We recently purchased a 1975 Cal 34 (our first boat!) with a relatively new roller furler main sail. Sea trials went well with no problems. I've not seen too much discussion about this system of sail management, so I was wondering what the general impression was?
- Status
Roller
You will find more info in the Sail Trim (Ask the Experts) or Ask All Sailors forums. You'll want to be more explicit in your description - some systems arein-the-boom furling, some are in-the-mast, and some older ones roll the sail around the boom.
You will find more info in the Sail Trim (Ask the Experts) or Ask All Sailors forums. You'll want to be more explicit in your description - some systems arein-the-boom furling, some are in-the-mast, and some older ones roll the sail around the boom.
Ross does not have one.
What do you do if the furling line jams in the drum of your jib furler. The problems are the same. None of them are as bad as a halyard jumping a sheave and jamming. Had spinnaker halyard do this once.
What do you do if the furling line jams in the drum of your jib furler. The problems are the same. None of them are as bad as a halyard jumping a sheave and jamming. Had spinnaker halyard do this once.
Doug, I had a halyard jamb
hard on a lee shore on our last trip of the season. Come spring I installed a plate to keep the halyards separate. Won't happen again. Have a hanked on jib and a main on track. Have two spare halyards and can jury rig as long as the mast stays up.
hard on a lee shore on our last trip of the season. Come spring I installed a plate to keep the halyards separate. Won't happen again. Have a hanked on jib and a main on track. Have two spare halyards and can jury rig as long as the mast stays up.
Don't mind me ... 
Ask any rigger what the majority or service calls are for. Roller furling / reefing. Very few calls for halyard problems *not* related to furling systems. Many jib halyard problems with jib furlers. Many more calls for jib furlers compared to main furlers, but there are many times more boats with jib furlers than main furlers. Like any other system on a boat, furlers require maintenance and proper adjustment. They are very sensitive to correct sail fit and halyard tension. It is not possible to have a furling main system that does not add weight and compromise sail shape (some are better than others). That said, if a furling system is maintained, adjusted and used correctly, they are reliable. If they get the same level of maintenance that most boats get (don't worry until it doesn't work) furling systems *will* fail to work. They hardly ever fail on a nice day in a moderate breeze, they fail on blustery days.
Ask any rigger what the majority or service calls are for. Roller furling / reefing. Very few calls for halyard problems *not* related to furling systems. Many jib halyard problems with jib furlers. Many more calls for jib furlers compared to main furlers, but there are many times more boats with jib furlers than main furlers. Like any other system on a boat, furlers require maintenance and proper adjustment. They are very sensitive to correct sail fit and halyard tension. It is not possible to have a furling main system that does not add weight and compromise sail shape (some are better than others). That said, if a furling system is maintained, adjusted and used correctly, they are reliable. If they get the same level of maintenance that most boats get (don't worry until it doesn't work) furling systems *will* fail to work. They hardly ever fail on a nice day in a moderate breeze, they fail on blustery days.
Roller Furling Main
Why do you need a roller furling main on a 34' boat? They are not as efficient as a 'normal' main sail. I have yet to see one that is actually easier to furl/unfurl as my main is to raise/drop. But I really don't like furler's!
Why do you need a roller furling main on a 34' boat? They are not as efficient as a 'normal' main sail. I have yet to see one that is actually easier to furl/unfurl as my main is to raise/drop. But I really don't like furler's!
Balance the advice.
Come on guys. More sailors have been lost on fore decks wrestling with hank on jibs than jammed furlers. If you don't maintain your boat you should never leave the dock. I won't feel sorry you guy's when you can't single hand any more because the main is too heavy to hoist by your self. Its fine to say you don't like one but it sure sounds like you guys are giving advice on something you never used. Thirty years ago I sailed with hank on jibs and and climbed on the cabin top to tie down mains that want to blow up again. I am looking forward to sailing to sailing into retirement with a RF main and jib. In the 2600 miles I have sailed with a roller furling main it has always worked and never ever as hard to let out as it was to hoist as 22' boat I sailed thirty years back.
Come on guys. More sailors have been lost on fore decks wrestling with hank on jibs than jammed furlers. If you don't maintain your boat you should never leave the dock. I won't feel sorry you guy's when you can't single hand any more because the main is too heavy to hoist by your self. Its fine to say you don't like one but it sure sounds like you guys are giving advice on something you never used. Thirty years ago I sailed with hank on jibs and and climbed on the cabin top to tie down mains that want to blow up again. I am looking forward to sailing to sailing into retirement with a RF main and jib. In the 2600 miles I have sailed with a roller furling main it has always worked and never ever as hard to let out as it was to hoist as 22' boat I sailed thirty years back.
Look at ...
the cruising boat on the front page of the Defender Catalog for 2006, it has a beautiful cruiser with a BOOM FURLER on it. Also, if you look at any of the custom/semi-custom builder's sites of high dollar cruisers, there is a definite shift toward BOOM FURLERS. The big yards in New Zealand are cranking out boats with BOOM FURLERS. I'm with Doug, at 53 and a hip replacement and bad shoulders, I'll take any help I can get to keep me sailing.
the cruising boat on the front page of the Defender Catalog for 2006, it has a beautiful cruiser with a BOOM FURLER on it. Also, if you look at any of the custom/semi-custom builder's sites of high dollar cruisers, there is a definite shift toward BOOM FURLERS. The big yards in New Zealand are cranking out boats with BOOM FURLERS. I'm with Doug, at 53 and a hip replacement and bad shoulders, I'll take any help I can get to keep me sailing.
I have a furling main and love it..
In twenty years of owning jib furlers I have yet to have a problem. I guess it depends on how much "common sense" you have. I have had no problems with my furling main (in mast) and the sail performance difference is very minimal. I have infinite reefing, can furl or unfurl my sail in less than 30 seconds and be ready to go in a flash. If you listen to most people on this thread they would have nay sayed computers (who needs that technology a calculator is fine), refrigerators (using ice is fool proof), indoor plumbing (the out house will never break down) etc. They are also the same people pooh poohing GPS. If UPS, FED X, Continental Airlines, Southwest Airlines, every millitary in existance and the shipping fleets world wide depend on GPS to land multimillion dollar planes etc. it's probebly good enough for use on a pleasure boat just like furling sails...
In twenty years of owning jib furlers I have yet to have a problem. I guess it depends on how much "common sense" you have. I have had no problems with my furling main (in mast) and the sail performance difference is very minimal. I have infinite reefing, can furl or unfurl my sail in less than 30 seconds and be ready to go in a flash. If you listen to most people on this thread they would have nay sayed computers (who needs that technology a calculator is fine), refrigerators (using ice is fool proof), indoor plumbing (the out house will never break down) etc. They are also the same people pooh poohing GPS. If UPS, FED X, Continental Airlines, Southwest Airlines, every millitary in existance and the shipping fleets world wide depend on GPS to land multimillion dollar planes etc. it's probebly good enough for use on a pleasure boat just like furling sails...
Add traditional reef points to any mainsail
Good for you! There are different types of roller furling mainsails, mine is the old style where the boom rotates with a crank and the main rolls around it. This gives infinitely varible reefing and is quick and convenient.....and easy on the sail. Still, there might be times when one wants to reef the traditional way. It costs very little to have a sailmaker put in two rows of traditional reef points. Then you have both options. Roger L.
Good for you! There are different types of roller furling mainsails, mine is the old style where the boom rotates with a crank and the main rolls around it. This gives infinitely varible reefing and is quick and convenient.....and easy on the sail. Still, there might be times when one wants to reef the traditional way. It costs very little to have a sailmaker put in two rows of traditional reef points. Then you have both options. Roger L.
sigh
"I have had no problems with my furling main (in mast) and the sail performance difference is very minimal. I have infinite reefing, can furl or unfurl my sail in less than 30 seconds and be ready to go in a flash." In a race between two otherwise identical boats sailing side by side one with a in mast furling main and the other with a standard rig, the in mast furling boat will loose 100% of the races. The difference between an indifferently trimmed main sail and a furling main are indeed small, the difference in boat speed due to the greater weight and heavier mast are small too. They are real. Infinite reefing ... having an infinite choice of marginal sail shapes is hardly a selling point. " ... If UPS, FED X, Continental Airlines, Southwest Airlines, every millitary in existance and the shipping fleets world wide depend on GPS to land multimillion dollar planes etc. it's probebly good enough for use on a pleasure boat just like furling sails... " Give me a break, GPS does not land the plane. GPS is a tool that allows precise navigation so that well trained people can land planes. You cannot compare a very good navigational tool (GPS) with Rube Goldberg designs to remove the good seamanship requirement from sailing. No matter how skilled the sailor, furling systems (as used on pleasure boats) do not make sailing better, safer, or faster. They only make sailing easier. Kind of like automatic transmissions removing the requirement for basic coordination from driving a car and making them easier to drive. I am NOT saying that anyone that has a furling system is a poor seaman. I am saying that furling sails attract people with few skills and little knowledge to sailing. At some point furling sails and systems being "almost as good" won't be good enough. Good thing is that most sailors will never find themselves in those conditions.
"I have had no problems with my furling main (in mast) and the sail performance difference is very minimal. I have infinite reefing, can furl or unfurl my sail in less than 30 seconds and be ready to go in a flash." In a race between two otherwise identical boats sailing side by side one with a in mast furling main and the other with a standard rig, the in mast furling boat will loose 100% of the races. The difference between an indifferently trimmed main sail and a furling main are indeed small, the difference in boat speed due to the greater weight and heavier mast are small too. They are real. Infinite reefing ... having an infinite choice of marginal sail shapes is hardly a selling point. " ... If UPS, FED X, Continental Airlines, Southwest Airlines, every millitary in existance and the shipping fleets world wide depend on GPS to land multimillion dollar planes etc. it's probebly good enough for use on a pleasure boat just like furling sails... " Give me a break, GPS does not land the plane. GPS is a tool that allows precise navigation so that well trained people can land planes. You cannot compare a very good navigational tool (GPS) with Rube Goldberg designs to remove the good seamanship requirement from sailing. No matter how skilled the sailor, furling systems (as used on pleasure boats) do not make sailing better, safer, or faster. They only make sailing easier. Kind of like automatic transmissions removing the requirement for basic coordination from driving a car and making them easier to drive. I am NOT saying that anyone that has a furling system is a poor seaman. I am saying that furling sails attract people with few skills and little knowledge to sailing. At some point furling sails and systems being "almost as good" won't be good enough. Good thing is that most sailors will never find themselves in those conditions.
See what I mean..
"In a race between two otherwise identical boats sailing side by side one with a in mast furling main and the other with a standard rig, the in mast furling boat will loose 100% of the races." In your quote you say 100% of the races except you forget to mention one thing. The sailor! In theory with two identical boats and two skippers doing everything 100% the same the non furling boat would win. However I do race my boat in the thurs night races against my sister ship and I win 85% of the time. The boat I race against is a fin, I'm a wing, we have the same genny and same prop the only difference other than the keels are that he has a standard full batten main. So unfortunately you are wrong! 97% of it comes down to sailing ability and maybe 3% is the difference between mainsails. I've raced sailboats for thirty years everything from Lightnings, Lasers, J24's, Etchels, Rhodes 19's and misc cruising boats. I don't race my boat competitively just beer can and I really don't care if I'm going 6.7 vs. 6.8 knots because of the RF main. I've owned at least 20 boats in my life and have never had a feature I like more than my RF main. Well except my chart plotter. Before you bash that I was raised using a Sextant and still keep my DR skills sharp even though I use my GPS 100% of the time with papaer as a back up. I've logged tens of thousands of ocean miles and will continue to. On my cruising boat I love RF for many reasons. For instance last summer we had 40-45 knot winds out of the NW and we had to sail 27nm. Unless I had a very deep tripple reef point main (something 90% of coastal cruisers don't) I would have been sailing on my reefed working jib only and we all know how well that balances. Because of my RF main I was able to balance my boat in 40+ knot winds very easily without ever having to go on deck or leave the safety of my cockpit! I like only having to clip in in my cockpit.. Dodge Morgan we all remember him as the guy who sailed American Promise around the world non stop as the first American to do so right? The guy knows sailing! He has numerous boats some traditional like his little gaff rigged Frendship sloop and some new fangled crap. What do you suppose Dodge has for a main sail system on his "new fangled" personal boat a Ted Hood designed little Harbor? Thats right in mast furling! I spoke with Dodge at the dock one day before deciding on my in mast option. He had something like 25k miles on the system when I spoke with him (and many other's about RF mains) and none had experienced the catastrauphic failures the nay sayers talk about. "The difference between an indifferently trimmed main sail and a furling main are indeed small, the difference in boat speed due to the greater weight and heavier mast are small too. They are real." So what are you racing or cruising? I don't have a RF main or head sail on my racing boat and I wouldn't because I'm racing. Anyone buying a 1975 Cal is most likely not going to be racing it competitively. It sounds to me like the guy just bought his first coastal cruiser.. A RF main is a great way to get a newbie or his spouse into sailing and keep them there. "The weight difference is small but real" Yeah? No kidding if I wanted speed I'd buy a powerboat. The difference between .1 to .2 knots for a coastal cruiser is nothing. If it is opt for a 150% genny vs. the 140% and your back to more than even. "Give me a break, GPS does not land the plane. GPS is a tool that allows precise navigation so that well trained people can land planes." So you're not a pilot... My brother is and I fly with him on a regular basis. What do you call an all instrument approach?? Yes the pilot actually lands the plane but the GPS along with all the other electronic gadgets guide him into the landing zone so he can do the rest. Just like on a boat! Electronics & GPS are a very, very big part of flying. Do you actually think when your 30k feet over Indiana flying to LA the pilot is actually "driving". He's not.. He is monitoring everything and ready to take over in a split seconds notice but the GPS, Autopilot and electronic navigation is doing the actual flying.. "No matter how skilled the sailor, furling systems (as used on pleasure boats) do not make sailing better, safer, or faster." Really? Furling my main & genny from my cockpit is not any safer than going up on deck in 40 -45 knot winds. Hummm... I guess you win on that point??? As for "better" I guess it's in the the mind of the cynic. Because of my RF main I sail more. My wife enjoys the hassle free start and end to the sailing day and that gets us on the water more. 30 seconds in 30 seconds out. No halyard to deal with, no sail cover to remove and re-install no sail ties, no flaking of the main just nice and easy the way she likes it. We sail approx 30% more after work becuase of it... Better for me yes! Better for the cynic NO?? "Faster" well I addressed that above.. "I am NOT saying that anyone that has a furling system is a poor seaman. I am saying that furling sails attract people with few skills and little knowledge to sailing." I don't know what planet your from but there will always be people with "few skills and little knowledge" attracted to sailing. Furling sails are not going to change that. remember the boom of sailing in the 70's the O'day's the Pearson's the Catalina's the Cal's I'm sure people said the same about those boats. They made sailing to affordable and now people with to little knowledge & skills are sailing boo hoo, booo hoo hooo.... I don't know about you but I worry a lot more about the power boaters with no knowledge than I do sailors. To sail a boat you need some sense of seamanship note i said "some". To drive a powerboat you don't need any "none". Even if RF sails do attract people to this sport so what that's a good thing in my book. The more boaters we have the more rights we will have when it comes to freedoms such as anchoring, docking etc.. More people sailing means a larger constituancy of sailors to keep the sport alive.. To the original poster don't listen to what the nay sayers say you'll love the RF main and if you learn to sail and gain knowledge the RF will not hold you back one bit but it just may hook your wife and family and keep you in the sport. Welcome aboard!!
"In a race between two otherwise identical boats sailing side by side one with a in mast furling main and the other with a standard rig, the in mast furling boat will loose 100% of the races." In your quote you say 100% of the races except you forget to mention one thing. The sailor! In theory with two identical boats and two skippers doing everything 100% the same the non furling boat would win. However I do race my boat in the thurs night races against my sister ship and I win 85% of the time. The boat I race against is a fin, I'm a wing, we have the same genny and same prop the only difference other than the keels are that he has a standard full batten main. So unfortunately you are wrong! 97% of it comes down to sailing ability and maybe 3% is the difference between mainsails. I've raced sailboats for thirty years everything from Lightnings, Lasers, J24's, Etchels, Rhodes 19's and misc cruising boats. I don't race my boat competitively just beer can and I really don't care if I'm going 6.7 vs. 6.8 knots because of the RF main. I've owned at least 20 boats in my life and have never had a feature I like more than my RF main. Well except my chart plotter. Before you bash that I was raised using a Sextant and still keep my DR skills sharp even though I use my GPS 100% of the time with papaer as a back up. I've logged tens of thousands of ocean miles and will continue to. On my cruising boat I love RF for many reasons. For instance last summer we had 40-45 knot winds out of the NW and we had to sail 27nm. Unless I had a very deep tripple reef point main (something 90% of coastal cruisers don't) I would have been sailing on my reefed working jib only and we all know how well that balances. Because of my RF main I was able to balance my boat in 40+ knot winds very easily without ever having to go on deck or leave the safety of my cockpit! I like only having to clip in in my cockpit.. Dodge Morgan we all remember him as the guy who sailed American Promise around the world non stop as the first American to do so right? The guy knows sailing! He has numerous boats some traditional like his little gaff rigged Frendship sloop and some new fangled crap. What do you suppose Dodge has for a main sail system on his "new fangled" personal boat a Ted Hood designed little Harbor? Thats right in mast furling! I spoke with Dodge at the dock one day before deciding on my in mast option. He had something like 25k miles on the system when I spoke with him (and many other's about RF mains) and none had experienced the catastrauphic failures the nay sayers talk about. "The difference between an indifferently trimmed main sail and a furling main are indeed small, the difference in boat speed due to the greater weight and heavier mast are small too. They are real." So what are you racing or cruising? I don't have a RF main or head sail on my racing boat and I wouldn't because I'm racing. Anyone buying a 1975 Cal is most likely not going to be racing it competitively. It sounds to me like the guy just bought his first coastal cruiser.. A RF main is a great way to get a newbie or his spouse into sailing and keep them there. "The weight difference is small but real" Yeah? No kidding if I wanted speed I'd buy a powerboat. The difference between .1 to .2 knots for a coastal cruiser is nothing. If it is opt for a 150% genny vs. the 140% and your back to more than even. "Give me a break, GPS does not land the plane. GPS is a tool that allows precise navigation so that well trained people can land planes." So you're not a pilot... My brother is and I fly with him on a regular basis. What do you call an all instrument approach?? Yes the pilot actually lands the plane but the GPS along with all the other electronic gadgets guide him into the landing zone so he can do the rest. Just like on a boat! Electronics & GPS are a very, very big part of flying. Do you actually think when your 30k feet over Indiana flying to LA the pilot is actually "driving". He's not.. He is monitoring everything and ready to take over in a split seconds notice but the GPS, Autopilot and electronic navigation is doing the actual flying.. "No matter how skilled the sailor, furling systems (as used on pleasure boats) do not make sailing better, safer, or faster." Really? Furling my main & genny from my cockpit is not any safer than going up on deck in 40 -45 knot winds. Hummm... I guess you win on that point??? As for "better" I guess it's in the the mind of the cynic. Because of my RF main I sail more. My wife enjoys the hassle free start and end to the sailing day and that gets us on the water more. 30 seconds in 30 seconds out. No halyard to deal with, no sail cover to remove and re-install no sail ties, no flaking of the main just nice and easy the way she likes it. We sail approx 30% more after work becuase of it... Better for me yes! Better for the cynic NO?? "Faster" well I addressed that above.. "I am NOT saying that anyone that has a furling system is a poor seaman. I am saying that furling sails attract people with few skills and little knowledge to sailing." I don't know what planet your from but there will always be people with "few skills and little knowledge" attracted to sailing. Furling sails are not going to change that. remember the boom of sailing in the 70's the O'day's the Pearson's the Catalina's the Cal's I'm sure people said the same about those boats. They made sailing to affordable and now people with to little knowledge & skills are sailing boo hoo, booo hoo hooo.... I don't know about you but I worry a lot more about the power boaters with no knowledge than I do sailors. To sail a boat you need some sense of seamanship note i said "some". To drive a powerboat you don't need any "none". Even if RF sails do attract people to this sport so what that's a good thing in my book. The more boaters we have the more rights we will have when it comes to freedoms such as anchoring, docking etc.. More people sailing means a larger constituancy of sailors to keep the sport alive.. To the original poster don't listen to what the nay sayers say you'll love the RF main and if you learn to sail and gain knowledge the RF will not hold you back one bit but it just may hook your wife and family and keep you in the sport. Welcome aboard!!
I hit a nerve ...
I'm so sorry for having an opinion and voicing it. sheesh ... what planet am I from? S O R R Y Y'all take this serious don't you?
I'm so sorry for having an opinion and voicing it. sheesh ... what planet am I from? S O R R Y Y'all take this serious don't you?
In Olympic lingo Moody 0 , Acoustic 10
Moody, your response to Acoustic's and others comments implied that we took your commnets seriously (as if you were kidding). We took them exactly as you intended your commnents to be taken. I applaud Acoustic and others for stating their opinons as you have your right to. I think you crossed the line with the commnet "I am saying that furling sails attract people with few skills and little knowledge to sailing." This stereotyping not only insulted me but many others. In fact, our local sail trim expert Don Guillette which has been a die hard old classic main person, recently had a post where he said he sailed and trimmed a RF main and had high regard for it and felt the RF main and the classic are fairly equal with different characteristics and would like to race using a RF and felt he could probably do quite well. Moody, there is nothing wrong with expressing your opinion, just save the direct (unsupported and unjustified)insults. We have had both the old classic and the RF and are buying a new 47 footer with a RF and am glad as hell we are. I don't consider my self nor my wife as ones with few skills and little knowledge to sailing. Rich
Moody, your response to Acoustic's and others comments implied that we took your commnets seriously (as if you were kidding). We took them exactly as you intended your commnents to be taken. I applaud Acoustic and others for stating their opinons as you have your right to. I think you crossed the line with the commnet "I am saying that furling sails attract people with few skills and little knowledge to sailing." This stereotyping not only insulted me but many others. In fact, our local sail trim expert Don Guillette which has been a die hard old classic main person, recently had a post where he said he sailed and trimmed a RF main and had high regard for it and felt the RF main and the classic are fairly equal with different characteristics and would like to race using a RF and felt he could probably do quite well. Moody, there is nothing wrong with expressing your opinion, just save the direct (unsupported and unjustified)insults. We have had both the old classic and the RF and are buying a new 47 footer with a RF and am glad as hell we are. I don't consider my self nor my wife as ones with few skills and little knowledge to sailing. Rich
Maybe my veiwpoint is skewed ...
I work in the industry, perhaps my viewpoint is skewed. --- "I am saying that furling sails attract people with few skills and little knowledge to sailing." This stereotyping not only insulted me but many others. --- It is the truth, based on my personal observations and experience. I never said or implied that having RF makes anyone poor sailor. In fact I stated the exact opposite. How can that insult anyone? If it is not marketing to novices, why put a RF mast on a 28ft boat? I'd really like to hear how a 28 has a mainsail that is unmanageable without RF. And people ask me what planet *I'm* on? There are several boats on the market that were not designed with RF mains that are now being sold with RF mains as standard. Some of them are fine boats either way, some of them are ruined. The latest boats that don't pretend to be racers (thank goodness) tend to have larger mains and smaller headsails. They are designed with a sailing couple in mind and make good use of RF. I know many good sailors that have chosen RF mains for very good reasons, they fully understand the limits and compromises involved in that choice. The fact is that if a boat is designed with a RF main then it will sail well with it. It is also a fact that many of the boats in use are Cruiser / Racer types that were designed under the influence of the IOR rule. They have too small mains and require overlapping headsails to sail in light air. These are the boats that created the "don't leave the safety of the cockpit" mentality (for good reason). They require an inventory of headsails to sail well in a variety of conditions. These boats are NOT good candidates for RF mains. Most RF mains have leech hollow rather than roach. When a full sized main is replaced by a sail with leech hollow, it changes the balance of the rig. I have seen cases where the upwind performance has been ruined. On an older, low aspect ratio rig (late 60's early 70's) the mains did not rely on large roaches for helm balance, these rigs are great candidates for RF mains. I'm sorry that the facts that I stated riled people up, but they are still facts. Fact: Heavier rigs are slower. Fact: Heavier rigs pitch and roll more in rough seas. Fact: Good sail shapes create high drive to heel forces. Fact: Good sail shapes cannot be rolled up like a window shade. Fact: A RF headsail is not the same as having a full sail inventory. Fact: The cloth weight of a RF mainsail is limited by the size of the mast it rolls into. Fact: RF systems make short-handed sailing easier. Fact: Boats that are easy to sail get sailed more. These facts are positive or negative depending on your viewpoint. They are still facts. Almost every choice on a sailboat is a compromise. I pointed out that RF mains are a compromise, if that is not so, please correct me.
I work in the industry, perhaps my viewpoint is skewed. --- "I am saying that furling sails attract people with few skills and little knowledge to sailing." This stereotyping not only insulted me but many others. --- It is the truth, based on my personal observations and experience. I never said or implied that having RF makes anyone poor sailor. In fact I stated the exact opposite. How can that insult anyone? If it is not marketing to novices, why put a RF mast on a 28ft boat? I'd really like to hear how a 28 has a mainsail that is unmanageable without RF. And people ask me what planet *I'm* on? There are several boats on the market that were not designed with RF mains that are now being sold with RF mains as standard. Some of them are fine boats either way, some of them are ruined. The latest boats that don't pretend to be racers (thank goodness) tend to have larger mains and smaller headsails. They are designed with a sailing couple in mind and make good use of RF. I know many good sailors that have chosen RF mains for very good reasons, they fully understand the limits and compromises involved in that choice. The fact is that if a boat is designed with a RF main then it will sail well with it. It is also a fact that many of the boats in use are Cruiser / Racer types that were designed under the influence of the IOR rule. They have too small mains and require overlapping headsails to sail in light air. These are the boats that created the "don't leave the safety of the cockpit" mentality (for good reason). They require an inventory of headsails to sail well in a variety of conditions. These boats are NOT good candidates for RF mains. Most RF mains have leech hollow rather than roach. When a full sized main is replaced by a sail with leech hollow, it changes the balance of the rig. I have seen cases where the upwind performance has been ruined. On an older, low aspect ratio rig (late 60's early 70's) the mains did not rely on large roaches for helm balance, these rigs are great candidates for RF mains. I'm sorry that the facts that I stated riled people up, but they are still facts. Fact: Heavier rigs are slower. Fact: Heavier rigs pitch and roll more in rough seas. Fact: Good sail shapes create high drive to heel forces. Fact: Good sail shapes cannot be rolled up like a window shade. Fact: A RF headsail is not the same as having a full sail inventory. Fact: The cloth weight of a RF mainsail is limited by the size of the mast it rolls into. Fact: RF systems make short-handed sailing easier. Fact: Boats that are easy to sail get sailed more. These facts are positive or negative depending on your viewpoint. They are still facts. Almost every choice on a sailboat is a compromise. I pointed out that RF mains are a compromise, if that is not so, please correct me.
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