Outhaul.

[trebor]

Hi All, Does an Outhaul make any difference to a fixed footed Sail? I can see how it affects my loose footed Sail.

[SoggyBadger]

Yes but the friction of the bolt rope means that adjustment is much harder than with a loose-footed and limits the amount that the clew will come for'd.

[JimC]

There's not really much practical difference between the two on any sail cut within the last 40 years or more.

[Pat]

But if you get a sail with a softer fabric inset at the bottom (lens foot) it can open up when off wind and be pulled tightly in upwind and playing the outhaul makes enough difference that we like to have the control led back to the helm along with the kicker. A decent amount of silicon spray helps keep it sliding along the groove.

[PeterV]

How much difference the outhaul makes will depend on the type of boat. On a two sail boat it is always pulled out upwind and eased off wind. On a single sail boat it's used a great deal more as the tension in the outhaul affects the angle of the leech and hence pointing ability. So, on a Laser, Finn etc. easing the outhaul puts more power in the sail and makes the leech stand up more, improving pointing. As the power becomes too much it's pulled out. I ease a lot more on rough water and on both a Finn (bolt rope foot) and Laser the outhaul can make as much as 15 degrees difference in pointing angle.

[Rupert]

I've not noticed as much as 15 degrees, but certainly a difference. Mind, it is still the least adjusted of the controls for me. Maybe I should pay it more attention, especially on the Minisail, with the massively long foot.

Spray the track with lube on a tracked boomed boat to help with the movement - it should work in exactly the same way as loose footed. The Minisprint boom is very long (see above!) so vitally important to have it able to move. If you put an elastic coming forward from the outer end, it can help it loosen when you let the rope off.

[jpa_wfsc]

Just to add - masively effective with a stiff mast, but with a bendy mast, cunningham downhaul is a much more significant control for power. The outhaul on a flexible mdern rig mainly affects the lowest 1/3 of a sail, the downhaul the top 2/3rds but on a stiff mast, its rather the other way arround.

Main point...

In either case, investing a few pennies in leech tell tales, whcih show you how the air is flowing off the back edge of the sail, provides a huge return in terms of knowing what is actualy going on up there. Easily made with materiel from an old spinnaker, and sewn on at 1/3 intervals up the leech. Aim to set controls so that air is always flowing off the back of the sail without any large change of angle from the sail itself.

http://www.wb-sails.fi/Portals/209338/n ... tales.html is one of many good descriptions...

[trebor]

Hi Peter, I always thought, you pulled the outhaul has tight as possible when pointing, make the sail flat, release when running or reaching, to make a better wing shape.
The Aquabat is a loose footed single sail, rigged the same has a Laser radial.

[PeterV]

Trebor, no but a common mistake among those of less experience. If you look at Lasers sailing upwind they will normally have the foot of the sail about 4" off the boom. Any less and you will be a lot slower. The sophistication of the rig makes a lot of difference though, on a Finn the Cunningham has a very different effect and a separate inhaul is used. I use all 3 separately and only pull down the Cunningham when well overpowered. In waves I may still have the out haul eased to give the boat power through the waves and good pointing.

[jpa_wfsc]

In waves I may still have the out haul eased to give the boat power through the waves and good pointing.

... which gives you power, low in the rig where it is easier to balance by hiking, but flattens the head of the sale to reduce heeling force and drag up top.

[trebor]

tried less outhaul on whilst pointing yesterday, on one outing, it appeared to make a difference, I did not need to pull mainsheet in so hard, and not work so hard.
presumably their is a limit to how much curve you can have in a loose footed sail ? (not just pointing).

[Rupert]

Yes, there is. Too much curve and you just end up with a very large bag.

I've never noticed having to work less hard when I have outhaul off - the opposite, I'd say, as you are powered up - same goes for boom angle, though it may be that by setting the outhaul right you are better able to feel the boom angles that are needed.

There is a school of thought that suggests you should pull the outhaul tight when on a dead run, too, in order to increase the sail area shown to the wind. Not one I subscribe to (as Jim C says, dead runs are slow, so better to alter course a tiny bit if possible) but it does highlight that a loose outhaul does affect many aspects of the sail, including projected area. Mainly though, too loose and you will just have a sail that backs all the time, so you'd have to pull the boom in more, and the boat would sail really, really badly.