Square top mainsail

I really like the look of the square top mainsail that I've just seen on the Facebook page. My own project to assemble my Duffin kit has been delayed by Covid-19 and some other factors, but I would be really keen to include in the mix a rig like the one shown. I have a standard Mirror rig all ready to deploy once I get the boat assembled, but I can see some real benefits with this new approach as an option for some users. For example I can see it working as an adult single-handling boat in the yardstick racing we do at our club in Wellington, New Zealand.

62816inBerlin's picture

That design has been around for a while and would certainly give the racing fraternity more thrills. BUT the question as to whether one would want to water down the one-design concept even further to the benefit of those who are wealthier and able to buy expensive extras.
There are of course no rules or laws that prevent the modification, for fun factors, of your boat. Several people have added screechers, code zeros etc. and others have cut down the rig to a conventional gaff or even a junk rig.
I believe Ian Ridsdale tried this square-top out at some point.

Hello Gernot. I certainly wouldn't want to encourage any watering down of the one design nature of the Mirror in its standard format. But I think lots of classes over the years have used more than one sail plan to make a boat more versatile. I think extra versatility of use is probably more likely to protect the future of a class than to damage it. In our situation in Wellington a Mirror with a bit more power would definitely work better as an adult single-hander in our mixed fleet yardstick racing. Anyway, I will get the boat boat built first, and see what happens from there.

62816inBerlin's picture

I quite agree on the yardstick regatta idea. In addition to crewing on a Shearwater cat (fastest fleet at the time), I'd occasionally sail our home-built "Petrel" (http://www.svensons.com/boat/?f=SailBoats/Petrel/Petrel01.jpg - we had the open-cockpit version, without the cabin) in a mixed-fleet regatta. Coming home last is no fun, even if you're not last by handicap rating. "Petrel" had been built from thicker ply than specified (because my father's friends brought the wrong ply from the USA) and was really heavy for a dinghy. She also had a rather old-fashioned sail plan. For that, we occasionally got a good place when lots of others capsized or chickened out.
Looking forward to seeing some build progress pictures!
Cheers,
Gernot