A. A spinnaker is any sail set forward of the foremost mast whose width, measured between the midpoints of its luff and leech, is equal to or greater than 75% of its foot length. A headsail is a sail set forward of the foremost mast whose width, measured between the midpoint of its luff and […]
FAQ Category: Rig and Sail Questions
Q. Explain the requests for sail girths (widths) for mainsails and spinnakers.
A. Requests for sail girths (widths) for mainsails and spinnakers were new for 2020. They were intended then to be for newly built sails only, as the data for those would be readily available to owners from the sailmaker. These sail girths were used for data gathering only and not for ratings in 2020. Now […]
Q. Explain the 2020 sail material changes for Vintage and Classic yachts.
A. Sail material guidelines are intended to encourage the use of sails that are cost efficient and that are aesthetically appropriate for Classic racing. Classic Yacht Racing Guidelines first published in 2020 remove the prior requirement for paneled construction and allow for ‘molded’ sails. This change also removes the requirement for ‘woven fabric.’ In […]
Q. Why is standing rigging material required in the CRF application?
A. The rigs of some older boats have been upgraded by replacing the original wire standing rigging with stainless steel rod, which implies a rating advantage. Also, some boats are fitted with composite (typically carbon) standing rigging, that results in a substantial performance advantage. A Standing Rigging Factor that was new for CRF 2020 addresses […]
Q. Can I use a spinnaker pole in flying my asymmetrical spinnaker?
A. Yes, as long as you declare a spinnaker pole length ‘SPL’. Note that a whisker pole can only be used to wing out a headsail, and not to trim a spinnaker. Also, be aware that if you do declare an ‘SPL’, your calculated spinnaker area will be larger, and your rating will be faster, than […]
Q. Can I include both symmetrical and asymmetrical spinnakers in my inventory?
A. Yes, as long as you declare a spinnaker pole length ‘SPL’. If you declare both a pole length ‘SPL’ and a spinnaker tack point ‘TPS’, CRF will calculate a spinnaker area for both an s-sail via SPL, and an a-sail via TPS, and it will calculate rating on whichever area is larger.
Q. Please explain the difference between a spinnaker pole and a whisker pole.
A. Any pole used in trimming a spinnaker is a spinnaker pole, and it is rated as such with its overall length declared as ‘SPL’. A whisker pole is a pole used to wing out headsails only, and its length is limited to not more than 1.1 * ’J’. A spinnaker pole with a declared length […]
Q. Please explain the definition and use of the declaration for the tack point of an asymmetrical spinnaker (TPS).
A. ‘TPS’ is the distance from the forward face of the mast to the attachment point for an a-sail tack to the deck, to an anchor roller, to a bowsprit, or to a similar fixture. If an a-sail is tacked to the stem near the headstay tang, ‘TPS’ is nearly equal to ‘J’, the length of […]
Q. In light air, I plan to fly a headsail whose mid girth is less than 50% of its foot length, but it is too big to fit inside the nominal foretriangle. What should my declarations be for foretriangle height (IG), foretriangle base (J), and longest perpendicular, LP?
A. This sail is by definition a headsail and not a spinnaker (See RRS 55.4), and CRF will rate it as a headsail. For such a sail, ‘IG’ would be declared as the vertical distance from the sheerline to the top of the sheave supporting its halyard, and not to the upper end of the […]
Q. Some previously ‘square head’ mainsails in the Spirit of Tradition (SOT) class were converted to gaff headed sails and were rated as such in 2016. How will such conversions be dealt with under CRF?
A. Under CRF, gaff headed mainsails in the SOT class will be rated as ‘square headed’. Exceptions to this approach are possible in cases where the sail configuration is very intentionally designed to have an entirely traditional appearance, with the gaff length on the order of 2/3 that of the boom length. However, any such exceptions […]