[Rhodes22-list] Loose-Footed Mains

[Robert Skinner]

Thank you, it looks like valuable commentary.

Robert

James Barron wrote:
> 
> Robert:
> 
> When I click on the link sent by Leland I get the following article from
> Sailnet:
> 
> Racing sailors in particular are keenly aware that once the breeze pipes
> up, you need to make certain adjustments to keep your sail shape optimized.
> With a mainsail, that begins with tweaking the halyard to achieve a luff
> tension that's in the ballpark for the given conditions. Then-if your boat
> has a standard Marconi rig-you'll begin making adjustments to the backstay,
> outhaul, and cunningham to fine-tune the sail's overall shape. Of course,
> the most frequent adjustments are made using the traveler and the
> mainsheet, and on board the most aggressively raced sailboats, the latter
> is rarely cleated.
> 
> Of all these controls, perhaps the one most overlooked by non-racing
> sailors is the outhaul. Most boat owners follow the 'set it and forget it'
> approach with this control line. But a properly attended outhaul can afford
> you surprising control over the lower portion of most mainsails. I say most
> mainsails because there are different design approaches to the foot section
> of these sails. On the vast majority of mainsails, you either have a foot
> that's attached to the boom via slides or a bolt rope, or you have what is
> known as a loose-footed arrangement wherein just the tack and some portion
> of the clew are attached.
> 
> It used to be that 90 percent of mainsails seen on board recreational
> sailboats were constructed with an attached foot. However, that situation
> started to change during the 1980s after America's Cup sail designers began
> experimenting with loose-footed mainsails. As with most sail design
> innovations, permutations of this approach eventually trickled down to the
> recreational arena and became commonplace. These days, the majority of new
> mainsails are designed with a loose-footed arrangement.
> 
> But, besides attachment methods, what really are the differences between a
> loose-footed mainsail and one that's attached along the boom? Proponents of
> the former will tell you that loose-footed mainsails are easier to rig and
> de-rig because there are fewer attachment points and less hardware
> involved. Consequently, there's almost always less friction as well, which
> is a boon to those trimming the outhaul. Equally important is the fact that
> a loose-footed mainsail enables you to more easily rig reefing lines by
> tying the bitter end around the boom. And some sailors will tell you that
> having a loose-footed mainsail makes it imminently easier tie on a boom
> preventer, but I recommend you affix preventer lines to the boom by using
> dedicated hardware like a padeye. (Most booms aren't designed to sustain
> the point loading that is likely to occur when you tie a piece of line
> around the spar's midsection and subject it to high loads.) A further
> advantage to loose footed mainsails is that they make it possible to load
> full battens into the sail when it's not already bent on the boom, and that
> is often easier and more convenient.
> 
> Are there disadvantages to loose-footed mainsails? Yes, but these are
> relatively minor. First, while sailing close-hauled with the mainsail
> trimmed in hard and the outhaul taut, some loose-footed mainsails will
> produce foot flutter. On board most boats, this is really more of an
> annoyance than a performance detractor. And second, some long-range
> cruising sailors customarily use the foot of their mainsail to collect
> rainwater. Depending upon the amount of rainfall, this can be a pretty
> efficient collector, and you obviously can't do that with a loose-footed
> mainsail.
> 
> What about mainsails with an attached foot? What advantages does this
> system offer? The only true advantage to this system is that it allows the
> mainsail to have a conventional shelf-foot built into it. A shelf foot is
> characteristically a lighter weight piece of cloth that is sewn along the
> foot of the sail from the tack to the clew. This section also connects to
> the mainsail along the boom, ordinarily via slides or a bolt rope. When the
> outhaul is loosened, the shelf opens up to produce a fuller shape in that
> portion of the sail. When the outhaul is tightened, the shelf essentially
> closes up and flattens alongside the boom. The downside is that the
> hardware involved (slides or bolt rope) will eventually increase the cost
> of maintaining the sail due to the wear and tear of these items.
> 
> It should be clear at this stage why the majority of sail designers these
> days favor loose-footed mainsails. Neither concept offers a significant
> performance advantage under sail for most types of boats, but the
> loose-footed approach can provide significant advantages from a maintenance
> and equipment handling standpoint. Also, the fact that almost any existing
> boom can accommodate a loose-footed arrangement, but an attached foot
> mainsail requires a boom with either a foot groove or a track further
> strengthens the loose-footed argument. Of course every sailboat has its
> idiosyncrasies-as do most owners-so discuss these options with your
> sailmaker before you commit one way or the other. If you do that first,
> you'll be much happier no matter what option you choose.
> 
> About the Author: Dan Dickison is known throughout the sailing community
> for his in-depth articles on a variety of sailing topics. His resume
> includes stints as a staff editor at Sailing World, Editorial Director of
> SailNet, and Editor of Practical Sailor. In those capacities he has written
> principally about racing, sail handling, and maintenance. He has also
> written over 50 freelance articles that have appeared in major sailing
> publications around the world.
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From:   Robert Skinner
> Sent:   Tuesday, July 24, 2007 7:53 PM
> To:     The Rhodes 22 mail list
> Subject:        Re: [Rhodes22-list] Loose-Footed Mains
> 
> Nothing showed up.  What am I missing?
> 
> /Robert
> 
> Leland wrote:
> >
> > http://www.sailnet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35266
> > http://www.sailnet.com/forums/showthread.php?t=35266
> > --
> > View this message in context:
> http://www.nabble.com/Loose-Footed-Mains-tf4137717.html#a11768785
> > Sent from the Rhodes 22 mailing list archive at Nabble.com.
> >
> > __________________________________________________
> > Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> 
> --
> Robert Skinner  "Squirrel Haven"
> Gorham, Maine         04038-1331
> s/v "Little Dipper" & "Edith P."
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list
> __________________________________________________
> Use Rhodes22-list at rhodes22.org, Help? www.rhodes22.org/list

-- 
Robert Skinner  "Squirrel Haven" 
Gorham, Maine         04038-1331
s/v "Little Dipper" & "Edith P."