David,

although I usually keep nagging about adding camber, I agree with David Ty. and his three stages.

That said...

·         I don’t buy any argument that a tender boat is better off with flat sails. I have sailed for so long with fairly big sails and some camber, that reefing has become second nature. I bet, on my last boat, Frøken Sørensen, I was down on one reef or more, at least half of the time  -  and that was during inshore daytrips. I never regarded the boat as over-rigged, but was glad I could hoist an extra panel in light winds.
Same with my present Ingeborg. First panel is dropped in the lower half of F4.
So, to me, reefing early is the answer, not degrading the JR with flat panels.

·         I am sceptical to wooden battens. Wood is too stiff and heavy compared to its strength, in my view. The problem is the shock-load put on them at the end of a sudden half-long gybe. The tubular, thin-walled aluminium battens can take such loads much better: The combination of light weight, flexibility and strength therefore makes them more suited for battens (just like bamboo).

Arne

PS;
As for steering problems with Freedoms: Some have already improved their steering by simply adding an endplate on the rudder.

David, dories are tender.  The extra weight in the wooden battens wouldn't make a noticeable difference.  Honestly. And, arguably, a baggy sail might increase the tendency.

I'm not entirely convinced about baggy sails for long distances.  Alan (Zebedee) is and will be putting new sails to the test when he leaves here, in a year or so. for another circumnavigation.  Designer David and I both agreed to try a small amount of camber plus hinged battens on Fanshi.  He made these (battens) for me and they are presently languishing in Auckland while DHL and Customs agree on what ransom I will be charged to release them.

Shirley and I have been talking about camber.  She didn't like her baggy sails and found that they were much more stressed than the flat ones.  She changed back after too many breakages, but said that she can't help noticing how well the junks with baggy sails did at our Tall Ships regatta.  For coastal sailing I think they are probably preferable.  Would I want them if heading down for long periods in the S Ocean?  Probably not.  For a simple Trade Wind passage or circumnavigation?  Possibly not, unless I intended to do a lot of exploring along the way.  But of course, the Trade Winds don't always read the books, as most long-distance sailors have experienced!

As ever, you pays your money and you makes your choice.  As you say, you may as well get to know the boat with the sails that she comes with, first, and you may find that, like most people, when the destination is dead upwind, you use that very expensive iron topsail, which takes up so much room in your boat and get your money's worth from it!  then you can happily keep your flat sails!