Fantastic looking sail Paul - and an inspiration to those of us who, so far, have lacked the courage or the knowhow to pull the trigger.

Thanks Guys,

It’s four days since launch and I still can’t quite believe how amazingly she sailed.

Graeme,  the specs are as follows:

JIBLETS - 10% camber, 12 deg sheeting angle.

MAINS - 7% camber

STORM - 5% camber

On the subject of collating Data, and for ease of finding it, I wonder if we might have a dedicated SJR forum on the site?

David, I wonder which will come sooner, the end of this health situation-or me stopping off at Ravenglass on a round Britain cruise? Thanks for tidying up the photo link. The cloth I used was a cheap 7 oz outdoor Polyester called Madrid. I was worried about spending too much on my first attempt, assuming I’d probably make a pigs ear of it anyway and want to make another..

It cost about £4.60 per sq metre, so was about a quarter the price of Odyssey. (I’d also looked at a sample of the clipper canvas from Seadog as mentioned by you elsewhere in a post, but found it way too heavy, I think they’d sold out of the lighter stuff you used.)

I’d compared it with a metre of Odyssey for stretchiness and my figures were:

MADRID

Warp 10%

Weft 4%

Bias 25%

ODYSSEY

Warp 4%

Weft 4%

Bias 20%

I used my girlfriend’s domestic machine which coped - just. 

When I’d finished the sail I then tried to repair my Sprayhood with it,and killed it.

I’ve been dreaming about Sailrite walking foot machines..

Congratulations, Paul. Nice job.

I like this photo best, the very essence of relaxed JR sailing:

[We have to go to "My directory profile' to get an album link that works for everyone - it should include the phrase 'PublicProfile':  

https://junkrigassociation.org/Sys/
PublicProfile/37485058/PhotoAlbums/113757177  ]

I finally launched on Wednesday. 

I’d originally intended to launch quietly, motor to my mooring and then discreetly raise sail for the first time away from onlookers, however..

There was quite a crowd on the hard when I launched as the clubs pontoon was being taken out for repairs, and there was a lot of curiosity about my new rig.

I didn’t want to appear churlish, so carefully raised a couple of panels as soon as I was clear, and turned a few circles for their benefit. 

I did then intend to progressively raise the remaining panels one by one, but my enthusiasm got the better of me.

I just hauled all five up, then gybed and came screaming back along the shore to buzz the guys on the hard, sailing closehauled upwind and uptide tacking as late as I could to avoid demolishing the hammerhead and then shimmying out through the clubs moorings, all with a nonchalant wave.

I hate to think of how this would have ended if I’d attempted it single handed with my Bermudan rig.

There was cheering..

Sailing to windward I put the tiller on a bungee and spent most of the time running around on deck, shouting with the sheer joy of it all and taking photos and videos.

I sailed down to Bradwell and turned to run all the way back upriver to the club moorings. 

I was amazed at how quickly I overhauled a guy in a similar sized boat running under Main and Genoa - I passed him like he was standing still.

I’ve put some photos in my album here, 

https://www.junkrigassociation.org/Sys/Profile/PhotoGallery/113757177?memberId=37485058 

and uploaded some videos to YouTube here,

https://youtu.be/R2PAFc0okbM

apologies for the video quality, I think it takes a few days for the resolution to improve. On seeing the videos I realised I’d spent most of my first sail with the sheet bridle partly caught up on a cleat on my port quarter..

So first impressions..

I was amazed at every aspect.

The effortless tacking - how smooth it is and how the boat just seems to settle herself straight into the groove on the new heading, with hardly any loss of momentum. 

The relative softness of the gybes.

Her balance - I simply readjusted the bungee on the tiller aftereach tack and then left her too it.

The incredible simplicity of it all.

How smooth she was over the chop in wind against tide (I’d heard about this before from Slieve-the theory that the flexing of the free standing mast eases her over the waves).

The biggest shock came when I examined my COG on navionics-admittedly the tide had turned in my favour 45 mins earlier, but the angle between tacks is impressive- the photos are in my album..

I’d like to thank everyone for all the advice, not only that directly given, but also the abundance of experience contained within this website, what an incredible resource.

But most of all I’d like to thank Slieve McGalliard: 

For his amazing design, and for all his encouragement and advice -virtual handholding and guidance through every stage of the building of the rig. 

Many many hours of patient help.

Now for some sailing..

Fantastic information packed thread everyone and great work Paul your project has proceeded apace and the 1st sail must be imminent.

Regards,
Me sitting in the cheap seats.