Hi all, im looking into getting a new main made by Rolly Tasker while im still in Thailand. Let me first say i know very little about sail making and sail cloth. Currently Freeform Hoyt F32 has larger than normal mainsail ( going by notes that came with boat ) the sail cloth is 860 HSX? Has anyone any suggestions in regards to sail design for a F32? Has anyone had a square top made for one of these boats? What are the advantages and disadvantages? Is the mast up to the job? Whats the best sail cloth to use? Keep in mind Freeform is a full time cruising boat yet i wish to squeeze the most out of her. I have been happy with the current sail which is described as a Offshore sail but if i can improve why not.
Roach 40+
Luf 37’ 5"
Leach 39’ 10"
Foot 13’ 8" ( i think foot is 8" longer than standard )
Hb 7"
Any suggestions would be appreciated.
Cheers Dale
Freeform.
Hi Dale,
I’ll trade you answers! (see my response and question in “plumbing” about your water maker location in your F32 Hoyt).
Re; the Mains’l…
I too was curious about a square top main for my F32. Since I was also going to get a new launch bag and chute I ask Steve Haarstick (original sailmaker for Freedom) about a new square top main. I decided not to go with it, for the reasons he mentions in his response I have copied below…
The only way to support the back edge of a square top main is to have a diagonal batten from the aft corner of the head spread forward and down to the luff. This forms a triangle at the head were the compression on this diagonal batten holds up the outer leech. Unfortunately, when the sail is lowered, this diagonal batten will continue to hold up the head area, and it will not lay down to fit under the cover. There are several methods to solve this: from a $2000+ custom headboard that releases from the headboard slides when the sail is lowered, to a pulley arrangement that attempts the same release, to pull pins that disconnect the headboard from it’s slide cars. However, I don’t think any of these would work well with the standard internal flat slides on your Freedom 32. As a result, we have not built a square top main for any of our Freedom customers, although we have have the opportunity to do so with other types of boats.
I doubt there would be a structural problem with the mast supporting the extra area up top, but Freedoms are generally pretty tender for their displacement, and I’m not sure the extra area up high would be an advantage in winds over 12 knots.
Thanks again for your interest, and I hope you will decide to have us build a new spinnaker and launch sleeve for you this spring.
Steve Haarstick
President
Haarstick Sailmakers, Inc. <<<
Hope this helps…
Marty
Hi Marty thanks for the reply. I can see how that would be a problem. Ive posted a watermaker reply in plumbing. Any questions about watermaker dont hesitate to ask.
Cheers Dale.