RF Mainsail Leeches
Doug, RF mainsails are great in terms of convenience but not in terms of performance or longevity. Most look pretty good out of the box but rather quickly develop a draft aft profile with a pronounced hook at the leech. This is caused by the fact that the furler puts extra strain on the leech when it is furled or reefed. Also there are no battens to keep the leech straight. Unfortunately there is not a whole lot that can be done about this since you can't change the cause of the effect. You can take the sail to the loft once a year and have your sailmaker put some take-ups in the leech. This should improve the situation temporarily. I do think you are better off living with the hooked leech rather than sailing with the outhaul drastically eased off. Next time you replace the sail look into getting a sail with a bit of positive roach supported by vertically oriented battens. We have built quite a few of these sails and they have gotten rave reviews from owners who say that the new sail dramatically improved their boat's performance. Thanks, Bill C. Doyle Sails
