Loose footed main

[KINGFISHER 8]

I'm told these are becoming fashionable again on modern boats ... has anyone any experience? ... has anybody got one? I've been away from the sailing scene for a while - lots of stuff been invented since my Folkboat days but I was surprised to hear about loose footed mainsails ... is this a fact or was I told a story?
(P.S. Asked this on PBO ... no replies so am trying here!)

 

[bobgoode]

Both my mains are lose footed. I have a block and tackle on the outhaul and use it to change the fullness. No problems.

 

[Poignard]

I have it and I'm quite happy with it.

 

[bigroger60]

I have it and i`m very satisfied.

 

[moondancer]

There has been a lot of discussion on this forum about loose footed mains.

They are better in many ways as they allow for a better and more adjustable sail shape. Most new boats are going loose footed.

 

[BAtoo]

Have one too & v happy with it.

Also marginally cheaper IIRR which is why many new boats are going this way.........

 

[Achillesheel]

I have one, have just gone loose footed in fact on purchase of new mainsail.

More string to play with!

 

[MBII]

I have gone loose footed on both main and mizzen with new suit. Very pleased with them.

James

 

[Sailfree]

I think they are so good I got one put on the genoa as well /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[Searush]

Nah! That fashionable stuff's for dinghy sailors only. Cruising sailors never seem to alter the sheets - never mind the tackles/ downhauls/ outhauls/ Cunninghams/ Barberhaulers etc etc. that the racing boys seem to think are useful!

Good idea if it does away with a boom tho' as in Drascombes & Wherries. Hee Hee, I just love being an Old Fogey.

 

[KINGFISHER 8]

Thanks for the replies .... very reassuring!

 

[AlJones]

I used to have my cruising main fixed and my race sail loose.

I now have had a new cruising main made and that is loose.

I find that when I'm running, if you ease the out haul you 'catch' more air and thus get a few more legs outa her! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Wouldn't look at going back if I have the choice.

She's a Sigma 38 BTW.

regards.

Al.

 

[jamesjermain]

Loose footed is definitely the modern fashion and a good way to go but not, in my experience, necerssarily the best.

Years ago I inherited a Hood main when I bought a Pioneer 10. It was a great sail. Along the foot it had a 'table', an extra strip of light cloth below the bottom panel of the sail. It allowed the bottom panel to set as it it was loose footted but filled in the gap between it and the boom to prevent loss of pressure off the foot of the sail.

But it was aging so I went to a well reputed sailmaker and bought, at great expense, a new sail which had a fixed foot. It looked lovely and set superbly - but it never gave me the power to windward of the old Hood.

On my cat I have a loose footed main but the Stack Pack type sail cover acts as an end plate in the same way as the Hood sail's table

 

[Duffer]

Loose footed definitely quicker in my experience - tighten outhaul to windward, slacken it off the wind for a better shape.

 

[Norman_E]

I recently discovered another benefit. A loose footed main is easier to put on, with no bolt rope to fiddle into the boom. In my case the sailbag fits into the boom groove and carries the lazyjacks. The arrangement works well.

 

[Robin]

I understand the end plate argument and indeed our last mainsail was a North FB one with a shelf foot in very light cloth like yours. Our current mainsail is a triradial cut, also fully battened and with a loose foot, made by Crusader with a Hydranet Dyneema/Spectra reinforced Dacron from Dimension Polyant. In our case the loose foot is cut with a pronounced convex bottom edge such that in it's light wind position, ie to the black bands, it lies nicely along the top flat edge of the boom just like the shelf foot of old. Once flattened, either with the outhaul or the flattener reef, the foot flattens right up and still there is no airgap needing an end plate. The reefing lines now can be simply tied around the boom and back to themseves with no need for boom slides or holes through the sail. This is quite simply the best mainsail I've ever had and I've bought a few over the years too, it was well worth the extra we paid for all the go fast bits which probably added around 20% to the cost. Usual disclaimers re Crusader, just a very happy customer and they are our local sail loft.

We have the lazyjacks and really couldn't manage such a big sail without them, but we don't have a stackpak and simply pull the lazyjacks down along the boom hook and them around the horns before fitting a standard cover.