Type of Cloth

[Don12364]

I have a H376 with a 'conventional' footed mainsail which is about five years old. The bottom third has always been VERY flat it has no shelf and no amount of slackening the outhaul will put any shape into it. I asked the sail designer if it would be OK to run it loose footed and he said it would. I tried this by simply leaving the foot rope out of the boom slot but having the stainless slug in the slot as usual. I was now able to get as much camber into the bottom panels as I wanted. But then the cloth all moved on the bias and the sail developed a large bag three battens up which no amount of tension would control.Don't laugh!My question is - do sailmakers use a different cloth for loose footed sails and which to recommend for loose foot sails?

 

[Bill Colombo]

Mainsail Cloth

Donalex,We use the same cloth regardless of the foot configuration. The loads on a mainsail do do change or shift when you convert to a loose foot. Ther is actually no vertical loading starting at the foot. Something else is causing your sail to look strange. Maybe you are easing the outhaul too much. Try easing it less and see what kind of results you get. Alot depends on the original sail design.Thanks,Bill ColomboDoyle Sails