Loco,

I'm really the wrong guy to be championing the free footed sail. I'm
only using it for the first time, the last two weeks. I have
definitively seen advantages.

So, if your main lives on the boom, you must be racing with a Dacron
Cruising Main? Is it a 7 oz Dacron?

Do you have that same dumb leech control as Neal? The line from the
outhaul car? That sure does put strain on the end slug!! A correct
set-up should bring the leech cringle to the outhaul car so that the
outhaul pressure is on the bottom (or foot) of the sail along the boom
The leech tension n a proper built sail should be controlled by proper
draw string. To reduce the length of the foot, the tension on the
outhaul car should be eased and drawn up by a draw string on the sail's
foot. This is how a good sail is trim for a baggy down wind shape. It is
kept opened by the sheet and vang. This is how I was taught and I do
believe it is correct.

Now the boltrope will only let you reduce foot length of the sail in a
shelf to the relaxed condition of the boltrope. The sown sail and rope
cannot be compressed. ( A limiting factor) To draw the length of the
foot of the sail, The outhaul must be moved back, stretching the bolt
rope (Another limiting factor in trim) With a free footed sail the
outhaul car is free to move along the boom with no limiting force acting
on it horizontally. The wrinkles in the bottom of the sail can be
controlled without any force, just position of the outhaul and draw
string

Cripes, isn't there anyone out there that has used a free footed sail
longer than two week. TALK TO US!!!

Ole Thom