DRAGONFLY Trimarans User Forum

I have sailed my DF28 for a year now. I have big problems with jibing. The battens keep on breaking. They are all broken 2 times now and the one in the top 5 times.

When racing I do the chicken-jibe just to save the battens for the next upwind. Sounds ridiculous.

Now I have changed all carbon battens to glasfiber in a larger dimension.

What are your experiences?

Elvstrøm Sails say that there has been som other with broken battens but not that it is a big problem. They have been really nice and sent 2 sets of new battens.

Chicken jibe is the only way to go if you don't want to break things. Uncontrolled crash jibe is for people who don't care about the equipment -- it is bad for everything when you let things slam hard -- bad for sails, rigging, and boats. Dangerous for crew too, if you get hit with the boom or swept up in the sheet.

Probably your battens near the top are hitting the top shrouds. You want light or do you want strong? Take your pick.

or can just execute a regular jibe properly... dead downwind is a pretty mellow place... get to ~160 apparent wind angle, bring the mainsail dead center, both traveler and mainsheet, jibe to 160 apparent on the other side, bring your genoa over, release the mainsheet, move the traveller where you want it. Easily done singlehanded if the autopilot works, or without autopilot if not over-canvassed.

You don't want to point anywhere lower than 120 apparent wind anyway (too slow), so the mainsail shouldn't be touching the sidestays.

I agree

Strange, never broken any battens in Tornado, F18, Dragonfly 800 and Dragonfly 25 - I think You have your mainsheet to loose during the jibe.

I agree with Anders, I'm always crash jibing and have never broken any battens (round carbon rod) or anything else. Never let the main out to more than barely touching the side stays. I guess if you let the battens bend over the sidestay they may break when crash jibing. Remember always try to jibe at the end of gusts at highest possible boat speed. Least preassure on the sails and rig.

If have lost in the last season 3 pair of the top round- battens. 2 pair of carbon batten and one of glas batten. It was allways windy, I think 5 to 6 bft without reef. My Sail is an square Top from Elvström on my 920 Extreme.

Always it is happend in a controlled jibe: Traveler in middel position, sheet closed, and when the Sail commes to the new site sheet opens.
The way wich is written in each tutorial.

On my old tri before, also with a square top, I have had never a broken batten. But it has not the round battens, may be that is the different....

Has someone an idea how I can avoid the expensive broken top batten?

Check with Elvström and previous owner.