"Thomas Stewart" wrote in message ...
Oh ye of WILD IMAGINATION!

Please explain to this old dotard sailor, how a smaller sail is
cheating?

It is not a smaller sail. It is a larger sail hung in the prescribed triangle
so it has a full shape or big belly as the Brits might say. The sail only
fits in the triangle because it fits there loose. In order to flatten the
sail so it is efficient to windward it must be made larger than the
triangle allows. Normally this would be accomplished by uphauling
or downhauling provided there is fitted a sliding gooseneck on the boom.

Since this isn't allowed under the rules, the too large mainsail is pulled
flat at the luff by using a Cunningham cringle and tackle. This allows
the sail to be flattened but still remain in the triangle delineated by the
black marks. This is a cheat, plain and simple and anyone who does
not understand is certainly a dottering old fart.


Explain to Ole Thom, How stretching the Luff of a sail by a foot is a
better adjustment than simply gather in the Draft without over stressing
the sail lines?

It is a worse solution than drawing the entire boom down below the
black line. That is my point. But drawing the boom down is illegal
according to the rules.

Explain to me, in my Dotage, how you can stretch a Luff without over
tensioning the Head of the sail? If you stretch the Luff a foot, you
will prodably invert the upper batten. You for sure, are going to lose
that parallel relationship of the upper batten and the boom. This
doesn't happen with a Cunningham adjustment.

The dacron can be and is stretched all the time when trimming sails.
My sail happens to have a bolt rope which is also made of polyester
so it stretches right along with the luff of the sail.

I hope you are becomming educated in your dotage.