Courtesy of Goacher Sails

Over recent years we are pleased to have supplied the majority of sails to Formula 1 owners, which have won the National Championships on several occasions.

The Formula 1 is easily overpowered and requires a mainsail which can be easily flattened. 

This allows full main to be carried into stronger breeze and gives greater flexibility in variable conditions.

The genoa is developed to respond easily to halyard tension making it useful over the widest possible wind range. This year we have introduced a pentex taffeta genoa and modified our sail shape and panel layout to take advantage of the superior properties of this cloth.

Our Formula 1 sails have been used for such diverse applications as a round-Ireland circumnavigation and even a self tacking jib for single handed sailing.

For the spinnaker, we have developed a sail based on our successful Sonata design.

The No 2 genoa is built from 6.5 Polykote with maximum length leech battens to give stability when the breeze is up.

Headsails can be provided for foil or hanks now allowed under class rules.
 

Formula 1
Spinnaker Panel Layout

Spinnaker Colours

White, dark blue,
light blue, red, grey,
fluorescent yellow,
fluorescent pink,
fluorescent green,
lilac, green & black.

To order online or enquire further please email sg@goachersails.co.uk

FORMULA 1 TUNING GUIDE
Mast Settings
Cap Shroud Tension= 38
Lower Shroud Tension= 35

(Measured on Small superspar gauge)

To set mast rake
Backstay should be released during this procedure
Pull tape measure up main halyard and measure 8.2m to top of boom black band.
Now measure to transom 10280mm
Front face of mast to forestay 2165mm
Upper Diamonds - Just slack

With backstay released the mast should set with about and inch of prebend. Adjust tension of lower shrouds to achieve this if necessary.

When setting the mast up always apply cap shrouds before lowers. Hang a measuring tape on main halyard and measure to shroud platesto ensure mast is upright athwartships. Tension lowers to eliminate sideways bend.


No 1 Genoa Sheeting
Tension halyard to have just enough roundness in entry to make the windward and lee telltails lie down easily. Too slack and the entry will be very flat, too tight will round up more than required. The flattest entry which allows the boat to be comfortably steered will give highest pointing.
Sheet lead position. Use this guide to determine correct position:-
Sheet genoa until luff telltails lie down correctly with the sail sheeted in on windward course. From this point you can
a) move leads forward, which will require you to ease sheet in order to make top telltails flow. This will make the boat foot faster but point lower.
b) move leads aft which will require you to sheet harder to bring the upper jib leech back into position - This will make the boat point higher and go slower.

When fully sheeted in the genoa leech is designed to set about 50mm from spreader. Obviously in light winds or in waves this distance must be increased.

Light Winds
Use no kicker, sheet to C/L or above to bring boom close to centreline. Tension miansheet so that upper batten telltails flow intermittently. Backstay should be totally slack. Outhaul taut.

Moderate Breeze
With the boat fully powered up with full crew on rail genoa halyard will probably need to be tensioned a little to control sail shape. When overpowered, tension kicker and gradually increase backstay. Leave traveller on centre if you wish to de-power. Sail on mainsheet, increasing tension on backstay and kicker as the wind increases.

Overpowering Conditions
Gradually increase kicker and backstay and move genoa cars back as required.
If you free off mainsheet and boom will not move to leeward but just backwards then slot is becoming choked. This is a good indication of genoa cars requiring to come back.
You should be able to drop boom off C/L by 6 or 9" with No1 when getting overpowered. This will take the helm off the boat. Move cars back as necessary to allow this.

Sailing upwind with No2 Genoa
Sheet main hard down to traveller and let traveller go to leeward use backstay and kicker evenly as required - pull on cunningham to tidy up mainsail.

High Pointing
High pointing is achieved in less than overpowering conditions by having a closed genoa slot and hard mainsail leech whilst still retaining flow over the rig.
Once the sails stall significantly then obviously the boat will slow down. In very light conditions, high pointing generally equates to not making leeway. Often it is faster to crack off and go lower. The extra speed generates more lift over the keel and the boat actually makes less leeway.

In strong winds when the boat is generally overpowered high pointing again equates to minimisation of leeway. This leeway is incurred when the boat is knocked over. Being able to drop the boom off the centreline a little (which you will find unloads the helm) is important. This allows you to drive without putting the brakes on with the rudder.

Mainsail Outhaul
We sail upwind with the outhaul on in all conditions. If the conditions are very lumpy and you need more drive you could ease by 20mm or so. Downwind ease off.

For further tuning advice we would be glad to help, please ring the loft.