I know everybody, including me, uses the line with the least stretch for all control lines. I can see this on the jib because a little change in sheet tension makes a big change in sail shape. And it's the wrong way, the sail gets fuller as the sheet is eased (or stretches).

But on a mainsheet if you get a big gust it's not a bad thing to ease, very slightly, and then sheet back in again. It's like the energy was stored briefly and then given back. Would more stretch in a mainsheet be a good thing? Discuss.

I think you should try it, I experimented with a "stretchy" way of connecting the mainsheet block to the boom using springs or bungy cord. I found it was unnecessary once the rest of the rig is set up to depower the main in gusts but it might have potential in a different class or maybe for recreational sailing.

Darryn
Mozzie
1782

I sail with the main sheet cleated in all conditions; especially in high wind velocities. This is because my main sail depends on mast bend to maintain flatness and releasing sheet tension makes the mainsail fuller via reducing mast bend. Therefore, I would not benefit from a stretchy main sheet.

By the say, Darryn's idea of a stretchy main sheet block mount makes more sense to me, than to have an entire sheet-ful of stretch. Think about how much of a pain it would be each time you add sheet tension or reduce sheet tension. With Darryn's system, at least your hand feedback is not so diluted/blurred.

Not to shoot down your idea "Big Whoop," but just to be realistic, I think that it would be very difficult to find the rope that has the exact needed stretch that would hold the tension where you want it, AND have a marginal stretch available when the wind gusts. It would be easy if you could have a line of rope that had a variable stretch setting that could be dialed in to suit the circumstances.

Having said that:
I think that the best thing to do when meeting with a gust when sailing upwind, is to drop the traveler while keeping the sheet cleated. If you could dial-in a system that would automatically drop the traveler when the apparent wind angle increases, I'd be happy to try it out on my boat.

GARY

Very nice stretchy climbing sheets out there. Have used these to some success and I think it is just what you get yourself use to.

tried it on h5.9 using climbing rope with same reasoning , didn't work for me , problem was pulling sail in when trapezing by shroud , it took more than a good armfull to pull out the stretch before sail would move , reckon prob 10 foot of rope from block to hand in this scenario may be better on boats with no trap and helm sitting near blocks ,

but

square head sail is far better <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> if you have choice