Jason, It's been a few years since I sailed my "tricked out" Express 27 but here's the way I set my boat up. First, I'd stay away from the floating leads because settings cannot be easily duplicated. My Lewmar roller bearing cars/track took some guess work out. For heavier air, I put some (12"?) of the stock track four inches outboard and yet another peice (18"?) just inside where the toe rail (I removed that) used to be. In the really heavy stuff, when I got stuck with the #1 up, I was able to use the outer most track though there were sometimes problems with the lifelines. Mainsheet traveller above centerline really helps with twist. You should be able to carry the sails well above their range by letting the sheet outboard and back. Have you ever considered a #2, some hollow in the leach and about 138% LP? I seldom lost a race sailing in chop -- with a wide range in crew weight -- and placed high in the PHRF overalls. The sail was good anytime you had doubts about a #1 or whether you didn't have the crew. Final advice learned is don't oversheet the #1 in 22 plus knots. Sail it a little loose and aggressively luff the front edge to keep the boat on its feet. Dave Michos

:: Anyone care to comment/share on trimming the genny in
:: the 13-16 knot range with floating (i.e.
:: inboard/outboard) jib leads? My experience thus far is
:: that the actual top end is largely a function of crew
:: weight (on some light-crewed nights as little as 14 kts
:: seriously puts us on our ear - read: very slow - even
:: with the leads eased and outboard). That aside, my real
:: question is this: when the wind is at the point where
:: you'd consider moving the genny lead outboard (or
:: switching to the #3), I prefer to keep the main travler
:: above center and play the sheet with the vang on hard.
:: And I only ease the lead "up" about half as much as I
:: would if it were inboard b/c I like a little roundness
:: in the foot. That setup typically yeilds a wider slot
:: and so why did I move the jib lead outboard in the first
:: place? Sheeting angle? Who knows. The one thing I'm
:: certain of on this boat is that a hooked top batten
:: means you stop. Maybe my real question is: does anyone
:: think the floating leads are that great? Granted, they
:: make sweet barber haulers when close reaching, and
:: adjust the lead up and down might be a bit easier than
:: with a track, but...