top batten

[David10]

hi
i have the new sail and i think the top batten is too stiff
can you alter it
thanks

[shipbiulder101]

All that you can do is loosen the tension on it using the adjuster. You are not allowed to change the batten out for a different one as they are now major components on the new sail as per the class rules.

[SolidAir]

Yes, I'd echo what Paul said.

Also, it's stiff because it's designed to fall away in gusts. Because the head of the sail is supported by that batten, effectively acting as a gaff, it's hard to get tension on it using the kicker. A softer batten would maintain more shape but might be harder to de-power. FWIW I've sailed with mine a few times now as standard, and am definitely getting more and more used to how it sets.

Alex