The reason I pointed out the 34 was that in boat terms it is now considered ( by many) the starter boat length. Possibly HR can use that design of sail on all the other models , so saying that there will only be 20 models of that boat may well be true. However, it is a little misleading in the grand scheme of things. Plus other constructors than HR may well use it. One should also remember that at that end of the market, many buyers are not always looking at price,( if they were they would not be looking at that type of boat) but quality. Furthermore, what one might consider "enormously expensive", another might shrug & consider it part of the running expense of a quality yacht & something that they are prepared to accept.
) I have 26 different lines leading to my cockpit. Not all in use at once , of course, but the options are there when needed
That so called loss in efficiency does not translate into a similar reduction in passage times - it is only a "guess" at how much loss there is from the mainsail based on the smaller area compared with a roached battened sail. in reality firstly the loss in area even on a boat like mine which had the same rig dimensions for both types is less than that. The loss is not the same across all points of sail, but mainly when sailing to wind, which is a very small part of cruising. Good passage times when cruising are more to do with how well you use all the capabilities of the boat, not just some of them.
I would dispute that comment about the comparison of sail area .
We are at cross purposes. I was not talking about the increased area from battened sails, but the loss of area when specifying a furling sail on a boat that normally has a slab reefing sail. On my Bavaria that was just less than 10% of the main. There are two ways of getting that back. The first is to have either a taller mast or longer boom and the second is to have a battened furling sail. As I explained, HR on their bigger boats design them for furling sails and specify the mainsail area that is appropriate for the rig so there is no point in trying to determine a "loss".
You have made comments about the cost. Possibly because cost concerns you. Perhaps you might consider that there are an awful lot of people out there for whom cost is not a restriction in the way it might be to yourself. I can site instances of people buying sails at regular intervals. Not necessarily for racing either
Of course cost is important for most people - BUT it is value for money rather than just the actual amount. When buying functional items like sails, discerning consumers weigh up the options and choose the product that thy perceive gives the best value. The value is in what it does rather than what it is.
No one on my foredeck. I sail single handed 95% of the time
I can make no great claims of popularity. I sail only with my wife generally, though a spectacular show of speed right outside the clubhouse recently has increased interest in the boat. Which is whywe roller reef our jib. Even though it spoils the shape, it’s still quicker than being over pressed.No one on my foredeck. I sail singel handed 95% of the time
I have to - When asked why? I have to tell the truth
Nobody likes me
Then they often start laughing & I have to point out how hurtful that is & sometimes they become confused
I only have a slab reef main so not talking from experience of in mast furling mains, but I thought most of the poor shape of a partly furled genny was down to the unequal volume of wrap caused by the UV strip, and that the use of a foam tape luff helped to balance the wrap volume on the hurler.
No because of the cut of the sail and no change in leading edge that you get with a jib. The main control of shape is the outhaul which you can use to adjust the draft of the sail.
And with a sailmaker you can adjust the sail area of the third reef, always good to have somebody who is happy to talk about usage and where you are planning to sail. My third reef would be seen a three and a half reefs, but allows me a scrap of main up.
That does indeed show the advantage of having a dialogue with the sailmaker. However, completely irrelevant to the OPs question as he has a furling mainsail and therefore the size in use is infinitely variable from maximum to nothing.
Yes, what I thought was a simple question isn’t of course. The above debate has made me think more about it. As the mainsail is progressively furled the heeling moment is reduced not just by wind on sail area but by sail height above the centre of buoyancy. That led me to think that the proportionate sail area reduction between 2nd and 3rd “reef” points would need to be much less (measured at E) than from full sail to first reef. Bizarrely however the recommended E reductions from the sailmaker doesn’t bear this out. First reef is from luff 650mm to reef point 1 whereas it’s a 800mm reduction of E from 2nd reef to 3rd. So, it’s a black art and I’m probably out of my depth and talking from the derrière.