Short version:
Tacking and jibing can be difficult since with my rig the sheets and sail have to be brought around in front of the forestay, where I encountered some snag points. It points better than I had anticipated, but it's not a genoa. Things can get dicey if there's an unexpected gust. Sail handles nicely and stows compactly.
Long version:
A significant gap in my "sail locker" has been a sail that would give me a needed boost on downwind runs, especially in light wind. I considered a spinnaker, but my experience with them is that they normally require extra crew (yes, I know some single-handers manage them), and a spinnaker pole, typically supported by a topping lift. After a good deal of research, I decided a drifter was the right solution for me and my relatively novice crew.
At the beginning of the day's sail, winds were very gentle, 0 to 8 mph, and variable. I found that the lightweight (.75 oz) material filled well even in light breeze, but even a light sail won't fill when the wind drops to zero. Still, moving at all in sub-5 mph wind was nice, and better than I could get out of my Big Jib in similar conditions.
Similarly, on a broad reach, I was able to achieve very good speed for the conditions.
Pointing is, of course, not what this sail was designed to do, but I found that it did unexpectedly well as long as the wind stayed below 10 mph. Much above that and I found the boat was subject to a lot of weather helm and heeling. I was dumping wind out of the main at times to the point where it was just flapping. If the wind had gotten much higher I would have had to release the jib sheet to keep from being knocked over. The only time I will try to reach with this sail is in light wind, and then when I am too lazy to change out headsails.
A really big aggravation was the "catch points" in the rigging, all having to do with the jib sheets. When hauling the sail around the forestay, invariably the knot at the clew would stick on the forestay and I would have to go up and free it. Big PITA in the middle of a tack. Similarly at the tack, where the rope from the bow met the sail, the sheets would sometimes hang there, and also at the base of the shrouds. hopefully wrapping these areas with rigging tap will ease the flow of the sheets.
I ended up using the winches and cleats that I use for my regular jib for the drifter sheets, but since I plan to use them both when racing, I will need to figure out a way to minimize switching these out.
Like most new sail setups, this one has come with some challenges, but I am confident I can find solutions.
At the slip
On the water
Wing on wing
