How much tension is required on your halyard to get the mainsail with no creases and fairly flat. I seem to nees alot to get my mainsail to this shape and worry about something breaking. Dave Oberholtzer Hydrotherapy
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Wrong assumption
Dave, Irregardless of boat size or design, there is no one tension for your halyard. The tension that works well in light air will not be sufficient in heavy air. Conversely, tension sufficent to smooth the sail in heavy air will put multiple wrinkles in your sail as soon as the wind drops. Further, you referred to flatening your sail, which is the initial technique for de-powering your sail as wind speed rises. In light air, you want your a deep draft (curve) to get power from the sail - ie, anything but flat. I've gone so far as to use my uphaul to lift the boom a bit to promote deeper draft by taking weight off the leech. Coming back to your question, the trick is to tension your halyard,of if you have one, your cunningham, until the sail just pulls out flat. If you over-tension the luff, you will create new wrinkles. I don't claim to know all about sail design, but it seems that all mainsails are built with a luft rope sewn into them. If you can over-stretch that, the olympic weight lifting team wants you. Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo
Dave, Irregardless of boat size or design, there is no one tension for your halyard. The tension that works well in light air will not be sufficient in heavy air. Conversely, tension sufficent to smooth the sail in heavy air will put multiple wrinkles in your sail as soon as the wind drops. Further, you referred to flatening your sail, which is the initial technique for de-powering your sail as wind speed rises. In light air, you want your a deep draft (curve) to get power from the sail - ie, anything but flat. I've gone so far as to use my uphaul to lift the boom a bit to promote deeper draft by taking weight off the leech. Coming back to your question, the trick is to tension your halyard,of if you have one, your cunningham, until the sail just pulls out flat. If you over-tension the luff, you will create new wrinkles. I don't claim to know all about sail design, but it seems that all mainsails are built with a luft rope sewn into them. If you can over-stretch that, the olympic weight lifting team wants you. Jim Kolstoe, h23 Kara's Boo
Part of Sail Trim
Optimal halyard tension is one part of sail trim. It will vary according to wind strength. All other things equal, more tension means flatter sail. Good very heavy wind and beating. Less trim means fuller sail. Good for light wind and running. Most cruisers hoist the main and go. But, racers are frequently adjusting halyard tensions for changes in wind and point of sail. Perhaps somebody on the racing forum can provide more info.
Optimal halyard tension is one part of sail trim. It will vary according to wind strength. All other things equal, more tension means flatter sail. Good very heavy wind and beating. Less trim means fuller sail. Good for light wind and running. Most cruisers hoist the main and go. But, racers are frequently adjusting halyard tensions for changes in wind and point of sail. Perhaps somebody on the racing forum can provide more info.
Shrunken bolt rope?
Dave - I've just begun to learn about a problem many of us who have Hunters with Doyle sails may have. Apparently there is an issue with bolt rope shrinkage. If your bolt rope has shrunk, then it will prove very difficult to remove wrinkles with halyard tension alone. I've been told that if you search the archives you will find many posts on this subject. My sail seems to have this problem, and another H26 sailor in my area had it too. He cut the bolt rope from the stitching at the tack of the sail to allow it to slip up the sail some and he regained an inch or two of sail at the luff. I think ultimately he will resew the bolt rope to the sail in its new position. Good luck, Ron Mehringer H26 Hydro-Therapy
Dave - I've just begun to learn about a problem many of us who have Hunters with Doyle sails may have. Apparently there is an issue with bolt rope shrinkage. If your bolt rope has shrunk, then it will prove very difficult to remove wrinkles with halyard tension alone. I've been told that if you search the archives you will find many posts on this subject. My sail seems to have this problem, and another H26 sailor in my area had it too. He cut the bolt rope from the stitching at the tack of the sail to allow it to slip up the sail some and he regained an inch or two of sail at the luff. I think ultimately he will resew the bolt rope to the sail in its new position. Good luck, Ron Mehringer H26 Hydro-Therapy
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