Reefing damage a standard sail?

U

Upwind Hacker

Member
Does reefing a standard laser sail damage the sail? I have reefed my sails for over 20 years and have noticed no ill effects.

Dick Tillman's book The Complete Book of Laser Sailing (and its older versions), describes reefing as a way to depower in high winds.

Recently I was told NEVER reef the sail, it damages it. But I can find no reference to damage on any laser forum posting
 
You can stretch the cloth in the head area permenantly (the tack area to a lesser degree) since when you roll the sail up, you are rolling beyond where the multiple layers of patching are. The patch area serves to help absorb and ease the loads over a bigger area of the sail.

I wouldn't reef with a racing sail, I'd use an old beater sail so it wouldn't matter what happens to it...
 
49208 said:
You can stretch the cloth in the head area permenantly (the tack area to a lesser degree) since when you roll the sail up, you are rolling beyond where the multiple layers of patching are. The patch area serves to help absorb and ease the loads over a bigger area of the sail.

I wouldn't reef with a racing sail, I'd use an old beater sail so it wouldn't matter what happens to it...
Click to expand...


I've often thought that that may happen, but have never seen any actual evidence of stretching. And I have reefed my sails for many years. But I do use an old sail on my boat. But I have also seen a friend use a racing sail with no ill effects. And his sail is probably reefed 30% of the time for his 12 year old son and perhaps 10% of the time for himself.

Does anyone actually have any actual evidence of stretching?

I have searched the old email list server and this forum for topics of reefing and have found nothing.
 
I toasted a relatively new sail sailing with it reefed in 30+mph wind for a few hours. The caveat is that this was 20 years ago, when the material was lighter. The head area was perm stretched, the leech was loose and floppy (more so then normal :) )

The stretching is also going to depend on how much load is applied. That's a function of the wind speed, sailor weight and sheet tension. ie reaching around in 20 knots of breeze vs two blocked sailing upwind in 30+

There is a lot of evidence of this happening in other sails, if you look at what sailmakers do for roller furling headsails now in regards to patching, you'll see extended patches in the better quality sails. They did this exactly to combat the stretching that was occuring
 
Thanks Greg. I have reefed older sail material sails (3.2 oz?) with the green crown and the newer weight. With the older weight, I didn't notice much of a difference, if any. But I never was out in 30+. Probably 20 knots max. I was out a week ago in 20 knots (gusts) and was very careful to not 2 block. I did not notice any difference once I derigged ashore and compared sails with another non reefed one. I know how much sails cost, so I am always careful.

Interesting comment about the leech being floppy- Original Green crown sail - no flop. Fogh sail - no flop .Next came a Harstick Laser sail - no flop. Next a North sail (which was still a Fogh sail manufacture) - very much flop, so bad that I bought a Hyde. Now with the Hyde sail - much less flop, but batten tips get stuck inside.
 
Hi Gent's,
One thing to remember is always tape your inside batten tip on to the batten... You'll never have to fish another one out again...
Regards,
Fishingmickey
150087/181157
 
Better still you can pull the caps off and then place a stronger glue like arilldite (how ever you spell it) then place the cap back on, wipe off the excess and DONE!
 
If you have small wrinkles coming from the inboard end of the pockets when the battens are in, you can kill to birds with one stone.

Remove the inboard cap, smooth the edge of the batten and add a little tape to the inboard end. Don't replace the cap. The wrinkle is caused because the pockets are sewn on flat and the thickness of the cap is enough to cause the wrinkle.

The caps are only put on because it's fast and easy for the sailmaker
 
The question of reefing is still bugging me. Recently while at club in Toronto I noticed the original Laser sail designer (Hans Fogh) is over at the crane hauling his Etchells.

I ask him: "Does reefing a sail with a few wraps around the mast do any damage?"

He laughs and says "no". And to paraphrase further: "Coaches in sailing schools still recommend reefing. The laser sail does not have a finish on it and it should not hurt it at all. Maybe cause a few wrinkles, but nothing else."

He goes on to describe the difference beween unfinshed and finished sails in technical detail, etc.

So there is the answer from the original designer - IT WILL CAUSE NO DAMAGE.
 
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