Visit our Popular Forums

farotherside · 08-12-2011, 16:50

call me a n00b...

do you need a fractional rig in order to support a mainsail like this? on my rig the mainsail goes all the way to the top, stopping about 3" shy of the backstay. the backstay itself is only about a foot and a half from the end of the boom! I have *very* little clearance between the backstay and my current ancient, blown out, desperately in need of replacement mainsail.

how does a main with a huge roach get past the backstay when tacking? does it just slide across? does it make much difference when gybing? what about chafe from the backstay?

tsmwebb · 08-12-2011, 17:57

Lagoon Square Top Mainsail - raising - YouTube

I'm shopping for a new main and also am looking at a square top and a bit more area. The Quantum rep I'm working with suggested the above system though I'm inclined to just go with a fast pin at the headboard. I can reach the headboard pretty easily on my boat. I would not want a system where you had to remove the top batten. I think the wear on the batten pocket would worry me as much as the annoyance of dealing with it.

Tom.

monte · 08-12-2011, 18:21

yeah drew you would need fractional with the sidestays aft of centre. Not a standard backstay arrangement. it maybe possible also with running backstays..maybe

Abaco · 14-12-2011, 08:32

The last time I sailed a boat with a square top main, I forgot to put the batton in before raising the main. Then had to pull the thing down and repeat the process. PITA! Quick pin is the answer.

Bash · 14-12-2011, 08:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by ozskipper

Actually, I have always wondered why a smarter person than me hasn't put a little wing (canard) at the mast tip to try and remove some tip vortex.

The smart guys don't want to give the gulls any more standing room up there.

webejammin · 15-12-2011, 23:31

Quote:

Originally Posted by drew23

call me a n00b...

do you need a fractional rig in order to support a mainsail like this? on my rig the mainsail goes all the way to the top, stopping about 3" shy of the backstay. the backstay itself is only about a foot and a half from the end of the boom! I have *very* little clearance between the backstay and my current ancient, blown out, desperately in need of replacement mainsail.

how does a main with a huge roach get past the backstay when tacking? does it just slide across? does it make much difference when gybing? what about chafe from the backstay?

Our Gemini 105Mc has a small square top about 12 inches with a 12 inch mast head crain and a real fat roach that slides by the back stay easly in light air if the back stay adjustment is loosened up and anytime when the air is over 10 kt's. I say slides by as the sailmaker put thick clear isenglass on the battens where you would get the most wear. Having the big top and full roach makes the top batten long and last year we got hit by a thunder storm and had to dump all the air we could, but the top batten poped out

and really depowered the sail, it was 45kt's of breeze coming over a hill within about 5 min and no time to go drop the main, my buddies the crew

for the day had been drinking and was little help. We hit 14kt's into a 4 kt current before the batten poped out and only healed 5 deg's with only the main sail up.