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Sam.Spoons View Drop Down
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    Posted: 10 May 17 at 8:48pm
How much difference would there be in the cut of a full battened sail compared to an identical sail cut for, say, a single full length batten at the top and short battens in the body of the sail? I'm asking because I have a Spice and the fb mainsail can be a handful in a blow, the ability to feather the sail with short battens might make things a bit more forgiving. So could I fit short battens (with a suitable modification to the sail) to my existing mainsail? Not for racing, just to make blasting more comfortable.
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423zero View Drop Down
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Posts: 3420 		Post Options Post Options   Quote 423zero Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 17 at 9:04pm
Perhaps a better question might be is their a smaller sail that will fit without modification.
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Posts: 1312 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Do Different Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 17 at 9:51pm
Sounds a logical line of thought to me. Power isn't always the sole problem, control and handling also come into the equation.  
Anecdotally the partial batten sail transformed the manners of the Blaze.
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Sam.Spoons View Drop Down
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Posts: 3401 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 17 at 10:00pm
Good point, I have had the Spice over 9 years, I had an L2k mainsail (IIRC one full batten and the rest short), nice sail but the problem is the luff length is a lot shorter than the standard sail so you don't get much control over the rig. The standard Blaze rig is a 10.4m soft sail and there is a smaller, 8.8m sail that fits the same rig (same luff, shorter foot and less leach) which responds pretty much the same as the full sail. Soft sails are inherently more forgiving than fully battened so make the boat easier to sail but they are, I assume, cut differently so just modifying a fb sail to short battens won't give the best result. My question is will it work well enough (for blasting not racing) in that control is improved?
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Chris 249 View Drop Down
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Posts: 2041 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Chris 249 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 17 at 10:12pm
Are soft sails more forgiving? I tend to think that sails with very flexy full battens are the most forgiving since they flog less than a soft sail but don't "snap" back and forward like sails with highly-stressed and stiffer full battens. Of the stuff I sail, which includes highly stressed full-batten sails (Raceboard, Formula 18 cat, short boards) all the way through to the Laser I'd say the two with lightly-stressed lightweight full head battens (Windsurfer One Design, Tasar) are the most controllable.

What happens if you put a lighter/flexier batten in the current sail?


Edited by Chris 249 - 10 May 17 at 10:13pm
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Sam.Spoons View Drop Down
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Posts: 3401 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 17 at 10:17pm
Just to add, that last was in answer to 423zero and crossed with DD's answer but I was also thinking of the Blaze rig. I'm also thinking of buying a Supernova to race at home midweek and they have a fb mainsail but with a smaller partially battened option, presumably cut to make the best of the short battens and, the compromised mast bend characteristics. Some say it is not a particularly happy compromise...... I have sailed and raced windsurfers for 30 years ( before which I raced dinghies). Windsurfers change the mast length at the foot (like RS 300/600 and Laser) or use a different mast so always had the mast bend suited to the sail. using a sail that is cut to match a certain mast on a longer one is always a compromise and changes gust response (exactly what you are trying to preserve in a high wind sail).
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Posts: 3401 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 10 May 17 at 11:11pm
Originally posted by Chris 249

Are soft sails more forgiving? I tend to think that sails with very flexy full battens are the most forgiving since they flog less than a soft sail but don't "snap" back and forward like sails with highly-stressed and stiffer full battens. Of the stuff I sail, which includes highly stressed full-batten sails (Raceboard, Formula 18 cat, short boards) all the way through to the Laser I'd say the two with lightly-stressed lightweight full head battens (Windsurfer One Design, Tasar) are the most controllable.

What happens if you put a lighter/flexier batten in the current sail?

That had also crossed my mind, I too sail(ed) windsurfers of various types with sails from 4.1m to 9m with different configurations (I go back to early Div One soft sails and no-batten storm sails). I was thinking of changing the battens in the Supernova sail (I haven't bought one but am considering it) for full length tapered battens, very soft at the luff to achieve that effect. My Demon VG5 Raceboard sail is much improved in a real blow by a very stiff carbon tube added to the standard flexy top batten 'cos it flattens the head panel and helps it twist off in the gusts. So I maybe think a stiff top batten or two (like the Blaze) helps with twist and gust response. It's the middle of the sail that gives problems with the power coming on with a bang and no option to feather the sail in the gusts. Spice is pretty horrible when overpowered despite pretty soft battens as the sail just inverts and is totally uncontrollable rather than luffing at the front but retaining some control over the aft third of the sail.
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Posts: 8956 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Rupert Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 May 17 at 7:42am
Are the battens held at the leech? If so, you could probably bodge in 3 short battens temporarily in the lower part of the sail as an experiment without altering anything.
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Sam.Spoons View Drop Down
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Posts: 3401 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Sam.Spoons Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 May 17 at 8:48am
Yes, I'd thought of that. I may give it a try.
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Posts: 210 		Post Options Post Options   Quote ClubRacer Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 11 May 17 at 10:27am
If the main is back winding it sounds as if the mains being eased too much while the jib is still pinned in

I presume also this only happens upwind?
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