With our new genoa and mainsail trimmed tight, Yahtzee leapt forward with an acceleration I’d truly never experienced from her before. In just 7 or so knots of wind, she heeled slightly and scooted quickly along at 5+ knots. My smile behind the helm was surely huge from tack to tack. The wind slowly built into the 10 knot range while sailing south down Resurrection Bay, and at times it felt like we were sailing a new-to-us boat.

Being a sailor who is always tweaking sail controls, sheets and halyards to get the best performance from every wind direction and point of sail, I could quickly tell that Yahtzee had a fresh feel to her. And after years of dealing with old blown out rags, it was finally fun to tighten the luff a touch, bring the traveler to windward, ease or trim the main an inch, move jib fairleads forward and aft, and tweak leech and foot cords. The racer in me never rests, I guess.

Overall, the wind we had on Friday and then basically no wind on Sunday made the weekend a decent introduction to our new suit of sails. What we’re looking forward to is a moderate to heavy-ish blow so we can really get a feel for the boat. But that will come in time. My first impression of the new genoa and mainsail from Zoom is that I love the HydraNet cloth for its durable feel, and the radial cut for its incredible shape. Win win.

Not to be outdone by the sails, we spent the weekend at our favorite local anchorage and were up to our usual shenanigans. Our crew discovered waterfalls, played on beaches with friends, warmed our bones in the glorious sunshine and by fires, and thoroughly enjoyed springtime and each other’s company in this massive wilderness playground we currently call home.

 

8 Replies to “Testing new sails on a sunny weekend cruise”

  1. Just started reading your article/blog, and we also have a new sail on the way! Quick question; does your blog address any tips/tricks for sailing in the light summer winds we get in Puget Sound? This is our first sailing season, and have been told to expect quite a bit of motoring in the summer months

    1. Hi Joel, Congrats on the new sail. I don’t have a blog on light air sailing tips in Puget Sound, but it’s key to play favorable currents to your advantage and to get used to flying a light air sail like an asymmetrical or symmetrical spinnaker. Also, depending on where you are in the sound, you can often catch the best breeze in the late afternoon or early evening. Have fun!

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