If the pressure is on the fore side of the sail (pushing the boat backwards), then you ARE backing the sail.
It doesn't matter which side of the boat the sail is on or how you hold it out - by hand, with a sheet, or a pole. You're still backing it.
Regards,
Eric
That makes complete sense, the battens are holding the luff of the sail into the wind. Very interesting discussion this, issue comes up in almost every race I sail.
Darryn
Mozzie
Bullet
1782
