In my case you are correct! My main was very old and bagged out! I know I am not knowledgeable enough yet to tweak the sail trim enough to detect the diff between a new footed vs new unfooted main, if there is any at all. I do like the options with the loose foot. I use my outhaul much more than before. I seem to be able to keep a smoother looking sail. Whether it actually is doing me any good is probably debatable:)It is also much easier to bag the sail if I chose to take it off the boom. Kern was very helpful in answering my questions and I do like the sail.Costs were the same so it truly is a personal choice. The real lesson for me was the diff between a "new" sail and the "old" sail. I could point so much better to weather and the boat reacted so much quicker to the puffs! Now for this year a new Jib! Can I expect similar results? Doug --- JazzYachts@aol.com wrote:
In a message dated 12/13/04 1:08:43 PM Eastern Standard Time, nbundek@earthlink.net writes:
he purchased a new "loose footed" main and had in increase in performance.
I don't think the difference between a loose-footed mainsail and a mainsail that is tracked on a boom would be detectable, if both sails are competently shaped, set up, and trimmed. One imagines there's something of an "endplate" effect with a mainsail tracked on a boom combined with a substantial "shelf" cut into the sail.
The improvement in performance you mention might simply have come about because the sail was new and not blown out---not because it was loose footed.
The loose footed mainsail is a little quicker to strike into its bag if you must dismantle the whole rig at the end of the day.
Cheers, John _______________________________________________
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