Aeroluff spar on BRE

[ALAN R]

New to the association I have a BRE ordered. Is anyone using Aeroluff spars for Jib or is the standard roller reefing ok. The aeroluff system seems popular and successful on other classes but maybe not needed on a jib of this size ? It is not offered by Swallow but I wondered if I should consider retrofitting…I think it may require a larger luff pocket on the jib ?

[RogerLennard]

I have a BR20 on order and I was wondering the same thing.

[Peter Cockerton]

BR20 Launched Spring 2020, Bowsprit, Larger Jib
I have installed the Aero luff Spar and on a few outings I have found it useful to reef the jib to maintain sail balance with a reefed  main.
The most obvious in-balance is when going about, if the jib is un-reefed I find the bow will blow off quite strongly until boat speed restored.
As mentioned the jib luff pocket does need to be of a size which allows the spar terminating cringles to pass through the luff pocket on installation (best speak to aero luff to understand this before ordering)
Please also be aware that once the carbon fibre tube which runs the full length of the jib luff will only bend so far, so when dropped into the boat it will have to stay flat (transporting off the boat will be a problem if you remove the sail over winter)
Two sizes of the carbon tube are available, initially I had the smaller one (8mm I think) this failed on lowering the jib back into the boat it broke and splintered so not repairable. The second and current is 10mm (again I think from memory) this has been fine.
Another problem I had was with the transport people that Aero luff use (Tufnell’s) they managed to lose my new jib and spar when it was returned to me after the broken spar war replaced (many thanks to Aero luff though they replaced the jib and a new spar at their own cost).
Please feel free to PM me should you want more detail.

Peter C

[Ray S]

I had an AeroluffSpar on my Wayfarer and it was a wondrous thing on that boat for cruising and also for racing. The Wayfarer has 146 sq ft of sail on less than 200kg hull weight with no ballast of course, so it was very sensitive to jib sail area. If the jib was part furled, which you definitely needed to do sometimes  it would twist off too much at the top;  the AeroLuffspar fixed this problem very well.

The BRe at about 800kg with water ballast in and 180sq ft approx sail area is far less sensitive to jib over-powering and I have never felt the need to reef the jib.  By the time it would be needed it would be time to drop the main and sail under full jib and mizzen - probably into force 6-7 by then!  But I haven't tried that yet!

Ray S
BRe 047 Whimbrel
Epropulsion Spirit Plus

[Ray S]

The most obvious in-balance is when going about, if the jib is un-reefed I find the bow will blow off quite strongly until boat speed restored.

Peter C

Yes, I had this issue on my BRe initially until I discovered that my mast rake was slightly forward compared with other BRe's. (Discovered at a Falmouth Raid!)  On correcting this to very slightly aft from vertical, not only did it fix the over-tacking issue, but it made tacking itself much quicker.

Ray S
BRe 047 Whimbrel
EPropulsion Spirit Plus