Full Batten Sail Adjustments

[Paul]

Bill, my Seaward carries a full batten mainsail which supports quite a large roach. I read the previous posts and conclude I should keep the battens just tight enough to keep wrinkles out.With the battens tightened as such, how much control can a cunningham, boomvang and outhaul still provide with a sail that is "shaped" seemingly by the battens? Can I still control the pocket?Should the battens be tapered, or otherwise thinner at the leading one-third of their lenght?Any input is greatly appreciated. Paul

 

[Bill Colombo]

Trimming a Full Batten Main

Paul, If you tension the battens properly the full battened main should be almost as resposive to edge tension as a standard main. The battens will not prevent the cunningham for moving the draft forward. If the battens are too tight then they will induce extra camber that you will not be able to trim out. For full battens we usually do not use tapered battens since mains usually are designed with max draft at about 40-45%. If tapered battens are used they should be only slightly tapered otherwise they will push the draft too far forward.Thanks,Bill ColomboDoyle Sails