Hi Jerry,

Relative performance of sails is a really fraught area. And there are few conclusions to be drawn by any testing I’ve seen.

The big problem always is … what are you comparing? Should the rigs being tested have the same

Area
or
Heeling moment
or
Cost

Of the many choices having sails of the same area is the least meaningful.

If wanting to really test the differences between rigs then I’d put a team together for each rig, decide the criterion (eg … use this hull and mast design and let each rig group work out their optimum solution – eg .. is it better to have a high lug sail with less area or a lower one with more area. This preparation needs to be exhaustive for each rig.

Then the different rigs get to race each other.

That would make sense :)

However … for the simpler question – the ozracer sails – the 89 sq ft lug or the 82 square foot sprit boom rig … the bigger sail area trumps I think – providing you use the normal lug rig tweaks of a powerful downhaul.

If both are equally badly set up .. then then the sprit boom sail will be better, because it is harder to make a mess of the rigging.

Or if a race from unrigged on the beach to sailing a course to unrigged again … then the sprit rig gets about 10 minutes more sailing time or a bit less.

Best wishes
Michael

Hi Richard,

I will email the lug rig information to you. I know you bought the plans.

(the lug rig supplement is a free plan for the spars and sail for either the OZ Goose or OzRacer – the main advantage is that it is reefable)

The mast has to match the stability of the boat. The Goose and the OzRacer both have the same beam which is part of the stability. If you only sail the Goose by yourself the standard mast will be fine. But if you want to have a couple of people sitting on the side deck and leaning out I would recommend adding 6mm (1/4″) to the cross section of the box section mast. So instead of being 62mm square at its widest point it becomes 68mm square. All other widths should be increased 6mm as well.

Hope that helps you make a decision about what to do.

Michael

I have the Oz Racer/ + Goose supplement plans: could you pass on the plans for the lug rig?

Also, I read somewhere from you recently somewhere online that the basic mast for the Goose needs beefing up if it’s going to carry the lug rig – true? If it’s so, what dimensions might I need to change on the mast build?

All the best

Richard