You're right. I'm not sure anything is going to compare to Fercot's
rig in the following areas:
- Ability to maintain ideal sail shape in any wind strength.
- Ability to keep each part of the sail and wishbone frame lightly
loaded.
- Simplicity of mast -- no rotation required.
Loading and mast simplicity are good, but not my primary focus. To
me
those are benefits, but higher loading and mast rotation can be
designed for. Though you could definitely argue that lighter loading
and more simplicity translates into less structure, which translates
into more speed.
My greater concern is maintaining a great foil shape without manual
intervention on each shunt.
---
I currently sail a Stiletto 27 catamaran with a rotating wing mast
carrying Ullman pentex mylar sails that have semi-stiff battens. I get
a pretty good leading edge on each tack simply from pressure on the
sail track rotating the mast. But it could definitely be better, so
people who race the boats install a mast rotator that introduces yet
two more lines that need to be adjusted every time the boat and wind
change direction.
The sail is cut well and has a beautiful arc to it, allowing me to
sail in winds so light that others stand still. The high SA/D also
helps, but it wouldn't do a whole lot without the right shape. The
problem is that battens which are stiff enough to handle big winds are
too stiff to flip over from one side to the other in light winds.
That means I have to switch the battens over myself, and
unfortunately tugging at sheets or the traveler won't do it in really
light winds. The one thing that works is if I launch myself into the
air, aiming for the other side of the 8' wide copckpit, grab onto the
boom in the middle of my arc, and swing on it once like a monkey as my
legs continue to the other side. That sets the battens.
That's a lot of work if I just want to have a relaxing sail. I got
the 27' model instead of the 30' model because the jib doesn't require
a winch -- you can either manhandle it with a standard fiddle block, or
put a block on the clew for a 2:1 purchase. Either way would let me
avoid being a winch monkey on lazy days. But now I am apparently a
batten monkey.
So I look at Fercot's rig with much appreciation. No batten
flipping, no change of sail arc no matter what the wind strength, no
messing with sheets, no hydraulic or electric camber inducers.
It's just taking me time to get over my resistance to the junk design
in general, and all those strings in specific.
But that discomfort is something I should probably get over. This
rig probably does the best job at my primary goal of maintaining ideal
wing shape, and addresses the secondary goals of loading and mast
simplicity. I'm not sure any of the other options do that.
---
I would consider a variation of the Omer if it didn't require a
hinged boom, as well a variation of the snake battens, or light
battens, if the sail will set itself in light wind. Perhaps, maybe,
with the help of a single continuous line to force camber in the
lightest winds.
But the higher loading on the luff and leach, though not a primary
concern, could make it tough for the camber to automatically switch
from one side to another. Which brings me back to Fercot's rig.
On comforting bit of information was that his boat is faster, and
tacks better, than a standard Tiki 30, even with the burden and windage
of the deck pod. That's pretty impressive because the 30 already has a
lightship SA/D around 36. Thus, he has proven that the theory works.
- Mike
Arto Hakkarainen wrote:
