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What does battened sail mean?
On sailboats, a sail batten is a flexible insert in a sail, parallel to the direction of wind flow, that helps shape its qualities as an airfoil. Battens are long, thin strips of material, historically wooden but today usually fiberglass, vinyl, or carbon fiber, used to support the roach of a sail.
When should sails be flattened?
A periodic check is worth the effort. I replace my sheets every two years. The basic theory of trimming is simple: In light wind, a curved sail with lots of shape is faster, but as the wind speed increases, the sail needs to be flattened to reduce its power.
What is a battened mainsail?
Battens are the primary structure of a mainsail. They support the sail’s shape, improve overall durability by limiting the effects of flogging on fabric, and remove any limitation on size (roach area). Full-length battens in the top sections of the sail are now common.
What does fully battened Mean?
On a full-batten mainsail, all the battens run the entire width of the sail, from leech to luff, usually parallel to the boom. Partial battens just run a few feet in from the leech, typically perpendicular to the straight line between the head and the clew.
Can you reef a furling mainsail?
Furling Mainsail Advantages A furling mainsail is easy to reef and un-reef from the cockpit while underway – a great advantage in San Francisco Bay where winds can be highly variable. There’s no need to flake and cover the mainsail when done sailing. Roll it up, close the line clutches, and you’re done!
How do you trim a sail for broad reach?
On a beam to broad reach, the top of the jib will spill open. Trim to keep the middle of the sail working. Ease the main until it luffs. The main should go way out—out against the rigging if necessary.
How should you adjust the mast bend to depower your mainsail?
If your main is cut too full, then easing the lowers is what you might want to do to depower it a bit, but this then allows it to sag to leeward. As a general rule, the middle of the mast should sag a little to leeward in lighter air as this will develop power.
Do you need a mainsheet traveler?
Mainsheet Travelers The mainsheet traveler is a powerful device that helps reduce weather helm, decreases heeling (which can help increase speed), and helps reduce the need to reef early. But many travelers are difficult to use and, as a result, the traveler car often just sits in the middle of its track.
Why do sails luff?
In sailing, luffing refers to when a sailing vessel is steered far enough toward the direction of the wind (“windward”), or the sheet controlling a sail is eased so far past optimal trim, that airflow over the surfaces of the sail is disrupted and the sail begins to “flap” or “luff” (the luff of the sail is usually …
What is a Roached mainsail?
The roach is the area of the sail aft of a line between the head and the clew. It provides a useful increase in sail area, but it comes at a price – battens.
What is a roach on a sail?
Roach is a term also applied to square sail design—it is the arc of a circle above a straight line from clew to clew at the foot of a square sail, from which sail material is omitted. The greater the departure from the straight line, the greater the “hollow” in the roach.
Can you convert in mast furling to slab reefing?
New member. If its not an add on system then the mast cannot be converted to slab reefing, most inmast masts have a track up the back for a trisail but this is not strong enough as no support on one side, if add on then possible to remove it and fill in holes with rivets.
Are furling mainsails good?
How do I get my sailboat to point higher?
Less prebend will make your mast straighter which will make the main deeper and can help create the power needed to point higher so try a slightly straighter mast to push some depth into your main and create a more powerful shape.
How do you slow down when sailing downwind?
When you’re going downwind, the way to reduce heeling is to head away from the wind. This lessens the sideways forces on the boat. Note that this is the exact opposite of sailing upwind. Sometimes, when you are on a breezy run, your boat will start to roll back and forth until it seems a little out of control.
How tight should my backstay be?
They should be tight enough that when you push or pull on them, they don’t want to jiggle around too much. If they feel loose or floppy, you need to tighten them further.
What does adjusting the backstay do?
Adjusting the backstay will either increase the bend of the mast (backstay tension on) or decrease bend of the mast (backstay eased). It’s usual to ease backstay downwind and put on backstay tension when going upwind.