Fad or Function? Fathead Sails Offer A Little of Both

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Full-length battens create a compression load on the luff end, requiring ball bearing luff car system for sails over about 300 square feet. Off the wind they can chafe on cap shrouds, though if fitted with chafe guards this is not a problem. Trimming the main in a bit and reaching downwind also helps reduce chafe.

    1. On a smaller sail, the top batten is easily inserted at the dock or at anchor.
    2. The Doyle Anomaly System locks the headboard to the top car, making for easy furling.

 

Related posts: Pros and Cons of ‘Fathead’ Mainsail

Finding Balance with Your New Fathead Sail

 

Darrell Nicholson
Darrell Nicholson is editor emeritus of Practical Sailor. He is a longtime liveaboard sailor and has logged tens of thousands of miles in three oceans. A winner of dozens of writing awards in disparate genres, he currently edits Marine Electronics Journal for the National Marine Electronics Association. He holds a U.S. Coast Guard 100-ton Master license and sails his S&S-designed Yankee 30, Opal, out of St. Petersburg, Florida. He can be reached at darrellnicholson.com.