 New Sails |  G'Day people
I am thinking of getting a square-top,full-battened,loose-footed main for my 28. I realise that I will have to extend the crane at the top of the mast to allow the back-stay to clear the leach.
Looking for input re- the pro's and cons of this mod.I am looking for a way to increase sail area without extending my mast and boom.
Any comments will be greatly apprieciated.
Cheers John
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| Re: New Sails | John.
You would pick up a little extra sail area with a square top main sail, and that would be fine, and it is important not to increase the boom length, as any extra sail area aft of the designed foot dimension would have the effect of an undesirable increase in weather helm.
Have you considered a larger head sail? This would give you a better option depending on weather conditions, as when we raced an RL28 we found that it did improve performance in medium to light airs, and gave us the option of the right rig for the weather conditions and good trim.
See photo and story at "The RL story"----"The RL28 story"--- episode 11
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| Re: New Sails |  Rob. Thanks for your very informative reply. Since I posted this inquirey I have found and am in the process of purchasing a mast/hd Genoa and furler.
Thankyou so much for designing and building what I personally recon is the ultimate T/S.
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| Re: New Sails | John.
If you intend to use your masthead genoa to windward in wind strengths in excess of 10 knots, you will need to add masthead shrouds, and spreaders just above your current hounds position to prevent the mast top laying off to leeward excessively.
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| Re: New Sails | Thanks Heaps for your advise Rob. Any chance of a rough sketch as to where to place the upper spreaders and where to terminate the shrouds at the lower end?
The guy I'm getting the rig off had it on a 28 and he said that you advised him to lop 600mm from to mast/hd. I don't want to do this but as he is giving me his forstay with the furler what do think will happen if I just mount the upper hounds 600mm from the top??
Thanks again for a great boat and your advise.
Cheers John
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| Re: New Sails | John.
You may just get away without adding the extra spreader if your take off position for the headsail is 600 mm below the mast top i.e.7740mm up from the base , this may reduce the bending moment enough to stop the mast top falling off to leeward.
Please check that your mast measurements are the same as on the sketch in the RL28 drawings. Go to RL28-----Drawings ----Mast, and if your mast measures up the same, and provided that the mast metal around the hounds is still in good condition without any corrosion it should be OK.
I would suggest that you go ahead and set it up and give it a try, you will find that the backstay will be a lot more effective in controlling the headsail luff tension than before, and will need to be adjusted after the headsail is set.
If you find that your mast does tend to get out of line, or if the weather lower shroud goes slack when sailing please let me know and then we can look at adding that extra spreader.
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| Re: New Sails |  Thanks for that Rob.You gave me the answer that I was hoping for. I will give it a try and let you know how it goes.
Cheers John
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| Re: New Sails | Ok, So I have fitted my furler and headsail. I now want to make sure that the mast is upright or just a bit aft of vertical.
If I put a spirit level on the top of the plate case will that allow me to level the boat fore and aft???
Cheers John
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| Re: New Sails |  All good with the new masthead rig but the mast was flexing to leeward a bit. I fixed it by installing extra stays from the top (mast head)hounds,through the spreaders and down to the deck alongside the original shrouds and terminating at the same deck fitting.
It has solved the problem easily and cheaply. The boat is really flying now but I do find that I have to reef the main a lot sooner to stop the boat being over-powered.
Thanks again for input Rob and others
John
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| Re: New Sails | clip of new sail.
Sorry I can't figure out how to make it rotate
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