This doesn't pertain to my boat, but twice over the last year I've been on 36-42 ft cruising boats with in-mast mainsail furling (and hence loose-footed by default). Both boats were fitted with rigid boom vangs. And topping lifts. In both cases, the skipper/owner did not slacken either the topping lift or adjust the boom vang to allow the boom to drop naturally to the mainsail leach tension. Result (to me anyway) was that the mainsail's leach was always very slack = lots of twist ... even when the main sheet was moderately tensioned for close haul sailing.
Question: As opposed to my slug footed mainsail, for which I slacken the topping lift and use the boom vang primarily to prevent the boom from rising when on a beam/broad reach, is the technique different for in-mast furling set-ups as described above? I also do the same when I've reef the mainsail. Which is a loose-footed arrangement; more so than less I think.
I am aware that if the wind is slight, using the topping lift and/or the boom vang to lift the boom a bit imparts better draft for the sail. But in my two outings, the wind was more moderate/strong.
Question: As opposed to my slug footed mainsail, for which I slacken the topping lift and use the boom vang primarily to prevent the boom from rising when on a beam/broad reach, is the technique different for in-mast furling set-ups as described above? I also do the same when I've reef the mainsail. Which is a loose-footed arrangement; more so than less I think.
I am aware that if the wind is slight, using the topping lift and/or the boom vang to lift the boom a bit imparts better draft for the sail. But in my two outings, the wind was more moderate/strong.