Main sheet sliding track

[Old Forum]

Julian Swindell
Username: Julian_swindell

Registered: 03-2007
   
Posted on Friday, December 28, 2007 - 06:11 pm:      
I have noticed that some Winkle Brig owners have fitted a sliding track across the stern to control the main sheet. Can anyone with experience of this layout say whether it helps at all? is it worth the effort of fitting? I also wondered if anyone has ever fitted a kicking strap and again, is it worth it?

[Old Forum]

Roger Parish
   
Posted on Friday, December 28, 2007 - 06:52 pm:      
Please see my posting on "mainsheet configuration" which I was suprised received no response at the time. When close hauled I often pull the boom down with my arm to flatten the sail! I often find that the topsail is luffing while the main is correctly set. This is because the gaff arm is too far out to leeward. Pulling down on the boom corrects this. So I think a kicker would be advantagous but how do you fix it. You can pull the boom down with a rope between boom and anchor point on bridge deck but this is no different to sheeting in tighter.

[Old Forum]

davidcawston
   
Posted on Wednesday, January 02, 2008 - 10:48 am:      
I have the Barton 'T' track fixed to my transom rail. I am not convinced it improves sailing performance (Partan & Markie perform very similarly with different mainsheet attachments) but I can see the mainsheet is pulled flatter when close hauled which also pulls in the gaff. I do get a tremendous crash as the traveller hits the stop on the other end of the track when jybing. With the single centre fixing on the transom rail it is easy to 'back' the lower leech of the main by pulling in too tight on the mainsheet when really close hauled which slows you down. So I think any system that allows the lower pulley block to travel is an advantage.
David WB Markie

[Old Forum]

David_owens
Username: David_owens

Registered: 04-2010
   
Posted on Friday, May 21, 2010 - 08:28 am:      
Julian, did you get any further with the kicking strap idea? I'm told it should improve performance especially in a chop (when the boom seems to bounce around a bit). Also my boat has simple rope traveller across the transom. I'm not actually using it as I have attached the mainsheet to the single centre fixing. I've assumed this is an original set up. Is that right, or was the boat designed to use rope across the transom?

[Old Forum]

Julian Swindell
Username: Julian_swindell

Registered: 03-2007
   
Posted on Friday, May 21, 2010 - 09:35 am:      
Hi David,
I never changed anything on my boat. I think the centre fitting was the standard arrangement. I think the sagging gaff is a feature of gaff rig. On big boats they often fit a line to teh end of teh gaff to pull it inboard, but you need a wide boat for that to work. It is also another line to get tangled. A kicker should help, but the WB is not designed to take high loadings, so you would need to be careful. No rig is perfect.