High Footed Headsails

[Yojimbo]

What are the advantages/disadvantages of high footed headsail? I've read they provide better forward visibility and I like that, what else is there to know about them? TIA

[michaeld]

High footed (a.k.a. Yankee Cut) headsails are more for open water in big seas. You don't want to take on a wave with a deck sweeper.

[Pete7]

I had mine cut so that it doesn't touch the lifelines which would wear the foot of the sail. This then gives us a slot to see under and the occasional green wave we get even coastal sailing to escape over the side.

It still measures at 141% so is there any loss in performance? well if there is its so tiny as not to worry unless racing. 600kgs of stuff on board probably has a greater impact.

Pete

[Montanan]

Originally Posted by Pete7

I had mine cut so that it doesn't touch the lifelines which would wear the foot of the sail. This then gives us a slot to see under and the occasional green wave we get even coastal sailing to escape over the side.

It still measures at 141% so is there any loss in performance? well if there is its so tiny as not to worry unless racing. 600kgs of stuff on board probably has a greater impact.

Pete

And high footed headsails keep clear of things that you might store on the foredeck, and they allow persons to sunbath on the foredeck and not get swept by the sail as you tack.

I greatly appreciate being able to see forward by looking under my foresail, not having a large blind spot in the direction of one's travel is grand.

[Don C L]

They roll up better on a furler of course. Visibility, yes. I grew up thinking that the Yankee was the forward sail on a cutter rig and was designed that way with the staysail, both with high clews. Nowadays boats with big roller furled genoa and staysail gets the name cutter rig, so I don't know, I'm probably wrong now.

[tenchiki]

Traditionally, a cutter is defined by the placement of the mast, not by the cut of the sails. If the mast is more than 40% of the waterline length aft of the beginning of the waterline, it is a cutter, else it is a sloop.

[Don C L]

Originally Posted by tenchiki

Traditionally, a cutter is defined by the placement of the mast, not by the cut of the sails. If the mast is more than 40% of the waterline length aft of the beginning of the waterline, it is a cutter, else it is a sloop.

Ah! You are right! I forgot the 40%.

[psk125]

With a high-clewed 130% jib, our boat rates 84 PHRF and we can see what's to leeward. With a 150% decksweeper, we can't see so well to leeward, and we rate about 75 - nine seconds faster per mile. For racing, we're going with the 150, and we'll post a lookout.

[Yojimbo]

Thanks for the responses that clarifies things.