For heavy-weather offshore sailing: When do we actually need dedicated storm sails like a storm-jib or a trysail? These sails need to be on board any ocean-going yacht, but there are more options. This is an interesting sail set-up on the 47-foot yacht “Polaris”, a Bénéteau Oceanis 473 which is operated commercially by a professional skipper, André Freibote, taking paying guests on ambitious sailing trips. The boat is sailed out of Bremerhaven in northern Germany, the cruising area is the entire North Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean as far as Iceland. Shorter trips are sailed in the southern North Sea to Helgoland or London, some of them very late or early in the season. The boat’s season lasts until the end of November and again starts from the 1st of May onwards.
Rolly Tasker Sails for Peace of Mind
Skipper André has chosen a complete set of Rolly Tasker Sails for his boat, which covers a significant mileage each season. He prioritizes their performance, but more importantly, values the reliability and strength of these sails, providing him with peace of mind.
This is significant, as with this schedule, the boat and her crew do encounter more than their fair share of heavy weather. Also, the skipper needs to be able to safely sail his Bénéteau Oceanis 473 by himself under any conditions, should the crew not be able to actively take part in sailing the yacht.
Heavy Weather Sail Set-up
The “Slutter” Rig
No wonder then that André has given careful consideration to the sail-plan and how to strike the best balance between performance on one hand and safety and ease of handling on the other. The boat is a production Bénéteau Oceanis 473, but has been modified in parts. Originally it came with a standard sloop rig which has been adapted by the skipper to incorporate a second, inner forestay. However, this stay which would otherwise be a cutter stay is attached high up the mast not far below the masthead. Instead of a classic cutter, this configuration is referred to by some as a “slutter” rig, a cross between a sloop and a cutter.
The Foresails
“Rolly Tasker Sails have made the perfect sails for this rig”, André explains, “which is not so common. We discussed and designed the cut and some detailing of the sails, and it all worked out wonderfully.” Unlike a traditional cutter rig, André has the performance benefit of a full-size furling Genoa that can be adjusted in size when reaching or downwind sailing. “The other day we sailed to Helgoland in a force 8 on a broad reach, under the partly furled Genoa only. Exhilarating sailing, surfing down the waves, always under control with no anxiety at all.”
Upwind in heavy weather conditions like these, he furls away the Genoa completely, unfurling the small, non-overlapping inner jib instead. This is cut high like a blade or a Solent jib, giving perfect drive upwind. As visibility can often be bad in these conditions, and as the yacht is sailing in waters with a high amount of shipping, this sail is made in bright orange.
As tacking or gybing the large Genoa is not easy with the fixed inner stay, André also uses the blade jib for short tacking in inshore waters. “But a soon as we are out at sea, or on a stable reaching course, we unfurl the Genoa – and off we go!”, he says.
The Mainsail
The mainsail is fully-battened and set on ball-bearing cars that absorb the pressure of the battens and make the sail go up and down easily, without undue friction. André specified three reefs for the main. Reef 1 and 2 are easily operated by one-line reefing systems from the safety of the cockpit. “Only for the third reef I need a tackle”, he explains. “But this is so deep that in effectively reduces the size of the main to that of a trysail.”
The Trysail
The deep-reefed main, André finds, is much better for North Sea or coastal sailing, as it is still attached to the boom and the boat is easily maneuverable. The trysail, on the other hand, is set without the boom – also in case this may have broken – and made for use in the open ocean, probably even when lying hove-to, but not for tacking in more confined waters. It is also cut high so that breaking waves will wash through underneath the foot of the sail. Which, again, might not necessarily be relevant when sailing in the North Sea.
The Storm-Jib
Much the same can be said for a dedicated storm-jib. Again, this is more made for the open ocean. André prefers to have a second, smaller blade jib that he can set on the inner stay when the going gets really rough: “That sail is just a trifle larger than our storm-jib which we have so far never used in anger – only to test the set and to demonstrate the sail to our crew!” However, despite this André fully acknowledges that both of these dedicated storm sails are an essential piece of the sail wardrobe on every bluewater, ocean-going yacht. Which is, of course, why he also carries them on board.
Summary: Heavy Weather Sailing with the Beneteau Oceanis 473 of André Freibote
The rather unusual “slutter” rigged sail plan has definitive advantages for the ambitious sailing that André Freibote and his guests do. Unless he has to reduce the main down to the third reef, André can sail the boat under all conditions by himself and from the cockpit. And as the handling of sails is so easy, he is always quick to adapt his sail plan to the actual wind: “We reef early when it starts to blow. But we also make more sail again as soon as the wind goes down!” Thus, keeping performance up and still staying on the safe side. “But what we don’t do is to hang on to reduced sails for too long, because it is so easy to adapt the sail area to the actual wind!”
Visit André‘s website (in German language) to find out more about his sailing trips:
https://www.segelpartner-nordsee.de/
