Tony's reefhook query brings to mind a raft of unsettled questions I had about the loosefooted main and rigid vang. It is obvious that A/C racers and cruisers both benefit from a loosefoot main. The vang is used to control the boom, holding it down and letting it rise, and useful for flattening the sail. Boom out on a broadreach the vang controls rolling, preventing a broach. It does this by hauling the boom down. Vang is used as a jibe preventer but can this be done with the Garhauer used on the Bay Ariels?
I do not understand how a loosefooted main and the rigid vang can work together? Especially with the original boom and fittings.
Does seem that the slug rigged main provides support for the boom in the way it apparently distributes forces evenly along the foot. If you haul the vang down on the boom with the sail attached along the foot you will get results in sail shape. But is this true of the loosefooted rig? Won't the boom bend? What influence is there on the central areas of the sail?
The triangle formed by the rigid vang must consetrate loads on the gooseneck and the boom that were never originally engineered. The main use for the rigid vang, as this inexperienced sailor sees it, is as an expensive topping lift/boom holder.
I'm looking at a loosefoot cruising version of the main for 338: no roach, no battens, very deep reef points, hand sewn rings in the corners. But I'm very concerned about what gear is used to haul the clew out, and control it, since that also is only way to control sail shape. Seems to me it would have to be some strong eight-part set up [on a track] on top of the boom or under the boom?
Is 338's original boom really going to be able to take the stress of a loosefoot main? Does the Garhauer vang bend the boom. What is the best upgrade for the gooseneck and the boomend rigging.
Triton Tim ended up with the modern rig AND it cost him a new boom.
There is that lovely photo of MAIKA'I in the Summer Sailing post of Sept '01 clearing showing her l.f. foot main driving her at 90 kph!!
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