Submitted on March 19, 2006, by Edgar Smith

Question: I have a North 3DL mainsail on my fractional rigged J-29. The full upper batten has an adjustment wheel on the inner end of the batten pocket. What should I look for to determine the best setting for the batten and should it be adjusted differently when heading out in stronger conditions?

Thanks
Edgar Smith

Answer: Edgar,

If the batten pressure is too low, you will see vertical wrinkles or pleats along the batten pocket with the sail set and sheeted. Increase the batten tension with the adjustment wheel to remove any such wrinkles.

If the pressure is too high, you could have more camber at the top batten than is desirable and the batten may remain inverted after a tack. In general, sailing in more breeze means harder sheeting and more mast bend, both of which increase the likelihood of vertical wrinkles on the pocket, so increased batten pressure may be needed. In light air, a compliant, easy to tack batten is preferable, so less batten pressure is ideal.

I suggest finding a good average setting that avoids any of these adverse symptoms and use that, unless you know for sure you will spend the duration of the day sailing in either light or breezy conditions. If you can predict light or heavy sailing, then add or subtract a few turns to optimize for the conditions. Also, try a softer top batten in light air and a stiffer one in a breeze. Battens of differing stiffness will do even more to improve sail shape than will changes in batten pressure.

Good luck,
Steve Reed

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