Hi Arne,

I don’t have any fluttering in normal sailing with either full sail or even deeply reefed sail. This is a perceived problem rather than a real one, so I’m not looking for a solution to a theoretical problem that I don’t suffer from.

I still have the little statement you sent me many years ago sitting below my computer screen, which states,

"Perfection is not achieved when there is nothing more to add – It is achieved when there is nothing more to remove."

It ain’t bust, so I’m not fixing it!

Cheers, Slieve.

Hi David, It’s interesting that you mention the short batten idea for long distance cruising. I have considered both short battens and long ones with flexible forward sections all along, but only considered them for local racing. My thoughts have been that the inertia and stiffness of a short batten might generate a local stress point if the jib was allowed to flog and make it more likely to wear. It’s against my belief in the KISS System to add anything that is not essential.

Off topic, David, it’s good to see that your trip is going well.

Cheers, Slieve.

When I drew up and built the split rig for Poppy my intention was to test the theories I had published in the article ‘Some Thoughts’, in NL 40. It was designed to be cheap to build as a test rig, easy to use and reliable enough for coastal sailing, and there was no thought of ocean sailing at that time. The resulting performance exceeded expectations and has fully justified the effort. It has encouraged others to consider the rig for their own specific applications.

When Edward approached me he was looking for a rig to be built by a sailmaker for racing round the cans and for local sailing. There was no suggestion that the rig should be fit for long term cruising. In my limited experience of Amiina I noticed that there appears to be more twist in the rig than on Poppy with both full sail and much more when reefed.

I fully understand David T’s concerns about the ‘loose’ leeches of the ‘jibs’, as I had those doubts myself when I started. Having tested the original rig to destruction I am now confident that the jibs can be built to an adequate standard for long term cruising, and the rest of the rig suitably arranged, and I would certainly consider the split rig for any situation.

Without giving it too much thought, for ocean sailing I guess I would –

1. On a 7 panel sail, keep the top two panels, the storm canvas, as full length cambered panels without splits.

2. Continue to build each jib panels with the angled shelf foot construction, but make the centre cloth of slightly heavier material, and reinforce the whole leech with angled patches.

3. Rig a split sheeting system to make it easier to control the twist when reefed. I might even consider an euphroe with jambers in the sheeting set up for long distance work.

4. Probably use a slightly stronger batten at the foot of the second panel down.

5. Consider using exotic synthetic line for the downhaul/ batten parrels as they play an important role in conditions that require reefing. (The present pink plastic line dies of UV poisoning on a sunny day).

There is nothing sinister or magic about the split junk rig. With its low stresses it performs well and is easy to use, although it requires a different sail trim from most other western junk rigs to achieve the performance gains.

Cheers, Slieve.

PS. Please Annie, we use a hot knife when sailmaking on the sitting room carpet. You can cut yourself with scissors, but only brand yourself with a hot knife.