please describe basics of correct batten tension and diagnosis of such when sailing. thanks

Ok, I'll bite, please dont bite my head off. I know there are people much more edumacated in this. maybe they will step up and teach us both.

the higher the tension in the batten the larger the static draw of the sail will be. depending on the cut of the sail. sorta like outhaul. but not easily adjustable.

the bigger the draw. the more power the sail will have. the more draw you have the slower tha sail will be. power and speed are different.

a bacic example of this would be a heavy mono hull would have more draw/power to move the wieght and since the inherit speed is lower. while faster boat (catamaran) would have a flatter sail with less draw.

sailing up-wind basicly you want a flat sail. with low batten tension and the out haul tight

sailing down wind you want a sail that is more full higher batten tension with the out haul loose.

the trick is setting the batten to how the sail is cut,and the conditions you are sailing in and your prefernce.

i sail mostly in the ocean and prefer a higher batten tension than most. i prefered the power for the seas and chop. but you give back top end speed.

I used the guide from murray's when i was first experimenting with this. If you have the time play with batten tensions in the same conditions till you find a grove that you like. cause everything is related sailcut,batten tension,outhaul,windspeed and conditions.

hi mitch, to my knowledge you should not bother too much with battentention. you don't put too much tention just snug them in bacause the profile is dependent on the skill of your sailmaker. years ago many sailors used adjestable battens tention devises. but today nobody uses them anymore.

My personal opinion is that there is a tendency to place to much emphasis on tuning via batten tension. The primary purpose of applying batten tension is to transfer tension across the skin of the sail in order to reduce or eliminate wrinkles, not to influence sail shape.
Sail shape is a result of many factors, but primarily it is the reslut of the sail's cut, mast characteristics, and the tension applied by downhaul, mainsheet, etc. The stifness and taper of the battens themselves can influence sail shape to a degree, but they really should be made to accentuate the cut of the sail.

I pretty much tension my battens the same way for all conditions, under the premise that the tension of the batten should be slightly more than required to remove wrinkles (i.e. take out the wrinkles, pull a little more and you're there). In higher wind, I might put them in a little harder to reduce the chance of one getting loose and poking a hole in the sail.

It is my understanding that overtensioning the battens can actully result in flattening the sail because the excess batten tension pulls out the broadseaming along the batten pocket. If you've ever seen a sail with the "hungry dog look", there is a lot of draft in the vicinity of the batten, but the sail material between battens is quite flat.

Just my opinion.

sm

I agree that batten tension is not "hyper-critical", but having the right top battens in a square top is, in my opinion. Also, having the right battens for the rest of the sail is very important.

When putting tension on the battens, you need to know what you want the sail to look like. Otherwise, follow your sailmakers instructions.

I agree not "hyper-critical"..i agree setting them to the sailcut...and yes over tensioning adds undue stress,ware and tear and can deform the sail from it designed cut. Batten tension is a fine tune. and yes once you find the groove. just leave them no need change the tension everytime. but i found it a good learning experiance to experiment. and feel the small differences.

Batten tension is not as important and batten stiffness
and taper.

When you over tension your battens, you do induce a
deeper shape. However, it is concentrated at the batten
pockets. Very soon you will have a scalloped sail that
is probably not going to be very fast. The sail shape
is what it is. Match your battens to that, generally speaking.

Experiment with very stiff battens (top third of sail)if you like.
Google RBS Battens to find some material to use. Experiment with
untapered and battens that are very flexible at the forward
third, too. You will be able to see when a batten is
not conforming to the shape of your sail (as cut), and
the effect that stiffer battens have on setting it
up for a flatter or fuller shape. The battens lower
down tend to be overpowered by the sail itself and
you will find little to work with there. The top battens
support the sail leech, however, and it's a whole
different ball game.

Attempting to do it with tension is not the way to go.