Hi everyone, my mainsail on my Mac 26x has come to the end of its life and I need a new one (the last one is original - 20 years old!). Also keen to make raising and lowering sails as easy as possible and lead everything back to the cockpit. Has anyone used the Mainmate system from Jeckylls (https://jeckells.co.uk/mainmate/)? The other question is whether fully battened sails would have any advantage over the current system.
Mon, 24/07/2023 - 11:06am
#1
Mainsail
Hi Ian , I have used NJO sails in Shamrock quay . Nicky took over the sail loft there from Doyles some years ago. She has made me a really good genoa for my M in the past and done effective alterations to the main . I debated a lot about whether to go fully battenned for the M and in the end decided against in order that I could more easly create twist to de-power the sail in gusts . However I previously sailed on Just Add Water which is an X that has full battens and I thought the performance was really good , allowing the sail to be paid out further while maintaining aerofoil shape and hence maybe less heel. My Imexus also has full battens and it seems pretty good. As with the X the Imexus has a fixed centre mainsheet so the is limited ability to adjust boom tension independent of angle so its hard to get any twist anyway.
By the way , if sails have never been changed , consider also the rigging , especially the forestay . Mine had not been changed in 17 years and it recently broke spontaneously ! Fortunately I spotted it before we got out of the Hamble.
Roly
Many thanks for that, Roly. You're right - the standing rigging may need attention too. Having been out today in a bit of wind, I think the current main might do one more season, but fully battened sounds a good option to consider. Ian
Hi Ian, could I recommend Boat Bits in Huddersfield to renew your rigging. Ben at boat bits did mine last year and did a very good job and at a fraction of the price of most chandeliers. I also got him to upgrade all the rigging to 5mm and forestay at 6mm.