Hello,
I was reading an old Freedom 35 brochure and they advised letting the mainsail out forward of the bow for a broad reach. Does anyone have experiance doing this? photos? the brochure states it increases speed and helm balance.
Thank you,
Yes, yes, yes and yes, to each of your questions. Make sure you have long enough sheets, and, if the winds are light or flukey, rig preventers. You can take a preventer to the tip of the bowsprit for the main, and the toerail amidships for the mizzen. Gybing is not so much dangerous as annoying, especially if you are carrying a staysail, as here.
With the main well forward, you get drive as aerodynamic lift, rather than just wind pressure on the back of the sail, and having a decent sail area on each side of the boat gives balance the helm.
We were doing 7 – 7.5 knots in the picture above, crossing the Sea of Åland.
The thread “Mizzen staysail on a cat ketch” has some more pictures, and there’s another one below, off the coast of Gotland.
Thank you for answering all and giving the photos! I just finalized my F 35 CK today. I can’t wait to take her out.