Originally Posted by Baltic
Originally Posted by waynemarlow

As an experiment try facing your boat directly into wind on the beach without any main sheet on, now tighten the downhaul and see what happens, you maybe surprised. Mine becomes like a cat on a hot roof, bouncing around all over the place.


Any idea why this is the case? Pulling the downhaul should flatten the sail, reducing the camber.


I think it depends on what shape your sail takes when you pull the downhaul on. With really light wind, not enough to give the sail shape on my Taipan 5.7 I pulled the downhaul on hard until it pulled the sail into shape and it would look like it was full of wind and not flop around, that way I could use the little puffs. So if the downhaul is still on hard in a capsize you may still get lift from the sail as your trying to right the boat but unfortunately it is sucking the sail back to the water. When you leave the downhaul on when on the beach the front of the sail has shape so the wind latches on but then goes around into the loose cloth and flaps the sail around.

Jeff Southall
Current boats
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