Spray and Suhaili

[unbusted67]

It should be noted that the most efficient setup, for a given sail area, is a sloop with a large mainsail and a non-overlapping jib.

By this do you mean a non-masthead sloop or do you just mean not using a genoa is more efficient? What do you mean by efficient? Are you saying it is the most convenient sailplan or does it actually do something to the center of effort that makes it scientifically more effficient?

The most obvious advantage of the stays'l, whether it is on a schooner, ketch or cutter, is to make each individual headsail smaller and easier to handle.

I have heard of a staysail "powering up" the other sails in the rig. Does this mean that you are just adding more sail area to the overall rig or is there some way that a staysail redirects air flow to the other sails.

I have been thinking of openning another thread on this topic because I have been wondering about proper sail trim for a saysail on different points of sail. Isn't there a time, like on a broad reach or run, when a staysail will put the genoa in a wind shadow and stall it?