DRAGONFLY Trimarans User Forum

Has anyone tried flat battens in the DF920 mainsail? The round battens cause severe chafe in the sail. Downwind, it is not possible to let the main out very far before the sail chafes on the shrouds. Not having a kicking strap makes it worse, as the boom lifts, allowing the sail to touch the shrouds very early on.

Are round battens essential for stiffness, or could flat ones do the same job?

Also, I notice that there is a pocket in the bottom edge of my original Elvstrom mainsail for a batten, but no batten is fitted. Is that normal, or should there be a batten there?

Mal

I have had some protective strips swan onto the sails in those places where the buttons chaffed against the shrouds.

Also, I used a (preventer) line from the end from the boom to the rear crossbeam end to pull the boom down on longer downwind runs. This helps to keep the boom down especially in rougher sea condition and prevents an accidental gybe.