Tapered sail battens
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Repair & maintenance
Forum Discription: Questions & tips on the subject
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5029
Printed Date: 14 May 25 at 4:14pm
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Topic: Tapered sail battens
Posted By: Webmuppet
Subject: Tapered sail battens
Date Posted: 02 Jan 09 at 4:06pm
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Hi Folks, This is probably another display of my ignorance but which way round does a tapered batten fit in its pocket ? Should the tapered end point towards the leech or the luff of the sail. I did try to find the answer on Google but I'm obviously asking the question in the wrong way. I have to confess that I'd not even noticed that my 8.1 rig had tapered battens ! Many thanks in advance, Nigel 
------------- I am the milkman of human kindness, I will leave an extra pint (Billy Bragg) Graduate 2530 'Galaxy' |
Replies:
Posted By: Merlinboy
Date Posted: 02 Jan 09 at 4:12pm
Thin end in, thick end out (so the thin end is pointing the mast) Hard to explain but i think that makes sense?? ------------- |
Posted By: Webmuppet
Date Posted: 02 Jan 09 at 4:18pm
Thanks Russ, yes, that's very clear........the more I thought about it, the more I could find a reason for fitting 'em either way  (sometimes it just doesn't pay to think too hard!)Nigel ------------- I am the milkman of human kindness, I will leave an extra pint (Billy Bragg) Graduate 2530 'Galaxy' |
Posted By: Scooby_simon
Date Posted: 02 Jan 09 at 5:51pm
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FOr the 8.1 sail; I assume this is right in ALL conditions, but some fully battened sails can be tuned by truning the top 2 or 3 around in the big stuff. It can assist in the sail twisting off. A lot of cats may carry stiffer battens for the top 3 (we can in the F16 fleet) and change them if required before the start of a race. ------------- Wanna learn to Ski - PM me.. |
Posted By: English Dave
Date Posted: 03 Jan 09 at 10:31am
But does that work for non-fully battened sails, Simon? On the 8.1 (and all Laser variants TBH) the battens only go about a third of the way across the chord from the leach. So their role is more to do with stopping the roach from flogging than sail tuning. Probably. ------------- English Dave http://www.ballyholme.com - Ballyholme Yacht Club (You'd think I'd be better at it by now) Hurricane 5.9 SX RS700 |
Posted By: Scooby_simon
Date Posted: 03 Jan 09 at 5:25pm
[shows how long he's been sailing cats] I cannot remember the last time I sailed a boat without fully battened mainsail (Sometime in the very early 80's I think)...... ------------- Wanna learn to Ski - PM me.. |
Posted By: G.R.F.
Date Posted: 03 Jan 09 at 5:37pm
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Nigel, if there are more than 1, you might check to see if they have been
tuned to the sails optimum flow point, not sure if this goes on in dinghy world, but if for example they are all the same length, yet the sail tapers, the bottom one should bend higher nearer the front if you get my drift here.. Oh and the purpose of the batten in full batten sails for the un initiated? First fold to lock the optimum flow point (high point of the sail camber). Second fold, to assist by tuning of said battens to assist optimum twist, (Not that I've ever noticed many Dinghy/Cat sails tuned in that way particularly well. Third obviously foil stability. |