Mainsail batten tensioning devices on skiffs??

I just noted on the 49er website they are considering allowing "mainsail batten tensioning devices" which supposedly have been trialed successfully in other skiff classes. Knowing skiffs are somewhat similar to our boats (except for not having enough hulls ) I was wondering if any of the "skiffies" on the forum was familiar with these "devices" and could enlighten me I'm fantasizing about some sort of remote means of tensioning battens under sail w/ sail(s) raised There wasn't any kind of a description or figures/photos on the 49er site (that I could find)-

Thanks!
Kirt

I dont know of any on the water tensioning systems on Javelins, I14s, Cherubs or 18teens.. (perhaps 12s or 16teens may have something but doubt it) They are all set and forget..
I suspect because the 49er is a SMOD any change to any part of the rigging is forbidden.. The one design is complete down to the size of the wire one uses for the trapeze wire.. The 49er has set battens ie they slide in and if the sail or batten isnt completely accurate your either up tension or down... What I suspect they are looking at, are either buckles or velcro batten holders.. To allow for inaccuracies in sail plan by the one world sail maker, and or small differences in batten production by the registered builders..

The only system I have seen on skiffs that is out of the ordinary is the batten system one sees on some racing boards.. Its a fixed batten with an allen key that increases the batten length or stiffness.. Definately not easably adjustable from the drink..

Kirt,
I have a copy of the original class rules & "owners manual" for the Mosquito catamaran from 1977, in which a drawing for a system of tensioning battens on the water appears.
I`ts actually more of a self-adjusting batten tension device - a 3mm st/steel wire running from the top of the mast down the leech of the sail, through plastic end-caps on the battens with holes which the wire passes through.
The other end of the wire is attached to the boom - as you sheet in you increase the tension on the wire which forces the battens into the pockets, as you ease the mainsheet tension the batten tension decreases. I think i`ts a good idea in theory which in practice would never really give the desired result, which is why I`ve never seen it done.
I`m sure it would also contribute to hooking the leech, unless the length of wire were adjustable to compensate for different wind conditions.
If you`re interested, I could dig up the manual & post a pic of the drawing, just for a laugh.

Steve-
Thanks for the reply- The diagram would be interesting to see. These "automatic" devices are interesting but take a lot of initial adjusting I think to work just right. Like the "A" cat system whereby the mainsheet tension also influences the diamond tension- so as one sheets harder one gets more diamond tension which induces more "prebend" automatically- But getting the "right" amount of prebend at a particular sheet tension (for a particular sail and mast!) is the hard part. Perhaps some combinations of these "automatic" features would work better together than alone?

Kirt

Steve,
What you described sounds like what we call a leach line.

I have one in my Taipan sail. It can run down the batten ends but these days is made into the leach tabbing on the sail.

It was a bit of mucking around to put in after the sail was made but it went in anyway. I actually used fine brass tubing
around 15- 20mm long (2-3mm dia) with the ends flaired to act as a low friction quide for the 1 or 2mm spectra line past the batten pocket eyelets.
There is a small cleat on the boom th allows it to be adjusted or just let off altogether and if cleated it will increase camber in the sail which will vary with mainsheet tension.

In the Paper Tiger class it is used quite a bit. I have even seen Tigers set up so when the downhaul is let off for downwind it automatically tensions the leach line.

In many ways it is just another toy.

Regards,
Phill