Main Sail: Full Batten or Not?

[Richard G]

Researching a new main for my CD27 and would love some feedback on the advantages/disadvantages of a full batten sail. Thanks for your thoughts.



Aldajon@aol.com

[Serge Zimberoff]

I got a new sail for my Typhoon a few years ago. The sailmaker talked me out of full battens. Sail looked fine from the cockpit till I saw a picture a friend had taken from their boat of me sailing in light air. Sail shape was awful! Top third was a 'vee' shaped. Flat along the batten then a fold and flat to the luff. Ended up with a full batten main (via a story too long for this post) and in light air it still looks like it should, implying to me that it is doing much more work.
I would never go otherwise again.
Serge



serge@srtrop.com

[Bruce Bett]

I bought a new main for Sostenuto late this summer. The sail maker (UK/Detroit) talked me into a full batton. He said it would ware better and hold shape in light air. I only got to use a few time this fall so I can't say too much about it. The difference wasn't dramatic. Hell of a nice sail though.

Bruce Bett
Sostenuto
CD 25 #496

Researching a new main for my CD27 and would love some feedback on the advantages/disadvantages of a full batten sail. Thanks for your thoughts.

Bettb@macomb.cc.mi.us

[Anthony P. Jeske]

Richard:
Go for the full battened sail. In addition to the better light air shape, you will find you can motorsail much more efficiently, as the sail holds it's shape better in those conditions.
You may need to add lazy jacks to contain the sail when dousing. I added them but later removed them as I thought they were more trouble then they were worth.
Good Luck,
Tony Jeske



ajeske@ixpres.com

[Ron Brassord]

Researching a new main for my CD27 and would love some feedback on the advantages/disadvantages of a full batten sail. Thanks for your thoughts.

I just went through the decision process for my Sea Sprite 23 and fortunately listened to a good sailmaker[Doyle Ft. Lauderdale} He recommended a 2plus 2 which has full battens inn the upper third of the main. It looks beautiful sets perfectly, has no cars to jamb and costs less. On a large boat the full battens make sense--maybe-- but on a small boat you will never know if the sail is set right in light air. It always looks like it's set right with the battens holding the shape. Good luck RON BRASSORD LHP FL>

[Bob Luby]

I got a Full-Battten Main with Dutchman for my 25D from Hild.

Nice Sail- Full battens reduce flogging and help the sail last longer,
supposedly. The Dutchman controls the sail when furling and reefing, making these less histrionic experiences. Since I single-hand, this is especially important.

There are two types of topping lifts with a Dutchman. ( and BTW, If you want to replace the topping lift with a rigid vang - you can't. the topping lift is essential to the Dutchman setup)

One attaches brackets to your topping lift. the control lines run from these brackets to the foot of the sail. This requires that the sail cover have cutouts to run these lines through the sail cover.

The other type does not require the modified sail cover. Instead, the control lines run to brackets on an endless clothesline-loop running between a pulley attached to the lower end of the topping lift, and the end of the boom. When furling the sail, you lower these brackets, and the control lines, using the loop, allowing
you to use a regular sail cover.

My advice- get the special sail cover and simplify things. If you do get the endless loop type, upgrade the pulley you attach to your real topping lift. The one that came with my setup failed while sailing.
( So THAT's why it's called the Boom, Huh?) Besides, don't you want a new sail cover to go with that new main?





Rluby@aol.com

[David Brownlee]

We bought a new mainsail a few years ago and seriously considered getting full battens. In the end we decided against it, but we didn't skimp on the sail: it's a rather heavy with three rows of reefing points.

We don't regret doing what we did. We have no trouble furling a sail this small, even single-handing. And if we wanted to make it any easier, I think lazy jacks would suffice. I also agree with what has been said about the poor appearance of fully battened sails.

I have sailed a racing boat with a single full batten near the head. The tension on the batten lashing at the leech had to be adjusted before hoisting to insure that the sail had the proper draft for the conditions. But that was racing.

Ann and David Brownlee
WINDRUSH
CD 27 #181
Havre de Grace, MD



dbrownle@sas.upenn.edu

[Jeffrey R Schmoyer]

Richard,

I took delivery of my CD 27 this spring. The previous owner (Don, he's on the board) had the original OEM main to full battens just last winter. Sail Care of Pittsburg PA did the work for a few hundred bucks. By the way, that company does a fantansic job cleaning old sails!

My problem is that I don't have any idea of what the sail's performance was like before the conversion. With the conversion, the sail does performs very well; in light air the sail keeps a nice shape. In heavy air, the sail doesn't flog, although it has slightly too much belly (it is afterall a 20 year old sail!)

However, there are a few problems with the mechanics. 1) the batten just above the second reef snags on the topping lift when sailing off the wind. 2) because the conversion did not involve attaching the battens to any kind of special sail car or lug, it's hard to raise and lower the main. 3) flaking the sail on the boom is awkward (a Dutchman system would probably solve this).

I don't think a custom made sail would have any of these problems, but then again, this conversion was probably 1/7th the cost or less of a new full batten main.

Jeff



jeff.schmoyer@iff.com

[Paul D.]

I built a sailrite kit mainsail for our Typhoon last winter. The sail I settled on had a full batten up the top and three regular battens. The reasons I chose this setup were, 1) I did not want a large roach creating more weather helm. 2)I wanted the sail simple and easy to haul up and get down in a hurry. 3) the full batten at the top does help shape the main in light air, but when I sail to a dock into the wind I want the sail to stop drawing! Recently, I got a great deal on a kevlar 150% genoa which more than makes up for the extra roach or better main shape in light air. We have gone 4-5 knots in 8 knots of wind with this setup. And the helm is balanced. We are quite happy with this mainsail.

Sincerely,
Paul Danicic
HORNET
MPLS



nyeme001@tc.umn.edu