Cunningham hole

[Dave de Groot]

Hello everyone,

The main sail of the Cape Cutter is a powerfull sail and reefing have to be done soon if the winds pick up to keep sail balance.
As a formal Finn dinghy sailor, I am used to use a cunningham to depower the sail.
So I wonder why there is no such cunningham hole in the main sail of the Cape Cutter.

Does anybody have a good explanation for this?

Kind regards,

Dave

[Nick Martin]

There's a lot more mast bend effect on the Finn .. The Finn it also has a stretchy luff to make the Cunningham work .. Really on in conjunction with mast .. With the cc these are not significant elements of the rig .. There may be some small effect from tensioning the throat halliard - especially if that also pulls a little on the lacing on the gaff .. But these effects are small .. If you want to depower a cc rig you are mainly looking at reefing .. If the centre of effort of the sail I too far aft, then there may be some value in tensioning the clew ... But if he that doesn't work, then your sail I blown out! .. But that wouldn't worry me particularly as its ok off the wind and in my experience the set of the foresail(s) is more critical up wind .. In anything of a breeze I usually have at least one reef in the main, even without any mast rake .. Nick

[Dave de Groot]

Thank you Nick, appreciated your comments.
I must agree and by second thought, I never have seen a cunningham on a gaff rigg either.

Rg Dave