Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Just out of curiosity: are (or will be) the sails cambered?
I'd say they were flat-cut. Given the displacement of the boat and the relatively small sail area (It feels weird to say that about an 80 sq m mainsail, but it is a very big vessel!), I think it will need to motorsail to windward in winds under 15-20 knots, so the flat-cut sails won't be too much of a disadvantage, and will be quite adequate from a close reach to a broad reach. I look forward to seeing and hearing more about this boat's sailing trials. It looks like a comfortable ocean cruiser!
Graham, you are spot on. The battens are made from fibreglass and stretch out the sail. It was designed as a flat cut sail.
We will have to see how she performs in a few weeks when we do the first sea trial. On the one hand, this boat is primarily made and being refitted for long distance cruising rather than racing. Due to the size and weight it will never catch enough air with this Sq m of sail to gain impressive speeds, and we will likely need to use the engine if sailing close to windward or in light breezes.
On the other hand, the total sail area is the same as the original Bermudan rig with the main and genoa as far as I understand so it may perform better than expected. Harvest is an interesting underwater shape with a good balance between performance and comfort. On the motor, it feels like handling a boat much smaller in size.