[C38] J measurement

Thu Feb 2 12:06:05 EST 2012

Be advised, laminate sails actually do shrink over time..

Captain Jeffry Matzdorff
323.855.0191
www.offshoredeliveryskipper.com<http://www.offshoredeliveryskipper.com/>
  ----- Original Message ----- 
  From: dmills3 at comcast.net<mailto:dmills3 at comcast.net> 
  To: Catalina 38 Listserve<mailto:listserve at catalina38.org> 
  Sent: Thursday, February 02, 2012 8:47 AM
  Subject: Re: [C38] J measurement

  You're welcome and one last thing. To answer part of your original question about PHRF, yes they accept the manufacturers measurements. On the Chesapeake Bay PHRF application, for measurements, it askes whether this information is "from measurements" or "brochure". The only thing you really have to measure are the sails. Most of my sails are from Ebay or the SailingAnarchy website so they aren't sails specifically for a C38. On my application I put down the maximum sail dimensions from the C38 website, that way all I have to do is make sure none of the sails I use exceed those dimensions.
  An interesting story about some sailmakers and their opinions. I bought a very nice light #1 from a guy on Sailinganarchy. The seller gave luff, leach and foot measurements. The luff was 46.5' about 3 feet shorter than our 49.8' and the foot was 25'. I figured with a foot of 25' it should be close to having an LP of 24.05 so I asked the seller to measure the LP. He said there was a tag attached from a sailmaker and listed the LP at 24'. I bought the sail and when I laid it out the LP was 24'-6". I called the PHRF Handicapper and told him the situation of buying a used sail and the luff was 3' short and the LP was a little over and asked if I could use it. At first he said he didn't see a problem but after talking with the other delegates he said they didn't want to open a "can of worms" for sails with a short luff and an LP over 155 percent. Getting back to the sailmaker opinion, I took the sail to a sailmaker and explained the problem and we decided it was easiest to cut the leech a little and it wouldn't interfer with the original shape and design of the sail because it was a light air sail for 10 knots or less. His comment to me about measuring the sail and finding out the LP was a 6" oversize, he said I shouldn't have measured the sail.
  A crew member of mine years ago had a Bennateu 345 and had sails Including a spinnaker built for PHRF racing and when the opportunity came for racing one design, several of his sails had to be recut to be within the one design certification.
  There's a lot of money to be made and now my personal opinion is that some sailmakers seem to go out of the rules with the measurements just to have their name associated with fast sails. Again, just my opinion.
  Another friend had a J30, bought some new sails and began winning some one design races and instead of some of his fellow competitors giving him credit for his skills began complaining that "...his spinnaker must be oversize..." They all got together and measured it and it was within a half inch of maximum allowed. When some of his complainers measured their sails, they found some were as much as 4 to 5 inches under sized. They wanted to know from their sailmakers how come so and so could make his sails so close to maximum.
  Sometimes I just ramble on when it comes to sailing, sorry about that.
  Dan #108 Blonde Stranger, Chesapeake Bay

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

  From: "Steven Ribble" <steve.ribble at gmail.com>
  To: "Catalina 38 Listserve" <listserve at catalina38.org>
  Sent: Thursday, February 2, 2012 7:45:06 AM
  Subject: Re: [C38] J measurement

  Hi Dan, I think there must have been an error as well, and no I wasn't there when he took the measurement. 

  I'm going to have him assume the J is 15.5' and verify it in a couple of weeks when I get to the boat...the yard is about to begin repairing ALL of the tabbing due to a ledge strike last summer.

  Thanks for your input, its appreciated.

  Steve 
  207/852-0971

  -- 
  Steve Ribble
  207/852-0971

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