webcraft
Well-Known Member
In my experience, dumping the main for extended periods can work well with a fully battened main, as the sail will usually sit quietly.
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Reefing versus Easing the Mainsheet
- Thread starter wfe1947
- Start date
Buck Turgidson
Well-Known Member
Depends on the boat and circumstance.
I don't race. I do sail offshore single handed.
My boat came with an extra metre of mast and sails to match. She has about 20% more sail area than a standard twister and it's all in the main.
Great for light conditions but I need to reef the main at 12kts to get max performance.
I reef at the mast.
I do it early and my main shapes well on all 3 reefs. It's full battened.
I'm much more likely to be sailing with an over reefed main and full Genoa than the other way round as I can reef the Genoa from the cockpit very quickly.
Last time out I had some very odd conditions in the Balearic sea under a trough and low overcast conditions with cu and stratocumulus where the wind went from dead calm to 20kts and back to dead calm in 20 minute spells for about 6 hours veering and backing as it built and dropped.
Must have reefed and shaken the Genoa about 20 times in the period with the second reef in the main the whole time. No way I could have held on to full main in those conditions dumping or not!
I don't race. I do sail offshore single handed.
My boat came with an extra metre of mast and sails to match. She has about 20% more sail area than a standard twister and it's all in the main.
Great for light conditions but I need to reef the main at 12kts to get max performance.
I reef at the mast.
I do it early and my main shapes well on all 3 reefs. It's full battened.
I'm much more likely to be sailing with an over reefed main and full Genoa than the other way round as I can reef the Genoa from the cockpit very quickly.
Last time out I had some very odd conditions in the Balearic sea under a trough and low overcast conditions with cu and stratocumulus where the wind went from dead calm to 20kts and back to dead calm in 20 minute spells for about 6 hours veering and backing as it built and dropped.
Must have reefed and shaken the Genoa about 20 times in the period with the second reef in the main the whole time. No way I could have held on to full main in those conditions dumping or not!
dunedin
Well-Known Member
Yes, but equally with main feathering you are effectively sailing under jib only, but with added drag. And hence we can put in reef 1 whilst continuing sailing like that, reefing takes in under 2 minutes without any loss of speed, then sheet in with reef 1 and go slightly faster and neater. This with North laminate fully battened mainsail.
When wind eases 2 mins to go back to full sail - or put in reef 2 if getting stronger.
PS. Before reef 1 first actions are put on full Cunningham and a LOT of backstay tension.
