I seem to have a flattening reef sewn into my mainsail. What i don't understand is when and how to use it.These are two curved panels that make up the bottom two panels of the sail.Do I hook my out haul to the cringle until I encounter such light winds that I'm not moving at all? If I just use the out haul I can never really flatten the sail with the outhaul or vang.Do I run yet another set of cheekblocks and always have the flattening reef set up like I would for single line reefing ?
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Like Going on a Diet
You can take the belly out of the sail using the flattening reef. This is very useful when the wind is at a point where you are heeling too much and encountering too much weather helm, but you don't need a full reef. If you have single line reefing, you may not have a ram's head at the gooseneck. If you do, simply loosen the halyard and put the foreward gommet over the ram's head as with a conventional reef, and tie down the aft grommet with a line around the boom. Because the reef is so small, you don't need intermediate lines around the sail. If you don't have a ram's head, I guess you can try simply tying a line through the forward grommet around the bottom of the boom, although you will want to be sure it is good and tight. The flattening reef will reduce the mainsail area only about 10% but will have a dramatic affect on your sail shape by removing the "shelf" at the bottom of the sail. In my CS30, I used this reef at about 16 to 18 kts and went to a full reef at something over 20. Worked really well. Best of luck
You can take the belly out of the sail using the flattening reef. This is very useful when the wind is at a point where you are heeling too much and encountering too much weather helm, but you don't need a full reef. If you have single line reefing, you may not have a ram's head at the gooseneck. If you do, simply loosen the halyard and put the foreward gommet over the ram's head as with a conventional reef, and tie down the aft grommet with a line around the boom. Because the reef is so small, you don't need intermediate lines around the sail. If you don't have a ram's head, I guess you can try simply tying a line through the forward grommet around the bottom of the boom, although you will want to be sure it is good and tight. The flattening reef will reduce the mainsail area only about 10% but will have a dramatic affect on your sail shape by removing the "shelf" at the bottom of the sail. In my CS30, I used this reef at about 16 to 18 kts and went to a full reef at something over 20. Worked really well. Best of luck
Flatening Reef and Cunningham
What I believe you have inyour set up is a flatening reef cringle aft and a cunningham cringle forward. I suppose they could be used in conjunction with each other but I don't believe that was the original intent. I'd set up a single 5/16" line tied in a bowline to the pin at the aft end of the boom, run the line up thru the flatening reef cringle and back to the aft end of the boom or to a new cheek block as far back as you can get it; run the standing part of the line forward and either cleat it in the side of the boom. In a more elaborate 'racing' set up, you might carry it to the goose neck, down to the deck and back to the cabintop winches. On a 25 the first option is easiest but doesn't give you the winch option. When the flatening reef is tight you have , lifted the boom end 10-12" and completely flatening and depowering the foot of the sail . Newer style loose footed mains no longer have this separate adjustment as the outhaul does it all. The forward cunningham cringle should have a 3 to 4 part purchase downward to pull the luff of the sail tight and move the draft forward. You might be able to acomplish the same adjustment by increasing halyard tension, but the cunningham as a racing adjustment, is easier and faster to adjust.
What I believe you have inyour set up is a flatening reef cringle aft and a cunningham cringle forward. I suppose they could be used in conjunction with each other but I don't believe that was the original intent. I'd set up a single 5/16" line tied in a bowline to the pin at the aft end of the boom, run the line up thru the flatening reef cringle and back to the aft end of the boom or to a new cheek block as far back as you can get it; run the standing part of the line forward and either cleat it in the side of the boom. In a more elaborate 'racing' set up, you might carry it to the goose neck, down to the deck and back to the cabintop winches. On a 25 the first option is easiest but doesn't give you the winch option. When the flatening reef is tight you have , lifted the boom end 10-12" and completely flatening and depowering the foot of the sail . Newer style loose footed mains no longer have this separate adjustment as the outhaul does it all. The forward cunningham cringle should have a 3 to 4 part purchase downward to pull the luff of the sail tight and move the draft forward. You might be able to acomplish the same adjustment by increasing halyard tension, but the cunningham as a racing adjustment, is easier and faster to adjust.
Bimini Clearance?
Hi Timm: When sailing with their bimini up, some folks have insufficient clearance between their boom and the bimini. One solution is to use the topping lift to slightly raise the boom to clear the bimini. This creates a little problem with sail shape. Tieing down a reef cringle will improve this problem. That could be one possible reason for your reef cringle. BrianW
Hi Timm: When sailing with their bimini up, some folks have insufficient clearance between their boom and the bimini. One solution is to use the topping lift to slightly raise the boom to clear the bimini. This creates a little problem with sail shape. Tieing down a reef cringle will improve this problem. That could be one possible reason for your reef cringle. BrianW
Tack Point?
Timm, I just re-read your original post and looked again at your photo. Is it possible that there is more than one tack point on the front of your boom (my 28.5 has 3 options)? If so, it looks like the tack point could be more forward, since we can see considerable daylight between the lower luff of the main and the back of the mast. Your outhaul may not be all the way back but it does not seem to have much more adjustment left and in the second photo there seem to be considerable wrinlkes in the bolt rope implying it isn't tight. Maybe we could see the problem if you could post a close up of the goose neck / tack fitting area when you have the outhaul at least hand tight. You should be able to flatten the foot of the sail with just the outhaul more than we are seeing in these photos.
Timm, I just re-read your original post and looked again at your photo. Is it possible that there is more than one tack point on the front of your boom (my 28.5 has 3 options)? If so, it looks like the tack point could be more forward, since we can see considerable daylight between the lower luff of the main and the back of the mast. Your outhaul may not be all the way back but it does not seem to have much more adjustment left and in the second photo there seem to be considerable wrinlkes in the bolt rope implying it isn't tight. Maybe we could see the problem if you could post a close up of the goose neck / tack fitting area when you have the outhaul at least hand tight. You should be able to flatten the foot of the sail with just the outhaul more than we are seeing in these photos.
Photo confusion
I apologize if the photos are confusing.The sail was pulled out while I was moored.The photos were only to depict the cut of the panels and not the outhaul or luff tension. I can tighten up the outhaul until I have horizontal wrinkles and can tighten up the luff until I have vertical wrinkles.No matter what, I still have this belly or shelf as I've heard it refered to .
I apologize if the photos are confusing.The sail was pulled out while I was moored.The photos were only to depict the cut of the panels and not the outhaul or luff tension. I can tighten up the outhaul until I have horizontal wrinkles and can tighten up the luff until I have vertical wrinkles.No matter what, I still have this belly or shelf as I've heard it refered to .
Flattening Reef
The flattening reef that I have experience with was used alone to remove the 'shelf' and actually flatten the main. Like a reef point, the line pulled the cringle down to the boom and back tensioning the foot. It was not as high above the foot as yours seems to be. From the photo it appears that both the cunningham cringle, and the flattening cringle would be used as the 'first reef' point.
The flattening reef that I have experience with was used alone to remove the 'shelf' and actually flatten the main. Like a reef point, the line pulled the cringle down to the boom and back tensioning the foot. It was not as high above the foot as yours seems to be. From the photo it appears that both the cunningham cringle, and the flattening cringle would be used as the 'first reef' point.
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