J/111 - Ditching the Facnor furler

[George Dewey]

For you J/111 owners who removed the Facnor furler, did you drill a second hole in the attachment plate where the headstay connects at the bow? A friend of mine who used to own a 111 and made this change sent me the attached drawing, but the hole where the furler connects is not forward like in this drawing, its centered. He had a newer boat, I'm not sure if I have room to drill that hole. 

Also in another thread someone mentioned that the mast has to come out to swap the headstay. Is that true? In other boats, I have used a halyard to hold the mast up, gone up the mast and made the switch that way. 

Thanks...

 

[hrothgar]

You will ultimately want to contact J-boats and get the conversion kit.  This includes a new forestay, deck bracket, and harken carbo-foil.  Nearly all of the boats I am familiar with have gone this route.  I want to say the cost was about $1,500 plus your yard labor to install.  I can take some pictures of the bracket when I am at the boat today.  Its a much better setup than anything jury-rigged like in your picture above.

Hroth

 

[George Dewey]

Thanks @hrothgar I didn't know there is a conversion kit. 

 

[George Dewey]

You will ultimately want to contact J-boats and get the conversion kit. 

Just for future reference, I called CCFC and they referred me to J Boats. J Boats told me this is not in stock, and they have not had any in a while. However, they told me that it's Garhauer who made the bracket for them and they are going to call over to see if they will do a one off. Maybe I'll get lucky, fingers crossed.

 

[hrothgar]

Here is what that bracket looks like.  Then the forestay will have an open turnbuckle.  Then you just get a carbo-foil from Harken with a chafe guard.  I did the conversion over the winter so the rig was down.  And, I did end up getting new euro-jibs with tylaska shackles at the tack to attach.  Its not overall cheap but the set up is just much nicer than with the furler.  Especially for racing.

Hroth

 

[George Dewey]

That looks pretty cool, thanks. I suppose replacing the bracket should be easy enough, probably unbolt the old one and bolt on the new one. Hopefully no one bedded it with 5200. Did you have any trouble installing that bracket?  

 

[hrothgar]

That looks pretty cool, thanks. I suppose replacing the bracket should be easy enough, probably unbolt the old one and bolt on the new one. Hopefully no one bedded it with 5200. Did you have any trouble installing that bracket?  

Well, I had my yard do it.  So I personally had no trouble

Attached is the J-boats package that was offered after the rule change in 2018.  It has all the dimensions and such as it sounds like you'll have to do this from scratch yourself if you go this route.

Hroth

View attachment J111 Forestay Conversion Package - Updated.pdf

 

[George Dewey]

Super helpful thank you!

 

[George Dewey]

Do the class rules specify the carbofoil specifically? I was planning to use a Tuff Luff. 

 

[George Dewey]

Actually I see it is not. From the class rules:

C.9.4 STANDING RIGGING (a) The following forestay and associated rigging configurations are permitted for setting the jib: (1) A plastic luff extrusion system on the forestay as supplied by a licensed builder; or (2) A roller furling forestay system with aluminum luff extrusion as supplied by a licensed builder. (a) Boats equipped with roller furling are not required to be able to roll their jibs. (b) Rigging screws shall not be adjusted while racing. (Backstay adjustment is permitted.)

The "as supplied by a licensed builder" language confuses me a bit. In this context, does "as" me "like that" or does it mean I actually have to buy it from J Boats?

 

[Blur]

Standard fitting on euro J/111s

:

 

[George Dewey]

Thank for the pic @Blur and, I see you have that fancy dancy Cyclops Smarttune thingy. Replacing my headstay is a good opportunity to add that. As a practical matter, do you actually the data from it, while sailing or after in log analysis?  

 

[George Dewey]

Just for future reference, I called CCFC and they referred me to J Boats. J Boats told me this is not in stock, and they have not had any in a while. However, they told me that it's Garhauer who made the bracket for them and they are going to call over to see if they will do a one off. Maybe I'll get lucky, fingers crossed.

Okay J Boats ordered five of these from Garhauer, and they will be available earl September. So if anyone wants one it's going to be available. 

 

[Blur]

Thank for the pic @Blur and, I see you have that fancy dancy Cyclops Smarttune thingy. Replacing my headstay is a good opportunity to add that. As a practical matter, do you actually the data from it, while sailing or after in log analysis?  

We're displaying real time data on the mast, so that's a big part of communication between jib-trim, main and me as helmsman. Much easier to know where we are without turning our heads to look at the backstay and easier to communicate around distinct values. 

We then analyze race-logs to get baseline values, that we know are fast. Perfect at the leeward mark when the main trimmer can be in acceleration mode for the correct TWS:

 

[steele]

Just an FYI but I have found Garhauer good to deal with directly in case there are issues with J.

 

[Crash]

Ditto

 

[George Dewey]

Just an FYI but I have found Garhauer good to deal with directly in case there are issues with J.

Ditto

Good to know thanks!

 

[George Dewey]

We're displaying real time data on the mast, so that's a big part of communication between jib-trim, main and me as helmsman. Much easier to know where we are without turning our heads to look at the backstay and easier to communicate around distinct values. 

We then analyze race-logs to get baseline values, that we know are fast. Perfect at the leeward mark when the main trimmer can be in acceleration mode for the correct TWS:

View attachment 457404

Pretty cool analysis, thanks for explaining!

 

[IMR]

We found the load cell on the (125) headstay super useful for getting consistent setting upwind.