The new furling mains

[Les Blackwell]

Hi, Don Guillette. Thanks for all your good advice. I've been off line for several days and you may have covered this already--if so just send me to the archives.Do you have any new ideas on these new furling mains. I've sailed for forty plus years, so I'm having fun trying out new stuff. The furling main, tho, is loose footed which gets me to the idea that I can fly it like another jib, particularly off wind.Some questions that I'm playing with:Should I let the outhaul go on a reach or let the traveler down more? or both?In heavier winds, I can really flatten the main in reefing it down. Should I try pulling the traveler to windward to get some chord or will it be better to drop the traveler.Any other ideas on these new mains. I really like mine and it has a lot more options I think than the old type mains.

 

[Don Guillette]

New Furling mains

Les: I've I've only sailed once with a " loose footed" main and that was in a race in San Diego so I'm hardly a wealth of knowledge on that setup but since then I've talked to a number of guys who have them and and really like them.On to your question - There are 12 to 14 items you are adjusting on your and they are the traveler, mainsheet, halyard, outhaul, cunningham, vang, draft depth, draft position, telltails, mast bend, twist, leechline, crew position and slot. You have to adjust all these items as you would a 4 barrell carb in your car. You can't just adjust 2 barrells and get good performance.The setting you use also depends on the wind strength. For example, if the wind was medium the traveler would be set leeward of center and the outhaul would have medium tension. As the wind picked up, you would increase the tension on the outhaul and I would continue to leave the traveler in the same position. Experiment a bit to get the proper position for your boat.

 

[Les Blackwell]

I think we need to more data on furling mains

Don,Thanks for your answers. Let me think outloud to myself on your controls...On a furling (in the mast) main, you can control the following items: traveler,mainsheet, halyard (to a degree since it has the roller furling gear on it), outhaul, vang, draft depth (big time here), draft position (also big time), telltails, no mast bend because it is a backless B&R rig, twist, leechline, and slot.I can't control mast bend because I don't have a backstay, crew position (because I am happily married--there isn't a skipper alive that will say to his wife, "get your butt on the rail--at least this one won't), cunningham (can't attach on the sail).I wonder what sort of turbulance you would fine on a mast with the main out on a reach with the outhaul really loose? I think I'll have to add tell tails all over the main to look at the effect of loose footedness (there is a great word), mast turbulance, and boomvang. I suspect mainsheet and traveler are about what we would noramlly expect, but the other factors need some study. The fact that these mains have no battens may allow the skipper to do some things we've not been able to do and not allow us to do some things we normally do, i.e., where is the top batten in relation to the boom.Maybe on the web site in the future we can ask all skippers with furling mains to send in their responses and we can pool the information and come up with some data. I spent the better part of today walking the docks (bad back exercise) and there are a number of boats with furling mains. Big trend around here.Thanks for your input.

 

[bill]

Don't forget sail area

Gentlemen;I've sailed with the in-mast for a few seasons and can really appreciate the ease and convenience of setting the sail from the cockpit. Also, I will often adjust and re-adjust outhaul (along with my furling 135 % genoa) to fine tune the sail plan until balanced. I am most times working alone on by C-400, so the versatility of the in-mast furling is a great assist. I absolutely love it.