Anyone tried it?

I know a few did for a one-off some years ago at Datchet. Has anyone tried it in a bit of wind. I bet it's exciting over about 10 kts!

We have a single handed regatta here that we do with all the sails.10 knots and below is great above start moving the traveler down. With the spin up I did not see that much change.

For fun sailing I do this. In winds up to 10 I prefer it as I typicaly sail sloop and I am use to using the jib to read the wind. Single over 10 it is just trimmed out of the way (slot open and tight enough to not flog)so provides nothing. The jib ends up that way 2 up in +20 also for me typicaly.

The boat is ballanced either way, so you do not need the jib as excitement wise there is pleanty already, it is more a question of whether you feel like having a couple of more strings to pull.

Do you really think that from 10-15 the jib adds nothing? Is that true only for self-tacking blade jibs?

Dave, I think what Matt is saying is that he trims the jib loosly, just enough to keep it from flogging, so it doesn't add to the -healing forces- when he is sailing it solo in 10-15.

Is that right Matt?

Yep,

In +10 alone I have more power than I can hold down with just the main. I can set it where it does not flog but does nothing to add any power. Being small and battened this works nearly as well as a furler.

I used to do the same thing when I had my Inter 20, sailing it alone in up to 17 knots here on the lake. Sometimes I would just trim the jib and ease the main quite a bit, traveler out, boards up a bit, and had no trouble keeping it under control.

I first tried it with main only but my mast was raked so much I found it had far too much weather helm. It was actually easier to control it with the jib on than without.

But as you pointed out, the mast rake on the Blade is not so much, so there isn't much helm change at all going from jib to no-jib.