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 Post subject: Hobie 16 Tapered Battens
PostPosted: Fri Jul 02, 2010 5:15 pm 
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One of the sailors at my club told me that in the old days tapering the battens was common practice. Is this still done by the top racers?


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PostPosted: Sat Jul 03, 2010 8:41 pm 
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brucebateman wrote:
One of the sailors at my club told me that in the old days tapering the battens was common practice. Is this still done by the top racers?


Only the top two - and they come from the factory tapered.


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 8:55 pm 
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Why is tapered battens used for racing?


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PostPosted: Wed Aug 04, 2010 9:20 pm 
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Tapering the battens changes their flexibility. By changing the batten flexibility, you can change the position and depth of the draft in the sail. However, you're limited by the shape that's cut into the sail to begin with. Small changes are possible - big ones, not so much.

The top battens on the 16's main are so short, they need to be tapered just to be able to bend enough.

On the lower battens, the draft adjustment is done with batten tension. More tension = more draft.

Typically, you want the forward 1/3 of the batten to be more flexible than the back 2/3.

Some racers taper their jib battens to make them softer and give the sail a little more shape.


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