J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Headfoil...

Anyone got the standard measurements for a J/30 headfoil? Ours gave up the ghost yesterday. (Only good for 25 years, it seems, at least when it starts blowing 30+)

I'm leaning tuff luff, because folks say it's easier to get up the headstay with the rig up, but I'd like to hear any pros/cons on that.

Thanks,

- David

Hoist a tape measure then cut accordingly. Instructions are very good. I've found the 1205 Tuff Luff very easy to put up. I assume the larger one (1206?)is equally easy. I had one sail (new Tape Drive #1) that would not stay in the foil despite several luff tape replacements, it "unzipped" itself from the top down, until North put a tape on it with the correct flare at the top (compensate for halyard angle). North and Z sails have worked fine with it. "Unzipping" damaged new foil that Schaffer replaced NC (thumbs up for mfr). Can't say it's the foil's fault per-se, but it might have contributed so I use the optional top cap but I hear most don't. Spin Sheets can wear the plastic easily (e.g., when the pole is down). Don't think it will last 25 years - maybe 5. Have not used Schaffer's kevlar guard accessory. Infeed is "lash on" v. bolt-on swivel. Works Ok. Price is obscene considering it's a simple extrusion, but that's sailing.

I agree with Seth's contention that the price is obscene given the simplicity of the system. I replaced the extrusion on Mondial a few years ago for considerably less than the cost of a new system (either HeadFoil or TuffLuff). On the HeadFoil, there was an "early" or a "late" version of the stainless steel casting. If you provide the information to the firm, they will notch the lower end appropriately. When you install it, just trim the extrusion to the right length with a hacksaw and drill for a small bolt and nut to keep it from "peeling" open.

So having complete the task, here are some notes.

If you have a headfoil-2, you are on 6mm tapes. That means a 1206 tuff luff, or a size 6 foil from headfoil 2. If you have a tuff luff, you can be either 1205 or 1206. This is because the 1205 and 1206 go over 1/4 inch wire, but the size 5 headfoil-2 system does not. For added sport, most 5mm tapes will work in the headfoil-2 foil, but not in the 1206 tuff luff.

When all was said and done, we replaced just the foil in in our headfoil 2. This is pretty straighforward, but there are about three gotchas you want to look out for.

First, when headfoils ships a foil these days, it will have a cable-tie stuffed into the foil in a slightly odd way. It's holding open the "ziplock" slot where the foil eventually goes around the headstay. We pulled it out. I think you'd be happier leaving it in, sliding it down past the point where you need to cut, re-zipping shut the foil where you need to cut, and working from there.

The major tricks are that you use the cable-tie to slide open the zip-lock section. It's actually very cool, as the head of the tie slides along inside, and the tail unzips things very nicely. The second trick is that there seems to be no way to apply enough thumb pressure to reseat the ziplock. I ended up using a pair of channel locks, and a lot of patience. I'd suggest a very smooth c-clamp might work far better. (Adjusted so that it works the ziplock back in place, and can be slid along.) Channel locks, at least the pair I had, were too grooved on the surface to want to slide along the foil, so I ended up doing a gentle crimping squueze every 2 inches, the entire length of 30+ feet of headfoil. That got old.

Our measurement was just short of 32 feet. That's with four inches of spacer at the top. (Which I'm not sure was present in the original setup)

- David