I am considering new sails for my Nacra 5.8. The option I am considering is a class main vs. a square top. What are the pros and cons? I assume the square top is basically an F18 sail? Is there any reason I would want the class sail?

You'll want a class sail if you have any interest in class sailing. More power is available from a square top, particularly noticible in lighter airs. The bigger sail puts more stress on the rig, but I think the 5.8 stick is pretty stout. Maybe others can chime in on that issue. Have you decided on a sailmaker?

Dave

I'm not aware of any class racing in Southern California so I'm mainly interested in speed. My current sails were made by Skip Elliot and I've been talking to him. I'm thinking about adding a spinnaker and mid-pole snuffer. Will I want to reduce the size of my jib? Any thoughts on trying to make a self-tacking setup?

don't forget the new downhaul setup you will need if your boat came equipped with a dacron main.

Can you elaborate on that? Why won't my downhaul work?

Have a self tacker & spin if you're interested (Big Bear). Pete

Do you have a 5.8 NA with the foil, or an original? I would think that the foil would be something for the spin to hang on. If going to a self tacker, you may want to go back to the original rigging with out the foil. Just a thought, never sailed a nacra foil boat with a mid pole setup, only bag, tramp launched.

Going to the self tacker, the track is a big expense, unless you can get a used one somewhere.

No need for that huge NA jib anyway with a Spin.

Don't know that you can even get a "Class 5.8 sail" or any nacra class sail for that matter, Skip can tell you more about that. If it's made by Skip, it's the same sail, just not a Class sail unless you go through a Nacra dealer and Nacra.

As for the downhaul, an 8:1 will do fine if that's what you have. 16:1 will just pull the head out.

--
Ron
Nacra F18
Reservoir Sailing Assn.
Brandon, Mississippi
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The opinion of the guys on catsailor.net in Australia who race competitively with class 5.8 pin and squaretop is that the square has a slight advantage in heavy winds while the pin is better in light winds. Apparently there's very little in it. There's a pin top 1600s Nacra 5.8 in our club that is the only other boat competitive with the A-classes (it normally beats them).

A nacra 5.8 NA with a square top is one fast powerful boat. The jib is just about the same size as it is on a nacra 6.0 NA. If you convert to a NA (with the larger jib and bow foil) make sure to put in the front beam inserts. They are standard on the 6.0. They are front beam sections with a slot cutout to make them fit inside the beam with a hole drilled in the end to accept the bolt that goes into the hull, I am not sure of the length, but I think about 2 feet. This boat can easily handle the larger main sail and NA jib.

Wow, thanks for the input! My Dad and I each have our own 5.8's. His was formerly raced by Roy Seaman and Gary Miller in the Pacific 1000 so it has some sweet history. I'm trailering mine down from Lake Tahoe this weekend (just bought it). Both boats have the original bridle (no foil) and class mains with the big jibs. So...if we both have working class mains (old but fine) maybe it makes sense to go with the sq tops? Also, what do you guys think about sticking with the big jibs and trying to add a furler if we go the spin route? It seems to me that it would change the luff of the jib, would the mod be overly complicated?

pbegle, I pm'd you about your tacker/spin.

I may be incorrect in my previous post... I have no idea what jib we have. I guess if we don't have the foil, we have the smaller jibs?

So far I've found these two pages fairly helpful in generating some ideas for the spin setup:

http://home.comcast.net/~ragenpl/nacra/nacra_spinnaker_1.htm

http://home.comcast.net/~ragenpl/nacra/NACRA_55_SLOOP_SPINNAKER_USING_INTER_20_SNUFFER.htm



Edited by greg1inca on Apr 24, 2013 - 09:45 PM.

There was a brand new 5.8 bridal foil listed on the ad section of this site on 4/24. I would buy it there are very hard to come by.

Sorry I read the ad wrong, someone is also looking for a bridal foil.