Retrofit backstay flicker

ridgy

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Been watching Refit and Sail on YT, the chap is refitting his SJ320. One of the things he has done is add a backstay flicker. I didn't realise these could be added to boats not originally designed for them.

In conjunction with a longer boom it would allow me to get a bigger main...is there any downside to them? They seem to be standard fit on new sporty boats so I guess not.
 

flaming

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Been watching Refit and Sail on YT, the chap is refitting his SJ320. One of the things he has done is add a backstay flicker. I didn't realise these could be added to boats not originally designed for them.

In conjunction with a longer boom it would allow me to get a bigger main...is there any downside to them? They seem to be standard fit on new sporty boats so I guess not.
No real downside that I can see if you're already running a soft backstay.
 

Ingwe

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Do they ever break?
It's a fibreglass rod that you are constatntly bending up and down so would eventually suffer from fatigue and break - having said that I have never broken one and would imagine as long as you check it once a year for signs of fatigue you would be unlucky for one to suddenly go.
 

Birdseye

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But if you are adding quite a bit of sail area Ridgy, and all at the leach, you are likely to upset the balance of the boat by moving the centre of effort sternwards
 

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