![]() ![]() Now, with the sail gently pulled aft away from the mast, note the cringle position and make a mark on the boom, just 75mm (3”) farther aft than the cringle (eyelet). Pull the sail right up and then lower it so that the aft cringle for the main reef (1 st one) is just at the boom when held up to the right height for sailing (temporarily use the topping lift for this). You need to get this right when you first rig the boat. The aft CLEW line has a critical-location attachment to the boom. Other than the halyard, there are just TWO main lines that will hold the sail in its lowered position … the CLEW line and something forward at the TACK to hold the luff tension. It’s really not that difficult so let’s see what’s needed and understand why. Sadly though, most boats are poorly set up to be reefed and that’s typically the biggest obstacle to reefs being taken in. There are many advantages in sailing with a properly reefed sail that still retains an efficient shape.ġ: Less leeway and higher speed potential in rough conditions.Ģ: Boat will sail more level, improving efficiency for both the sails and the hulls.ģ: Significantly lowers the load off sails & rigging and makes sailing the boat more pleasurable with less stress for all aboard. One very important thing to ALWAYS remember is this: It’s FAR easier to shake OUT a reef in easing weather, than it is to take IN a reef in conditions that are getting worse by the minute. ![]() Going to the Stormsail is a large reduction of area, yet it's surprisingly efficient still. something you can do without a great speed loss. The use of the storm mainsail (see link below), will clearly demonstrate to you that once you need to start luffing the mainsail for you to feel comfortable, it's time to cut down sail area. If you are on any longish leg, make that change early rather than late, as it will be easier and safer to do so. One secret of multihull safety is to learn 'when can you reduce sail without losing any significant speed' and to then make that change in good time. As soon as the bow of a W17 ama starts to often get pressed within about 50mm of the water surface, I know the time has come and on some trimarans, you might need to consider reefing even earlier. Particularly when selecting the larger race rig, you will definitely need to reef more often, so getting your boat properly rigged to make this an easy task is a priority. In fact, reefing will often pay dividends in overall performance and can certainly add an important safety factor in strong or gusty conditions. Just because a W17 is very stable, it does not mean that you’ll never need to reef. Note: Although this article is primarily for the W17 trimaran, the layout and procedure suggested will apply equally to the W22 and other similar boats. ![]()
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