[Public-List] Mainsail Foot Shelf

[Jonathan Bresler]

Dear Albergers,

By class rules our mainsails must be connected to the mast and the boom.
Loose footed sails are disallowed.   One the methods for dealing with the
resulting shape
is to remove the bolt rope and  sew a half lens (half ellipse) to the foot
of the sail.
The curved side of the lens is sewn to the foot of the sail and the bolt
rope is moved
to the flat side of the lens.  This way when the outhaul is eased the
bottom portion of
the sail takes on a airfoil shape.  Then the outhaul is tight the bottom
portion of the
sail is much flatter and less powerful (better for heavy air).

How deep should the shelf be?  Wondering who has a foot shelf and what the
depth
of the shelf might be at 25%, 50%, and 75% aft along the foot.

Jonathan

-- 
Jonathan M Bresler
S/V Constance Alberg 30 #262
Annapolis/Eastport MD