Loose-Footed, or Solid Footed Main?

[Will Gilmore]

I don't need to add to the obvious consensus for loose footed. Just want to put my $0.02. worth in on the full battens. There are two reasons, that I know of, for full battens.
1. To provide support for a wide leach like the hobies have. The Catalina has a pretty shallow leach, esp. the tall rigs. That's why the usual configuration is 2 fulls on top (where the leach is the fullest).
2. Nice air foil shape that resists luffing (luffing begins with the sail twist the largest at the top, another reason for the top two battens to be full). There are some disadvantages to full battens. a. Sail shape is harder to vary in light wind conditions. You can't easily deepen the luff when running with the wind. Not a big deal but, there is some loss of flexibility. b. Full battens are expensive. The battens themselves, the sails with full batten pockets, the batten cars and possibly a special track. Battens break and HAVE to be replaced of your sail is cut with a full leach, or removed.
For a boat of your size and shallow leach, a good sailermaker with quality materials could give you most off the advantages without the disadvantage of high cost. You don't need no stinkin' full battens
Leaf Furling the sails is easier to.
I don't need to point out that this is just opinion do I? You get that?
- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Meriachee]

Wil, regarding 2a, I disagree. Since flying the main with the bolt rope removed, and redesigning the outhaul so it actually works, I am nothing short of amazed at the ability to achieve decent sail shape in light winds.
We specialize in that up here, most days are known as no wind, in 5 years of owning this boat I’ve put in exactly one reef. The spec for the new main has no reef points at all, and that sure raises eyebrows.

 

[Will Gilmore]

I am nothing short of amazed at the ability to achieve decent sail shape in light winds.

I am happy to stand corrected. My hobie never had a problem but I was not seeking peak performance and just let her take whatever shape she wanted in light winds while running. I saw a lot of upper twist since I didn't have a vang and not much belly. The full leach made up for flatter shape.
- Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Jackdaw]

In light air, full battens will impose a shape onto the sail that the wind may not have with partial. For this reason they are slightly inferior to partial in these conditions.

 

[Meriachee]

No issue Wil. As mentioned we are not the norm, and go to rather lengthy extents to capitalize on the available conditions. Global warming may yet change things. It certainly has already.

 

[rgranger]

Just got a new main for my H26 this spring.... and switched from a traditional foot to a loose foot.

Love it.

An advantage not mentioned yet.... when you do reef with a lose foot, you can actually tidy up the foot with the reef point lines without committing the sin of tying the reef point lines around the boom (and potentially ripping your sail to shreds).

 

[Joe]

Radial cut, medium to full roach.
Battens, Top two full, bottom two partial.
Loose foot, or shelf foot Do not get attached foot!
Minimum one set of reef points, but two is nice. Three if you're making longer trips.
Stainless ring on strop through luff reef cringle for easier reefing
Draft stripes... 2 at least... you'll love 'em
Leech telltales.
Leech cord
Class insignia and number applied by loft (they're hard to apply yourself)

 

[TomY]

I went from partial battens, attached foot, to full battens and loose footed. I especially love the extra adjustment a loose footed main is capable of. Our boats light air performance is much improved with the new main but that is due to all factors, primarily that of the shape of a new sail vs a stretched out old one.

A big reason I chose full battens was for the ease of handling and furling the sail. It's a low aspect main with a 17' long foot. The full battens with lazy jacks improved a tough task(as you can see in the photo). That reason may not apply to your boat to warrant the added expense.

I added a mizzen main last season and went with the same configuration; loose footed, full battens. The reasons were different for this sail. A mizzen is usually cut flatter with less draft. The full battens hold a better shape (which means less draft) for a riding sail, or heaving to (as in this photo), and full battens are a quieter sail. Loose footed gives some draft, when you want it, say reaching.

 

[capta]

At times I can shape our loose footed IMRF main very much like a head sail. We set the boom out, vang it down tightly against the sheet and use the outhaul to shape the sail. I'm not sure it would be as practical on a hoisted main, as our outhaul has it's own winch and is easily tended.
I'm not sure I'd go for a fully battened sail and a tri-radial cut. Seems like overkill, as the tri-radial cut holds it's shape much better than the other cuts.

 

[Will Gilmore]

TomY, any time you can post pics of that boat or any part of her, please feel free to do so.
-Will (Dragonfly)

 

[Doug4bass]

That's one sweet looking boat, Tom.
Is there anything better looking than a full batten main?