In or out?

[YotMax]

Folks,

Still another newbie question... this time on jib sheets. Do you rig yours inside or outside the shrouds? Mine are currently outboard of the shrouds. Comparing with another M26 in our area and his are the same, outboard of the shrouds.

But it looks wrong. The jib leads are aft of the chainplates and run inboard of them as they come aft. So I can imagine that, close hauled, the jib sheets would run to the blocks, then outboard to the shrouds, then off to the jib clew. So there would be no possibility of the sheets bringing the clew any further inboard than the shrouds would allow. To be honest, having sailed the boat, I've never noticed whether this is so or not... it is only something that struck me once we were packed up (I was wondering why it is difficult to unfurl the jib whereas it is quite easy to furl it and I realised that the sheets were probably rubbing against the shrouds).

Am I missing something?

[simon goold]

Max
I have the same query on a folkboat I have recently bought in Sydney.Obviously the sheets run outside the stays on the genoa. But the jib? I have seen on some boats a separate track forward of the stays I thinks this is for the jib.
If you solve the question please reply.

Simon

[gottord]

I use the outside track for the Genoa...and the inside track for my working jib...I feel like the inside track allows you to point extremely well going to weather...in fact our little Folkboats go to weather so well...I would say that instead of being on a "Close Reach"...We are on a "Close Beat"...Here is a pic to show track positions....


Hope this helps..

Adam

[johan swe-1870]

The outside track on the rail is for the genoa, with the sheets led outside the shrouds. The inside track on the deck, placed more forward, is for the jib. The jib sheet should be led inside the shrouds.

Most IF boats have these two tracks put on from the beginning. Some have been improved upon.

I have put on a new jib track close to the forward window, i.e. the track is placed as close to the deck house as possible and even more forward than the original track. I will find a picture later.

In my opinion you can never get the jib working on the outside track, or with the sheets led outside the shrouds, at least not if you intend to go upwind.

[blighbaum]

Looking at pictures of IFs racing in Sweden and Germany, I have noticed that many of them have genoa tracks aft but inboard of the rail, with the genoa sheets inside the stays. The North Sails tuning guide shows the same. Does this improve upwind performance with the genoa? This is important to me now, because I have moved my boat to a region with lighter air, and I will be sailing a lot more with the genoa rather than the jib.

- Tom Kirschbaum, IF 637 Feral

[johan swe-1870]

You are right that some boats have a genoa track not on the rail but some inches inside. But the genoa sheet is never led inside the stays. The genoa is always outside of the stays.

But that extra track is not mandatory. I still sail with the original genoa track on the rail and have done some good race results.

I think that such an extra inner genoa track is only a result of one sailor doing a real good race many years ago. After that everyone just needed his inner track solution.

Jib: inside the stays, on the inner forward track
Genoa outside the stays, on the outer rail track

[johan swe-1870]

Here is my extra jib track:



As you can see it is put very close to the deck house. The block is normally in the shown position, which means it is more forward and centered than the original jib track in the background.

My genoa track is not visible on that picture.

[YotMax]

Thanks for all the responses, that's fantastic info. I've been away lately and haven't been to the boat for probably a month or more... I don't recall Sundancer having a shorter jib track such as those you mention. But if she doesn't then it's a simple enough job to install some. Certainly seems like a much better arrangement than what I have now.