jib reaches back roughly to the level of the mast. 4. First though, it helps to know the right conditions for using a staysail. This means you’ve got a trade-off to consider between performance versus boathandling. It’s a very efficient way of increasing the flow across the sail plan, enabling you to sail faster and deeper downwind. 410-268-1161 That’s the case on a Maxi 72, for example, but if you’re operating with a short prod then you will need to mount the attachment further aft along the foredeck. When ordering your staysail, we talk about percentage of STL, or the bowsprit length. This website uses cookies and collects usage statistics. Staysail definition is - a fore-and-aft sail hoisted on a stay. The smaller sail units allow for different combinations, giving sailors a variety of options for different conditions. An object that is used for performing tricks while skiing, snowboarding, skateboarding, inline skating, or biking. It worked fine in a North Atlantic gale of 45 knots and 18 feet seas.” Don't miss Quantum's trim guides for your headsail, mainsail, and asymmetrical sail. It isn’t a sail I’d deploy in close quarters or when short-tacking in confined environs, but on a longer light air reach, it is indeed a lovely, useful thing. In windy conditions, as the mainsail has to be eased, lowering the staysail will allow the mainsail to breathe and reduce back-winding, helping to keep the boat on its feet. STAYSAIL TRIM WHEN TO USE A STAYSAIL As part of the overall sail power of your boat, the staysail is most useful in the middle range of reaching angles, from a close reach to the point where the wind is slightly aft of the beam, approximately 50-130 degrees apparent wind angle. In lighter conditions (under 10-12 knots apparent), the staysail may inhibit, not help, upwind performance. The furled sail is hoisted on the staysail halyard to the required tension. The old clipper ships used to use multiple staysails. A self tacking staysail, generally set on a boom, is practical, but again to set the boom in front of the mast and to use a common sheeting system reduces the LP by another 10%.