J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Main Sail Slugs

Has anyone converted their main to slugs instead of the bolt rope? If so, has it worked well?

Also, can anyone say why this would be a bad idea? I'm sure there is a "performance" hit, but I can't imagine its enough to make a difference.

For cruising, it just seems to make sense to have slugs. Much easier when short handed. But I also race...so there is the dilemma.

Any suggestions or comments?

Thanks.

Slugs on the old, cruising main, and a bolt rope on the racing main.

I put slugs on an old racing main that has two upper full-length battens. The sail tends to jam at the top when trying to lower it. It didn't when we just had the boltrope and the same full length upper battens.

I've put slugs on all my mains after talking with several sailmakers and (non-J/30) racers. The concensus I got was the performance hit is nil, which makes sense when you consider the center of pressure is pretty far back. I made gates out of HDPE. I have not had a problem with hang-ups, but it stacks higher on the boom at the gooseneck (cover is tighter). Without slugs, I was constantly asking crew to re-flake the sail to avoid twisting battens. I missed one bad flake and ruined a few Ratbattens (switching this year to Bluestreak). I'd even argue easier flaking (slugs) results in better sail care and might have more uniform luff tension.

Slugs increase the distance from the center of the mast track to the edge of the leech, so sails cut to the maximum allowance with a bolt rope may not measure-in for class events when slugs are added. I believe a ruling was made at the 2002 NA's allowing for slugs, but it's worth confirming this if you're doing class racing.

I did this job myself a few years ago. It was easy and well worth doing ... a good winter project. I bought all the hardware and rented the heavy duty grommet setter from Sail-Rite. They were very good to work with and gave great information. One caveat -- when you lay out the locations of the grommets, make sure that you don't put one where the sail track "gate" is located. Check this for both the normal full-hoist position and for the reefed position. I made that error/oversight when I did it for Mondial. When the main is reefed, one of the slugs is at the gate and the outhaul tension bent the gate. The easy way to account for this is to measure the distance from the tack hook to the gate and then make sure that on the sail you don't put any grommets that distance from either the tack cringle or the reef cringle.

It sure is nice to not roll the sail up by yourself. Ya there is more wt. aloft and maybe you lose a little air but for cruising with the family i recommend it

Does anyone know for sure if this is class legal? Not that I do much class racing, but it would be nice to know for the future.

Thanks again for all the replies.

Slugs are leagal for One Design. We measured one new main at the NAs this year at Cedar Point Yacht Club. The boat was competive! The sail was measured like any other main sail. The Class measuer and the Regatta Chairman (me) both agreed on the legality oif the Sail.

John McArthur J/30 Class Co-president

Thanks for all the feedback. One more question came up when I was looking into this more. How did those of you that converted to slugs close the "gate" opening so the slugs can go down to the gooseneck when lowered and not be 12" - 18" off the gooseneck? I saw SHunter had made something, but don't quite understand what he did.

Thanks again.