I am buying a new main sail. Changing from bolt rope to loose footed because everyone says they are better. I'm not sure why. Now I have to decide whether to have it made with a clew strap or not. I have heard positive comments about the clew straps but no discussion of the possible downsides. I like my older design traditional sail and am looking for compelling reasons why people are moving to loose-footed with a clew strap (or not). The boat is a first 285 beneteau (fractionally rigged) that is used for casual sailing and occassionally for local racing. Any input on why you would choose/have chosen the sail type you have?
clew straps
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Clew straps (+ tack straps) connected to D rings dont wear out as do the old standard sewn ring with pressed brass 'liner' and affect better 'stress distribution' which will lessen the tendency for 'errant creases' (girts) to develop in the adjacent material when the sail/connection is under high stress. The sewn-down straps also aid in the critical 'corner reinforcement' of the sail.
The only downside to strapped D ring connections are they should be totally covered from the sun when not in use to avoid UV damage. If the straps do need replacement (because they are made of more UV sensitive nylon webing), its a very simple, fast and economical job.
The only downside to strapped D ring connections are they should be totally covered from the sun when not in use to avoid UV damage. If the straps do need replacement (because they are made of more UV sensitive nylon webing), its a very simple, fast and economical job.
We went with a loose-footed main on our latest purchase. It does set better, without the "shelf" that is created by a sail which is attatched to the boom all along it's foot. The clew and tack fittings are "O" rings that are indeed attached to the sail with webbing. Hadn't noticed this as being anything special until now - some four years later. It obviously works fine. Doesn't nylon hold up better in the sun than most kevlar/mylar/spectra combinations in any case?
My loose-footed North mainsail is ten years old. . . .already! It still looks and sails as close to new as you could want. The clew and tack are conventional eye holes with no sign of wear that I recall. Your post will remind me to call the North loft where I store it and ask them to check.
Thanks. I feel more comfortable about choosing a clew strap. Re: UV coverage, do you just insure that the strap is covered beneath the sail cover or is there something specific to buy/make to cover the straps when not sailing? Thanks again.
Thanks. Sounds like you are happy with your choice and haven't had any problems with the "webbing" option.
I am glad to hear that after 10 years the sail has kept its shape. I had read that loose-footed sails are more prone to stretching than the bolt rope type. Thanks for your input.
To more directly address one of your questions, a loose-footed main allows easier and much finer control of the draft of the main. A functioning outhaul is a must so if yours is frozen (many are or is very rough) you'll need to address that. We went to a loose foot about 3 years ago and LOVE it. I can flatten it for higher winds or run it at ~ 10% draft under normal and downwind conditions in a heartbeat.
By clew strap, I assume you are referring to a
Velcro/webbing strap that is used to hold the
clew to the boom, instead of an out haul car
or clew slide. This is a common method for
racing mainsails, especially those that are
rolled up and removed from the boom after
each use. There is no advantage to this
method if the boat has a functional outhaul car,
or if the boom section will accept a reasonable slug slide.
If the boat has end boom sheeting, or there is reefing
or other hardware near the end of the boom, the clew strap
may be limited in its travel.
Loose footed mainsails have pretty much become the standard,
with only an occasional traditionalist insisting on slides or a boltrope.
There is no measurable performance advantage with loose footed
vs a shelf foot, but a loose footed sail is much easier for the
sailmaker to build. If the sailmaker is not local to the boat, they
will much prefer the loose foot option, and a clew strap, because
it eliminates a lot of very critical measuring and fitting.
The benefit for the owner is that it also eliminates a lot of
potential chafe points and may allow the outhaul to
work better.
Velcro/webbing strap that is used to hold the
clew to the boom, instead of an out haul car
or clew slide. This is a common method for
racing mainsails, especially those that are
rolled up and removed from the boom after
each use. There is no advantage to this
method if the boat has a functional outhaul car,
or if the boom section will accept a reasonable slug slide.
If the boat has end boom sheeting, or there is reefing
or other hardware near the end of the boom, the clew strap
may be limited in its travel.
Loose footed mainsails have pretty much become the standard,
with only an occasional traditionalist insisting on slides or a boltrope.
There is no measurable performance advantage with loose footed
vs a shelf foot, but a loose footed sail is much easier for the
sailmaker to build. If the sailmaker is not local to the boat, they
will much prefer the loose foot option, and a clew strap, because
it eliminates a lot of very critical measuring and fitting.
The benefit for the owner is that it also eliminates a lot of
potential chafe points and may allow the outhaul to
work better.
Failed clew straps
Here is a picture of a failed clew strap on our 10 year old 110 genny in September. Actuallly, three of tham had failed in the same way, and I had already sewed the other two back in place.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/...2071820.1424685981&pid=31633975&id=1424685981
The clew straps were put on after the UV protective layer, so one side was exposed to the sun for 10 summers. The straps themselves still have plenty of strength - the failure mood was that the thread in the stitching gave way. Luckily, one strap held until I saw the problem, and we were able to repair them before catastrophic failure under way.
When I took the genny and main into our sailmaker after this season, we found other lost stitches on the leach of the genny - also exposed to the sun. The belly on the main had moved back to 50%, and repair on both sails was going to run around $375 - after which we would still have blown out 10 year old sails, so the Admiral approved springing for two new sails!
Our mainsail cover completely covers the mainsail, so there were no pulled threads, or other sun damage on it. We did have a hole where the batten rides on the shrouds in a run (contrary to expectations, we sailed on a dead run or very broad reach for 7 days on our return from Mackinaw City to Lake Erie!), and weakened fabric by the slides on our two full length battens.
But I leave sail design questions like this (clew tapes?) to our sailmaker - he is the expert, and has now earned our trust in many ways.
Here is a picture of a failed clew strap on our 10 year old 110 genny in September. Actuallly, three of tham had failed in the same way, and I had already sewed the other two back in place.
http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/...2071820.1424685981&pid=31633975&id=1424685981
The clew straps were put on after the UV protective layer, so one side was exposed to the sun for 10 summers. The straps themselves still have plenty of strength - the failure mood was that the thread in the stitching gave way. Luckily, one strap held until I saw the problem, and we were able to repair them before catastrophic failure under way.
When I took the genny and main into our sailmaker after this season, we found other lost stitches on the leach of the genny - also exposed to the sun. The belly on the main had moved back to 50%, and repair on both sails was going to run around $375 - after which we would still have blown out 10 year old sails, so the Admiral approved springing for two new sails!
Our mainsail cover completely covers the mainsail, so there were no pulled threads, or other sun damage on it. We did have a hole where the batten rides on the shrouds in a run (contrary to expectations, we sailed on a dead run or very broad reach for 7 days on our return from Mackinaw City to Lake Erie!), and weakened fabric by the slides on our two full length battens.
But I leave sail design questions like this (clew tapes?) to our sailmaker - he is the expert, and has now earned our trust in many ways.
I have been using loose footed mains since 1980 in all my racing boats and also on my cruising boat. You get a better shape top to bottom and in my case I have extra unmeasured sail area in the foot for the downwind runs
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