Hello,
I got a Nacra 5.5 uni last year. I am considering adding a jib to it to improve turning and handling. Is this possible? Is this wise?
-Aaron
Yes, it's possible. I have this setup for my uni. I race as uni, then in off-season, convert to sloop, for more power for taking friends sailing, etc. I've actually raced with the bow bridle foil & single forestay in place, instead of the uni forestays.
I will be glad to make you a deal. I have the whole setup, I will sell it to you at significant discount. I have decided I don't want it.
-sail
-furler
-bow bridle foil (to allow lower attach point of the large jib)
-forestay
-blocks
-line
-sail cover (so you can leave it furled, if you store with mast up.
-etc.
I went with under-tramp wires, mounted lengthwise (like old 5.2 style), instead of across the tramp, like on the normal sloop rig.
Possible and simple, as Casto has said.
If you race
The only HONORABLE thing to do is to register as a Portsmouth/open class boat as a N5.5U with Jib added.
It's a good number, for one thing, and registering thus is the fair thing to do. The N5.5u mainsail is somewhat larger than the sloop's, thus you would be cheating to register your uni-with-jib as a regular 5.5 sloop.
sea ya
tami
If you don't declare mods, the club can ban you from future racing....It almost happened to me at the MYC 2 years ago in the Miami Key Largo. I showed up at the club on the morning of the race and realized that I had forgotten to bring the stock main but I had the fat head instead. OH BOY! A few says after the race I got a phone call from R^&*(% O*&^@#$, and he accused me of cheating. Some one protested, even though I hit Cardsound Bridge and lost 10 minutes.
So now I am very careful to declare everything....