Main question

[Norwalk-ROTC]

The mainsail on our 7.9 seems to have excessive slack along the foot, which the outhaul doesn't cure. In light air, it does give the sail a natural tendency to belly out, but I haven't figured a way to remove it in heavy air when I really would prefer the foot be flatter.

It looks as though it will not be there with a reef in the main, as nearly all of the slack is below the reef point.

Is there a cure?
Should I be concerned?
Is the sail just badly stretched?

[Tac Boston]

Hey there

If the sail has a shelf foot with a bolt rope like it sounds to me it does. There are a couple things you could do.

One send me an email tac@doyleboston.com
two unstitch the hand stitching at the tack end of the rope, make sure you get all the thread out of it. Then hook the sail back up to the tack ring and the out haul and pull the out hard. That should release the pressure on the rope and fix the problem.

The problem is usually caused by rope shrinking inside the sail making it too tight.
Cheers,
Tac

[Norwalk-ROTC]

Thanks, I'll have a look at that. Yes it has a bolt rope along the foot. I had not thought of the rope shrinking. On my boat, the foot of the main has slugs sewn along the bolt rope so the rope is not inside a track, but in all of my years sailing on a cruiser, I have never encountered this.

[Rudeman]

While on the topic of mainsails has anyone ordered a main with a shorter leech ? It baffles me why in today's day and age anyone would want such a "headhunter" in the cockpit ?

[David E]

Since so many newer boats have only the tack and clew secured to the boom these days, is it concievable that the foot could be out of the track, with just the tack and clew secured?

Maybe I am showing some ignorance of the S2, but this would also help shape the sail - I think.

[Norwalk-ROTC]

Since so many newer boats have only the tack and clew secured to the boom these days, is it concievable that the foot could be out of the track, with just the tack and clew secured?

Maybe I am showing some ignorance of the S2, but this would also help shape the sail - I think.

Can one of you long-time S-2 sailors address this please? It is an interesting thought.

[David E]

I find the possibility interesting, but I wonder if the tack and clew would be strong enough to support it as the wind pipes up.

[David E]

So what would happen with just tack and clew on the boom? Could some of you experienced 7.9 sailors weigh in here?

[Tom Elsen]

Many of the modern (main) designs are 'footless'. No problem at all with bearing loads, as the boltrope at the foot of the main bears almost no load at all. The stress is virtually point-loaded at the tack and the clew.

A footless design enables a better shape in the belly of the sail in my experience.

[David E]

And so if the standard issue 7.9 main had only the slug hauled back so it was footless, it would be okay - is that what you are saying?
No problem with the boom, or with the slug's attachment to the sail?
Has anyone done this?

I became curious since it was asked as a 'fix' to a foot that wasn't allowing a proper shape to occur.

[Tim Bosma]

Our new North Main is loose-footed. That is to say, we have a slug at the clew that goes in the boom sail track. Shape is very good, bag in light winds is easier to acheive. Main trimmer control over the sail is very high. We will probably not ever go back to a shelf-footed main.

[Guest]

Would special reinforcement be required for this, or could a sail not made as a loose footed sail handle it?