1. Battens: These are almost invariably
too light for the three lower pockets, and too stiff for the
top pocket. The best arrangement is a more or less indestructable
considerably tapered glass fibre batten for the top that is
very flexible, at its inner end. The center battens can be well-tapered
wood, or glass, should be a lot stiffer, but still have some
taper. The lower batten should be generally similar, but should
be glass fiber particularly in conjunction with roller reefing,
so that when it is rolled around the boom, it will not suffer
damaging distortion.
2. Leach Lines: These generally create
an unnecessary requirement for more corrective work. They need
adequate provision for adjusting and securing. They should be
sized in keeping with the job they are intended to do; and the
length should be reasonably controlled to save the need of cutting
at the time of trial; and the attendent need for heating to
prevent the line unlaying. No sail, with the exception of spinnakers,
should be without leach lines; and these lines should be used
to prevent undesirable flogging, which seriously wears the stitching,
as well as making it more difficult to trim, and steer the boat
effectively, not to mention problems sleeping below in a breeze.
3. Sail Stowing: There is a standard
complaint about sail stowage, as it is much easier to sell a
boat with more staterooms, and berths; but big headsails are
still necessary to make the boat go. All of this points up the
desirability of learning to fold the sails, generally by the
foot, flaking them down, and then rolling them, either from
the luff or the leach; but rolling very tightly indeed, and
then cinching it tightly to hold or even reduce the size of
the roll, prior to putting it in the bag. When this is done,
the sail occupies less than twenty-five per cent of the volume
an unfolded sail requires; and, with little practice, it is
pretty easy to do, and it is certainly worth it, to let you
enjoy what space you do have below deck, and help you find the
sail you may be looking for when you are in a hurry to make
a change.
4. Head Pennants: All headsails, which
arc more than five per cent or six per cent short of the full
hoist on the luff, should be fitted with appropriate head pennants;
and in the case of a storm jib there is frequently a tack pennant,
combined length of the fully stretched luff, plus the head pennant;
tack pennant (if there is one) should be about five per cent
less than the overall length of the headstay. The pennants should
invariably be shackled on; but the shackles should be moused,
so an over enthusiastic crew member will not remove them; which
simply causes unnecessary confusion. The reason for urging the
use of the shackle is that it is then very simple to have a
head pennant either shortened or replaced with a longer one;
whereas, when they are spliced into the sail, the whole sail
must be taken ashore, and the pennant can only be removed by
cutting it out.
5. Mainsail Stops: The final step after
any type of sailing will be to furl the mainsail, for which
adequate sail stops are needed. The best thing in the world
is to have them really long; and have them all the same. They
should be synthetic, so they will dry more quickly; and there
should be a full set of spares to replace those that blow away
or that may be used for other purposes. In conclusion, it is
hoped that a review of the points mentioned will remind all
involved of fundamentally easy ways to accomplish really worthwhile
improvements. Certainly, there are many many more items of a
generally similar nature that will fall in the same category;
and obviously the best time to think them through is before
the work to which they relate has been accomplished.
Rod Stephens,
Problem Areas, in: Yachting World Annual, 1973,
pagg. 43 e segg.