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Mainsail resource thread #79927
07/11/06 08:41 PM
07/11/06 08:41 PM
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,718
St Petersburg FL
Robi Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
Robi  Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel

Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,718
St Petersburg FL
Mainsail comparison and discussion

Here is my old mainsail after the repairs. IF this photo you can barely see where the repairs where completed.
[Linked Image][Linked Image]
In the photo to the right, I edited white lines to show where the sail suffered the rip from me falling through it.

[Linked Image]
Here you can see the difference in luff length. Compared to the old style main A, the new style is longer B.

[Linked Image]
Here you can see the difference in the foot and leach. Foot lengths are the same, but leach lengths are clearly not.

[Linked Image]
In this photo, you can see more difference in the leach again. I edited the photo and added a red line. The lighting conditions make it confusing to see the sails, so I added the line to clear it up.

[img]http://www.wildergfx.com/images/bmain/70108.jpg[/img]
Here are the photos of the heads.

[img]http://www.wildergfx.com/images/bmain/70109.jpg[/img]
In this photo, please consider the angle from where I took the photograph. I was unable to take a straight up and down image so the sails head look somewhat distorted.

[img]http://www.wildergfx.com/images/bmain/70102.jpg[/img]
Here is a closer look at the new mainsail on top of the old mainsail.


Now moving on to the battens.
The battens in the new mainsail are very different compared to the old style mainsail for obvious differences in the sails cuts. Here are the battens identifications, starting from the top (head) and working its way down to the bottom (foot). I took this photo because I want to understand how to use the battens in certain conditions.
[img]http://www.wildergfx.com/images/bmain/70106.jpg[/img]


[img]http://www.wildergfx.com/images/bmain/70107.jpg[/img]
IN A NUTSHELL, which batten should be used when?
As you can see, batten numbers 2 has TWO battens. One is heavy and one is "standard"?
Here are a few questions
When should I use the heavy batten alone?
When should I use the standard batten alone?
When should I use BOTH of them at the same time?
All these questions apply the same way to batten number 3.
Which one will better for head twist off?

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Re: Mainsail resource thread [Re: Robi] #79928
07/11/06 08:42 PM
07/11/06 08:42 PM
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,718
St Petersburg FL
Robi Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
Robi  Offline OP
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St Petersburg FL
The difference in luff and leach length explains why with the new style mainsail I had to pull more mainsheet and more downhaul in order to gain speed compared to the old style sail.

Re: Mainsail resource thread [Re: Robi] #79929
07/11/06 10:55 PM
07/11/06 10:55 PM
Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 951
Brisbane, Queensland, Australi...
ncik Offline
old hand
ncik  Offline
old hand

Joined: Oct 2005
Posts: 951
Brisbane, Queensland, Australi...
Could you please explain that? Did you mean that you were able to pull more on with the new main?

Re: Mainsail resource thread [Re: Robi] #79930
07/12/06 07:28 AM
07/12/06 07:28 AM
Joined: Jun 2001
Posts: 9,582
North-West Europe
Wouter Offline
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looks like that sail is repaired very nicely, Robi. Ready for full use again.

Wouter


Wouter Hijink
Formula 16 NED 243 (one-off; homebuild)
The Netherlands
Re: Mainsail resource thread [Re: Robi] #79931
07/12/06 09:13 AM
07/12/06 09:13 AM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 62
K
KMarshack Offline
journeyman
KMarshack  Offline
journeyman
K

Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 62
Robi,

Those look like the glass RBS battens. I have the same thing in carbon. The heavy #2 and 3 are used for higher wind ranges. Depending on your weight, you would use them in winds 15 and over. When you use them you want to use both #2 and 3. Keep the batten tension fairly tight on the top three battens. I don't know of anyone using both at the same time. But you guys are approaching the windy hurricane season <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />
Ken

Re: Mainsail resource thread [Re: ncik] #79932
07/12/06 01:42 PM
07/12/06 01:42 PM
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,718
St Petersburg FL
Robi Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
Robi  Offline OP
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,718
St Petersburg FL
Quote
Could you please explain that? Did you mean that you were able to pull more on with the new main?
Well, what I meant was my mainsheet blocks were closer to block to block and the downhaul was further down (close to maxing out)

The new style mainsail has a longer luff and leach, making the entire rig to trim very diferently.

Ken I apreciate the clarification.

SO for heavy air 15kts+ I would use the hvy batten.
For anything under 15kts I can use the standard battens.
I should NOT have to use both RIGHT?

My weight is around 185lbs with all the gear. I also sail mostly UNI-RIGGED. Cant wait to go out with this fat top main.

Last edited by Robi; 07/12/06 01:45 PM.
Re: Mainsail resource thread [Re: Robi] #79933
07/12/06 01:51 PM
07/12/06 01:51 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 62
K
KMarshack Offline
journeyman
KMarshack  Offline
journeyman
K

Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 62
Right.

Ken

Re: Mainsail resource thread [Re: KMarshack] #79934
07/12/06 01:54 PM
07/12/06 01:54 PM
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,718
St Petersburg FL
Robi Offline OP
Carpal Tunnel
Robi  Offline OP
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,718
St Petersburg FL
Sadly I cannot edit my initial post. My intentions were to constantly edit it, to try to acumulate as much information on mainsail trim as posible.

For heavy air 15kts+ I use the heavy batten set.
For anything under 15kts use the standard battens.
There is NO need to use both heavy and standard at the same time.

Re: Mainsail resource thread [Re: Robi] #79935
07/12/06 02:11 PM
07/12/06 02:11 PM
Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 202
P
pkilkenny Offline
enthusiast
pkilkenny  Offline
enthusiast
P

Joined: Jan 2004
Posts: 202
Quote
Sadly I cannot edit my initial post. My intentions were to constantly edit it, to try to acumulate as much information on mainsail trim as posible.

For heavy air 15kts+ I use the heavy batten set.

Robi,

I think this is bad advice. Remember, unlike Ken's Acat (a magnificent, elegant ,craft that is no less than a great monument to the human potential for excellence), your F16 sails off the wind with the traveller centered , and the mainsail flat (lots of mainsheet tension). I've found that unless my #1 batten has a little draft (curvature), the peak of the main tends to hook to windward when I bear away w/ the kite(slow).I think a really stiff #1 batten will be very hard to keep to windward when reaching with your fathead main...

PK


For anything under 15kts use the standard battens.
There is NO need to use both heavy and standard at the same time.

Re: Mainsail resource thread [Re: pkilkenny] #79936
07/12/06 02:48 PM
07/12/06 02:48 PM
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,718
St Petersburg FL
Robi Offline OP
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Robi  Offline OP
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Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 2,718
St Petersburg FL
Paul there is only ONE number one batten that is the very top batten. It is a standard batten.

Did you specifically mean batten number 1 or batten 2? If you look at the photos I posted you can see batten number two and three are to diferent battens. Those are the battens I was asking about.


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