Indeed, the huge value of laminated sails is the shape holding, not just in the long term, but also DURING sailing. Even when brand new, dacron stretches as breeze hits it, and the stretch translates into lost power. Laminated sails convert much more pressure into forward motion. It's the same reason you use low-stretch halyards and sheets.
I agree, even though it looks like trash bags from the pictures, it still looks pretty mean!
I dunno about fancy, but I was very lazy last night and didn't roll the trash bin out for collection this morning
You'll love all those changes. In particular the full battens.Ah, ya gotta love them plastic sails!
I'm also getting a new main - just good ol' dacron, from North Sails here in Vancouver. I filled out a SIX-PAGE form with all the numbers, and I hope it's going to work. A few differences from the old one:
- Loose foot. We discussed this, and like the head-board I don't see any downside to it.
- 2 reef points instead of 3. I've never even used the second reef - when the wind picks up past 25 or so I just go jib-only. And anyway, I have a storm trysail...
- Higher clew: when I have the old main sheeted in tight, the boom scrapes across the dodger. I'm thinking it was fine when it was new, but now it's stretched out and too low. I suspect the new main will have the clew where the old one was when it was new.
- Full battens. Better for sail shape, less flogging, and easier to drop onto the boom.
- Proper shape. I'm no expert, but I can SEE the bag in the main: the "power curve" comes about halfway down the sail rather than 2/3 of the way towards the luff. I'm guessing that close-hauled, that main is contributing pretty much nothing but heel. I know that my speed increases from 1-2 to 5-6 when I raise the jib!
Anyway, nice-looking garbage-bag sail, Jack!
druid
Its a backstay flicker. Very common on boats with roachy mains. Its basically a thick batten, and holds the backstay off the mainsail when the backstay is eased. When racing in light air we sail with the backstay fully off, and the flicker holds the stay above the sail. This allows the sail to be tacked or gibed without snagging. Our leech extends about 10 inches past the stay and would get snagged.
Sort of... running backs are gone from all but the most extreme fractional boats. The vast majority are mostly single backstays with flickers. Some squarehead mains are now backstayless. Full-on raceboats (like the C&C 30) will utilize runners.So it's kind of a "poor-man's running backstay"
Yep. And full marks for being caught constantly looking up at your sail. You know what I always say.......Hell, we look like we know what we are doing! Well at least your trimmer for the day does....
Good eye. Another 1.5 inches out and its totally flat. That's the great thing about laminates. I had a sloppy bowline in the 2:1 outhaul loop that test sail day and could not pull it fully out and flat. I fixed that for last night's race (12-17 knots) at it was PERFECT.
