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Online Resources - Sail Measurment

Sail Measurment

This is the first time in our club history that sail measuring instructions have been published as far as we know. These instructions have been determined by looking at other yacht clubs on the internet, from input by our own members who are experienced at sail measuring, and from one of the PHRF committee members in Seattle. There are many opinions about how this should be done. We have chosen the following for a starting point. If anyone is not happy with any of this, there may be a new handicapping committee next year. Please volunteer to be on that committee.

All sails will be measured for the 2004 racing season (Only the largest of each type of sail in your sail inventory that you intend to use for racing.). Measured sails will be signed by the handicapper (Tom Abel) on the tack of the sail, and will never have to be measured again. (The exception to this is if you want to measure again for any reason. Usually sails get bigger and slower with age.) If you are racing for a trophy, your sails must have the measurement signature. If you are caught on the race course with other than a measured sail or the declared sail, the race will be counted as a DNS and cannot be thrown out. This mostly is by the honor system, but there can be spot checks from the committee boat and on the dock, and protests from fellow racers. This rule only applies to the largest sails of each type in your sail inventory or the sails you declare to use for the season.

Once you measure sails and establish a PHRF rating, this is the “declared” configuration for the year. The race committee will not recalculate your rating for each race if you upsize or downsize sails.

Sail Measurements

Sails shall be measured in a dry state, with just sufficient tension to remove wrinkles across the line of the measurement being taken. Corners of the sail will be taken at the intersection of the projections of the adjacent sides.

Main If the main has a bolt rope, do not include the bolt rope in any of the measurements. Consider the edge of the sail just inside of the bolt rope. If you have slugs, measure from the wear line on the slug where it slides in the track (In other words, from the rear edge of the mast).

P Luff length of mainsail from tack to head.

E Foot length of mainsail along boom from tack to clew of sail allowing for slugs or bolt rope. In the event the clew of the mainsail is carried below the top of the boom where it intersects the mast (boom droop), measure the “E” along the slope of the mainsail.

MGM Mainsail Mid-Girth Measurement. The points of measurement are determined:

1. By folding the head of the sail to the tack and marking the midpoint of the Luff.
2. By folding the head of the sail to the clew and marking the midpoint of the leach.

Use the same point on the headboard (grommet corner) for both marks. MGM is the measured distance between the Luff and Leach marks making proper allowances for slugs or bolt rope.

MGU Mainsail Upper-Girth Measurement. The points of measurement are determined by folding the head of the sail to the Mid Girth measurement points and marking the three-quarter points for the Luff and Leach. MGU is the measured distance between the resulting Luff and Leach marks making proper allowances for slugs or bolt rope.

HB Headboard. Measure the maximum fore and aft dimension from the Luff of the mainsail to the aft edge of the Leach at the widest part of the headboard making proper allowance for slugs or bolt rope.

Jib LP LP is the distance from the clew of the jib to the luff line of the jib in a direction to cross the luff at 90 degrees. (shortest distance from clew to luff line)

LLJ Luff Length Jib is the measurement from the tack to the head of the jib. If in doubt about the tack and head location, project the luff, foot or leach to the point of intersection.

Spinnaker LLS Luff Length Spinnaker is the greatest length of the spinnaker Luff and Leach measured around the edges of the sail. (If you have an asymmetric, see the handicapper.)

G Is the Girth of the spinnaker. This is the maximum width of the spinnaker measured from the Luff to Luff with spinnaker stretched flat (not over stretched); measured parallel to the foot.

SPL Spinnaker Pole Length. The length of the spinnaker pole, when in its fitting on the mast, and set in a horizontal position athwartship, measured from the center line of the yacht to the inside edge of the outboard eye of the pole used when the spinnaker is set. Alternate: Measure from extreme outside to outside of spinnaker pole fittings.

Rig Measurements

The rig need not be measured unless your boat has had a new mast installed, new boom, or if the location of the mast on the boat has been altered from the factory location. If there were changes in production of your model of boat over the years, the rig should be measured.

I, J, H Measurements. See handicapper for assistance. TEA05/27/04