Full Batten Main or Partial

[PeregrineSea]

Like so much boat gear and rigging - what works for some, doesn't work the same way for others. For example, a friend just decided to change from in mast furling to in-boom fuling - so decided to put in a new mast. I would never have in mast fuling, might consider in-boom like my friend (I wouldn't need a new mast), but I am not unhappy with my full battens. I will admit I have thought about remove the bottom one - leaving me with 4 ....

[Toys_with_time]

Originally Posted by islandplanet

I've skippered 13 of my own boats, taught people how to sail, run day charter boats, and run Island Planet Sails for the past 7 years. I've sailed a lot of boats with full battens and a lot of boats without. I've always preferred a 2+2 or 2+3 arrangement except on the catamarans and boats with freestanding rigs like my Freedom 39.

I have a square head fully battened loose footed factory supplied main on my cruising cat but after years of sailing monos with more conventional sails I am struggling with traveller position / sheet & luff tension to get the best out of the main on various points of sailing / motor sailing and also wondering if addition of a cunningham would help.

Anybody got any advice or can point me to any articles? I can't find anything printed that is up to date with the current trend in cat sails.

TwT

[savoir]

Maybe here

North Sails: Mainsail Trim

The general idea is that you don't want cat material, you want racing trim tips. Same for cats and monos.