From: bloxham@geophysics.harvard.edu (Jeremy Bloxham)
Newsgroups: rec.boats
Subject: Re: Tuff Luff and other headstay foils
Date: 10 Nov 92 18:31:34 GMT
Article-I.D.: das.1992Nov10.183134.2735
Reply-To: bloxham@geophysics.harvard.edu
Organization: Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University

In article 22963@klaava.Helsinki.FI, tarkkone@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Lauri Tarkkonen) writes:
>In <1992Nov9.125516.8324@das.harvard.edu> bloxham@geophysics.harvard.edu (Jeremy Bloxham) writes:
>
>>In article 871@klaava.Helsinki.FI, tarkkone@klaava.Helsinki.FI (Lauri Tarkkonen) writes:
>>>
>>>>[David Zielke asks about the relative merits of hanks and headfoils]
>>>
>>>If you want my opinion it is in short: Try to awoid the foil by any means.
>>>
>>>As said it will give you unnecessary expenses.
>
>>I seriously doubt that more races are lost than won by headfoils.
>
>How much improvement do you think that the headfoil will give you?
>
>>Problems with modern headfoils are very rare: indeed, Tuff Luffs are
>>almost impossible to deform or dent by hitting them with the spinnaker
>>pole. 
>
>But when it happens, you loose very much indeed. 
>
>Everything is easy untill you mess it upp. As I told I have seen this
>happening very often.
>
>>Twin grooved headstays are essential for efficient genoa peels and are 
>>probably one of the most significant developments in sail handling gear 
>>for racing boats in the last few decades.
>     ^^^^^^
>For the racing man, who is in the desperate need for the last half of
>percent of boatspeed. 
>
    A peel with a twin groove system probably results in a loss of three or
    four boatlengths; a bare-headed change about ten times that amount.
    Not changing at all can result in a blown race and a very expensive
    visit to the sailmaker.
>
>>A great compromise for the cruiser/racer is the Harken roller furling
>>system with the split drum. When crusing one can use the roller
>>furling but the drum is easily removed (without detaching the headstay)
>>for racing leaving a twin groved headstay.  
>
>I must confess, I do not regard foresail furling to be a very usefull
>thing. If you use it for reefing, you get a bad shape of the sail anyway,
>and if you believe that the same sail suits all weathers you do not pay
>much attention to the set of your sail.
>
    Most cruising boatowners do find roller furling extremely useful.
    Sails cut for roller furling have improved greatly in the last few years.
>
>
>The things like the foil, that are said to be so great, are affecting
>the racing in two ways. Such things make the racing more expensive,
>and because I feel I have already learned to sail, so I do not see
>any point in investing in gadgets that I really do not need while
>cruising, just to be competitive on a racing course. So I skip racing. :-).
>I do not know how it is in the US, but here in Finland the racing fleets
>are getting smaller and smaller, and many sailors give as the reason
>of withdraval: It is too expensive. I cannot justify the cost. The racing
>boat is no good for cruising. I rather cruise with my family than spend
>more money in new sails and gadgets.
>
    A Tuff Luff for my boat (30' LOA) costs under US $400 and installs
    in a few minutes. It comes with a 5 year warranty, so it's not a major
    expense given its useful life.
>
>
>I am afraid that it is impossible to me to bring my point so that you
>would want to understand that the foil is gadget of marginal use but
>anyway more than marginal cost. And the people who have lost their
>races because of malfunction of the luff foils, have done it, believe
>you or not.
>
   We have never lost a race because of a problem with our Tuff Luff. I
   believe a twin groove headstay is essential for racing. Just because
   something can fail doesn't mean it's not worth having: we lost a race
   (and the summer series)  this season because our mainsail blew to
   shreds, but we still use a mainsail.
>
>- Lauri Tarkkonen

   Jeremy