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Catalina/Capri 25/250 Sailor's Forums

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Mainsail twist

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RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Initially Posted - 05/24/2004 : 12:26:00

While I think I have a pretty good handle on setting correct twist in the jib, I'm still working on getting the mainsail right. I believe the ultimate desire is to get all the leech telltales breaking simultaneously as the boat points closer, but I end up doing all sorts of adjustments trying to get to that point and really don't have a good "system" to get there. I've read lots of articles (including the one in the current Mainsheet, but I usually get stuck on the "top batten parallel to the boom" part (e.g. how can the top batten, which is curved, be parallel to the boom, which is straight; the top batten is quite short and far away from the boom, thus making "parallel" comparisons a vague guess at best; etc.). Also, some articles discuss setting the boomvang and/or outhaul as a way of effecting correct twist, others don't.

Anyway, what is the most simple procedure to get all the telltales breaking simultaneously? Maybe I'm just overcomplicating things, but any help would really be appreciated.

My main has full battens and is loose-footed.

RichardG 81 FK/SR #2657
Terminal Island, CA

Edited by - RichardG on 05/24/2004 12:29:46

Gary B.
Admiral

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USA
969 Posts

Response Posted - 05/24/2004 : 12:39:23

Richard: My main is not loose footed, nor is it full battened, except for the top one, so my ideas might not work for you. You are right; getting the top batten exactly parallet is not really possible, but you can get fairly close. It's the tell tales you want streaming.

IF your top batten is twisted off to leeward, try dropping the traveler a bit, then hardening up on the mainsheet to tighten the leech and get the batten to come in. I don't really use the vang at all going to weather, as it seems to duplicate the action of the mainsheet. The outhaul will help you to flatten the lower part of the sail, but it won't have much effect on the top batten, IMHO....

Edited by - on

Sea Trac
Master Marine Consultant

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Vanuatu
1357 Posts

Response Posted - 05/24/2004 : 12:47:39

Richard,

I generally find that when my top mains'l telltale is not streaming that I have sheeted in the genoa too much and am beginning to backwind the main. Easing the genoa slightly will almost always cause the top telltale to begin streaming properly.

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triley
Captain

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USA
251 Posts

Response Posted - 05/25/2004 : 05:05:51

don't forget the cunningham in trying to get the top batten parallel. The 6:1 that can be used with the outhaul for a flatytewning reef can be adjusted to help a little, along with easing and tehn tightening the traveller.

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RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 05/25/2004 : 13:19:45

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">It's the tell tales you want streaming<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

It's usually not difficult to get all mainsail leech telltales streaming. However, I've heard that the fact that they're all streaming does not neccessarily indicate that twist is correct, and that the only indicator that twist is correct is that they all "break simultaneously" as you pinch the wind. My understanding may be wrong.

Does anyone have a simple, step-by-step procedure for setting correct mainsail twist, starting from scratch (i.e. Step 1, Step 2, etc. -- sort of like a "Setting Mainsail Twist on a C25 For Dummies")?

Regarding "top batten parallel to the boom", what exactly is it? How can a curved thing be parallel to a straight thing? Assuming the top batten is straight from its two end points, should it be parallel to the boom in the vertical plane or the horizontal plane (and which sail control lines control the top batten's position in each plane)? Am I overcomplicating this; or does this parallel concept simply mean the mainsheet is pulled in all the way and the traveller is sheeted in all the way to windward while the boat is close-hauled (i.e. is that "Step 1")?

Then what's the next step?

Edited by - on

dlucier
Master Marine Consultant

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Virgin Islands (United Kingdom)
7583 Posts

Response Posted - 05/25/2004 : 13:57:26

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by RichardG
 [quote]...How can a curved thing be parallel to a straight thing?...<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Because they each can occupy a plane that is equadistant along their lengths.

For example, lay a piece of string licorice on a tabletop. No matter how you lay the licorice on the tabletop, straight or curved, they will be paralell to each other because the distance between them is equal along the licorice's entire length and if the licorice is extended infinitely, it will not intersect the tabletop.

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RichardG
Admiral

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USA
990 Posts

Response Posted - 05/26/2004 : 12:21:20

<blockquote id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">lay the licorice on the tabletop, straight or curved, they will be paralell to each other because the distance between them is equal along the licorice's entire length <hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">

Thanks, Don. That would mean the boom should be parallel to the top batten in the horizontal plane. Now how to get there?....

Given the lack of response on all these questions, I'm guessing that how to get "simultaneous breaking telltales" as an indicator of correct twist in the mainsail is not nearly as well understood as how to get correct twist in the jib (with its simple "bottom, break, back" procedure).

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