Fat Head Main

[carry-on]

Anyone have experience with a fat head main on the 16?

[Citroen/Dave]

I have no experience with a Fat Head Main on a C16. 

I would think more main sail area further aft of the mast would increase weather helm.  With your low production number I am guessing that your C16 does not have a bowsprit.  Later C16's have a bowsprit to move some sail area forward to reduce the tendency the early C16's had of a heavy weather helm.

Citroen/Dave

[carry-on]

My 16 is a 1997 XL with center board.
My main has a luff of 15' 3" plus stretch.
I would like to carry the boom four to six inches higher. The idea is to make it a little easier to shift sides in a tack. I am fairly tall and my knees are no longer the best so a higher boom would help.
The ide is to make up the lost SF at the foot by adding some at the head of the sail...even though the air is different between foot and head.

I asked National if they had made a fat head main for a 16. Dirk's response suggested a full battened main with fuller roach than my current main to make up the lost SF. Not sure I want full batten.
So that is my deliberation.

[mattman]

I never had a problem dialing in the appropriate amount of helm on my 16. Mast was raked aft at 1%, used a vang for leach tension, barber haulers, kept her sailing on her feet, and reefed when vmg began to drop (which is much earlier than when the rail is in the water).  There is no doubt that the full batten main will shape better and be more efficient, plus less flogging provides longer life. There is a greater cost in terms of initial dollars spent.  I don't think that the extra roach will effect weather helm, but a full belly in the main and open leach will, so flatten out the draft and move it forward, use the vang to keep the leach tensioned (top batten tail should be stalling-and top batten parallel to the boom, then ease the sheet just where the main is in from backwinded. Best of luck.