It towers 18 metres into the blue and is ten percent bigger than the previous one by Swiss sailmaker VM Sails, which came with a short foot luff in the nineties. Five battens, two of them continuous at the top, stabilise the cloth.
In the fall before, sailmaker Arnd Deutsch and I had discussed a special cloth and other details. It was to be finished like the previous VM Sails main, which lasted long due to good craftsmanship: in terms of cloth weight, workmanship and equipment, with extra-large reinforcements at the reefing eyelets.
Sailcloth considerations
Regardless of today’s trend towards handy and light but not quite lasting foil sails, again made of durable Dacron. This time made of a special fabric with strong Vectran threads. The disadvantages of the polyester fibre and the conventional horizontal cut required by this material are compensated with added cloth weight, targeted reinforcement of the leech and doublings over the reefing eyelets.
When the sailmaker and I bring the almost 5-metre-long roll a board, I was shocked by the weight. Furthermore, the sail is rigid and thick as cardboard at the reinforcements of the reefing eyes. “You wanted it that way,” Arnd Deutsch reminds me on my insistence on a durable sail in autumn.
Noticeable more drive
Initial problems with the two sluggish mast sliders of the continuous battens are quickly solved by Deutsch with special sliders suitable for pushing back the battens. The power of the new drive is noticeable, with a much greater pull on the sheet. With this new sail, a dream cherished for a while comes true. Previously I sailed Gamle Swede against the handicap of the increasingly bulbous profile, which grew from year to year.
With the new jib and this main in the intended size, the boat is now adequately and universally driven. Universal means that I take the Genoa out of the sail inventory. With 74 m2, the boat is already moving in light air. At 2-3 Beaufort, Swede 55 goes a lot better. The disadvantage of the heavy and correspondingly stiff cloth is that it is difficult to lay. However, use of the sail will make it more handy.
Mainsail details
Cloth Dacron with yellow Vectran threads in weft direction by Dimension-Polyant, brand name Vectron, type VEC084
Area 44 sqm
Reef sizes first reef 36 sqm (80 %), second reef 28 sqm (63 %), third reef 19 sqm (43 %)
Sail design conventional panels arranged at right angles to the leech
Boom nock slightly raised by 10 cm shortened leech
Luff line double wrapped in graduated cloth strips. Rings for the three reefs sewn to both sides of the luff and thus always to be hung up to windward.
Leech aft quarter of the sail doubled up to over the third reef with 7 ounces of cloth. Reefs reinforced with an extra layer of 8.3 ounce Vectron cloth with the threads in the main tension direction. Above this, fanned doubles for the reefing eyes.
Sail battens at the top two times continuous, 1.50 and 2.60 m long. Below, three battens 1.50 to 1.90 m long
Rutgerson pressure mast-cars for the two continuous battens. New Seldén switch to accommodate the sliders in the mast track and smooth up and down.
Sailmaker Arnd Deutsch, Teerhofinsel, Bad Schwartau/Lübeck
Photo on top by Wolf Hansen. Gamle Swede at Schlank & Rank Race. Updated May 22, 25.→ Subscribe free newsletter
