Well the jib experiments have carried on.

I’ve tried a self tacking jib and with the mast in the forward position and a Mirror jib as a downwind sail.

I really like the mast in the forward position and so gave it a test with the Gull jib at a DCA rally on Chichester Harbour. The wind was ideal for the test, seven knots when we started and ten later on.

It has to be remembered that the Gull is a two person boat though many sail and especially cruise single handed. The design sail area is therefore for the righting moment of two sailors not one so losing the jib makes sense.

With the jib up there was some lee helm but a small amount of heel sorted this. I usually sail in light airs with a little heel anyway. I think I could improve this with a higher aspect rudder, the Gull blade has a lot of area in the back.

At about 8 to 10 knots I was sitting on the gunwale and took the jib down. Without the jib it wasn’t as easy to sail as efficiently but with time that improved.

Fortunately a DCA member in a Mirror was near and we traded tacks, I would say with the jib up I had the edge and without the Mirror was a smidge faster. I didn’t notice any loss of pointing. Single handed the Mirror sails off 1377 and the Gull 1363, a 2004 figure. The Mirror was Gunter rigged and neither boat in racing condition. The Mirror helm was a good sailor with a history of racing and later he said the Gull sailed well with just the jib.

I feel that set up like this there is little loss of performance with a number of advantages:

Easier to put the mast up as it can rest against the foredeck, I think an easy system for lowering the mast afloat is achievable.

• No jib when it’s blustery and there is a risk of capsize. This was the main point of the self tacking jib.
• As posted before I have mastered dropping the jib quickly so this allows for rapid control of area without stopping to reef the main.
• Simpler than the self tacking jib.
• With the weight of the mast forward I can sit further aft in the usual helm position if there was a crew. This saves stepping over the centreboard.
• More room in the boat though the effect on storage for overnight has to be evaluated.

So I think this will be the set up of choice going forward, other than the lee helm I see little wrong with this configuration.