Flake A Mainsail

[Ducati]

Good day

Our boat arrives in April and it comes well equipped with an inventory of race sails. I single handed our last boat which had a Dutchman system however this boat will not have that and there are no plans on adding a lazy-jack system.

Any suggestions on how to flake the main? These sails (carbon/mylar material) are really slippery and was wondering if there are any tricks for putting the sail to bed...neatly.

Thanks

 

[tommays]

You will need specfic instrutions from the sailmaker as the carbon has NO tolerance for mistakes

We roll are race main on the 35' boat and change it out after every race back to the dacron

You really cant use these sails everyday if you intend to get any race life out of them

 

[Relentless]

Carbon and mylar should be rolled and stored in the AC, if you flake it the creases will breakdown the mylar. Good news is you only have to do this for 2 or 3 years, then it will be time to replace them anyway

 

[Bill1565]

If you plan to store your main on the boat, either rolled or flaked, be sure to get a white sail cover. The typical Pacific Blue Sunbrella will over heat your sail in the summer sun and destroy it in short order. BTW people here in Florida do store flaked Mylar sails on the boom. They are careful not to crease the sails, but leave a round end on the flake which takes a larger sail cover. They last 3 to 4 years that way, about the same as rolling them and storing off the boat between races.

 

[Alan]

Good advise!

Roll the sail and stow below deck. Dacron sails are OK to leave on the boom with a cover but carbon/mylar will not tolerate the heat or creasing. You've got some quality sails there, take care of them.

 

[higgs]

I am glad to have dacron sails.

 

[Joseph Shirley]

If you flake and store on the boom remember to take all the slides off the mast as you lower it and flake it. Then pull the outhaul a little to move the luff tape aft of the tack pin. If you have a luff rope main without slides then the first part of this suggestion doesn't apply. You can use long sail ties around it to hold it in place until you put a cover on but leave them very loose so they don't crease the rolls.

Have fun

Joe S