Draft Stripes

[SailingJerry]

Can I hear some "informed" opinions about how useful you feel draft stripes on the sails can be? I think that they can be helpful on a long day of sailing for those few extra tenths of a knot, but do you pay too much attention to them on a quick single-handed after work sail? I don't race, except when there's another sailboat beating for that same buoy on the way home :)

Jerry

[Les Luzar]

I suggest that you google "Mainsail Draft Stripes" and you will find some interesting conversations on the Beneteau and Ericsson blog sites. This will give you some immediate feedback. This is a personal prefference feature that may or may not make sense depending on your particular sailing style. Sail trim on both the main and head sail is a combination of your angle of attack, draft depth, draft position, and twist, which will determine your telltail flow. The controls for both the main and jib adjust these items. Of course they are more essential for those racing than those simply day sailing, but some people play with their sail trim a lot more than casual cruisers. But to affect the draft and position of the draft, you will be adjusting your cunningham, tightening your main halyard, outhaul, and boomvang.... If you are inclined to tweek all of this for additional performance, then it could be a plus for you. But if you really want to beat that other sailboat off in the distance, whether or not your get "draft stripes", put a folding prop on your list, and you will gain about a half knot. That about sums it up. In my case, I would sit back, sail a reach, listen to some soothing tunes, enjoy the sunshine, crisp breeze and crack open a cold one.

[Ron Hill]

Jerry : I use the draft stripes on the 150% genoa all the time.  They are the only thing where you can see the actual shape of the sail.
Teltales let me know the efficiency of the air flow across the sail foil, but draft stripes let you see the camber of the "airfoil".

Most sailmakes will throw them (draft stripes) in as freebe when you have a sail made!  A thought

[Jim Hardesty]

I think draft stripes are good learning aids.  You can see how tweeking the controls work on the sail.  If you take a picture of the sail when new you can keep track of how much it's bagging.  If you like the looks of them have them put on your new sail, don't think that adding stripes to old sails make much sense.  For what it's worth, I look at the tailtells (on the sail) more.  If your sail doesn't have them, you can add them for a few bucks.  The are the least expensive and the best aid for sail trim.  
"Informed" opinions are good, got to talk about something.  I like Don Guillette's "Sail Trim Charts" and "Users Guide" for my own use.  Good reading.  I reread it every spring and keep them on the boat and refer to them often.  It's the only book I don't loan out.  I don't remember where I got mine.
Jim

[Stu Jackson]

I like Don Guillette's "Sail Trim Charts" and "Users Guide" for my own use.  Good reading.  I reread it every spring and keep them on the boat and refer to them often.  It's the only book I don't loan out.  I don't remember where I got mine.

http://shop.sailboatowners.com/cat.php?18381/Books%2FGames

[SailingJerry]

Boys, thanks for the input.

"In my case, I would sit back, sail a reach, listen to some soothing tunes, enjoy the sunshine, crisp breeze and crack open a cold one" is great advice, Jim, especially with blizzard conditions forecast for 2pm tomorrow and 10+ inches of snow.

Jim & Stu,  I ordered Don Guillette's "Sail Trim Charts" and "Users Guide". They look like incredible resources. But I'm too old to shovel out the neighbors driveways to make enough money for the folding prop.

Ron, The new Kappa sails will definitely sport the draft stripes. Like you said, it's another tool  besides the telltales.

[Les Luzar]

Jerry,
The great thing about our hobby is that even when we cannot go sailing, we can dream about it. And there is a lot to dream about!