Longer genoa track

[Jim Hardesty]

Shamrock is a 2001 MKll with a in-mast furling main.  I use a 135% genoa.  Is about right with the smaller mainsail.  The sheet car, on the inside track, is normaly set near the forward end of the track with little adjustment left.  And no room to add adjustable gear for the car.
Has anyone added to or installed a longer track?
Jim

[Roc]

Jim,
I have an adjustable genoa car system from Garhauer.  I usually don't move it any further forward than the smooth break in the Non-skid (marked by arrow).  I also have a 135 genoa.

[George Bean]

Jim,
I have also toyed with the same idea off and on over the years as I would have liked to run a 110 or blade with a lower foot.  The diamond non-skid can be sanded smooth for mounting and the diamonds aren't high enough to interfere with the fairlead car.  The standard shipping length for T-track is 10 feet (I think it is up to 20' for OEMs).  You can run the T-track straight but that would defeat the clew being at the shrouds for maximum pointing ability. And I'm not sure you could bend the track to meet the shrouds without either buckling it or binding a sliding fairlead car.  Roc's arrow is at about the "powered up" position for our 130.  We usually run ours a little further aft (at the 5 ½ spot on our fairlead numbering system).

[John Langford]

I have used a 140%, 135% and 130% on my boat and the cars for each are all aft of the front edge of the dodger. Are you sure a blade or 110% wouldn't set up on the existing track? I would confirm with a sailmaker whether the existing track would work before going to the trouble of adding more. Perhaps a member who has used a blade on SF Bay in the summertime would comment.

[Wayne]

I'm on SF Bay and have a 110 (well, I suspect it might be closer to a 115, but close enough!).  I usually have my car right at the front end of the track.  Close hauled I might bring it back slightly when the wind kicks up.  The real problem is when I roll up the jib a bit to reduce sail--no ability to move the car forward.  Probably why I usually sail with a full jib--the performance reduction is more than I can accept when I reef the jib.  I had thought about trying to add some track too, but finally decided that the few times I would really need it weren't worth the trouble.