During the season, the headsail on many boats is only unfurled and furled again. Sophisticated furling systems and rigs with small headsail triangles mean that sail changes are rarely necessary. If the yacht is to be de-rigged for winter storage, many crews are surprised at how much cloth is on the furling system. With the right technology, each sail can be folded on board so that it fits into the sail bag and then into the back box or boot.
However, it is not only the pack size that is decisive when folding - laminates in particular react sensitively to sharp creases. The cloth should not be constantly stressed in the same place. Rolling up smaller sails can alleviate the problem.
The most important steps and tricks for handling the main and genoa can be found in the current Skippers magazine, available from 14 October.
Hauke Schmidt
Test & Technology editor
