A charter sailing yacht usually has one of two kinds of mainsail: a furling mainsail that rolls into the mast, or a full batten mainsail that drops onto the boom. Both do the same job. They differ in how you set, reef and stow the sail, and in how well it holds its shape.
Furling mainsail
A furling mainsail (also called an in-mast furling or roller furling mainsail) rolls up around a rotating rod inside the mast. To set it, you ease the furling line and pull the sail out along the boom with the outhaul. To put it away, you do the reverse and the sail disappears into the mast.
The big advantage is convenience. You can set, reduce and stow the sail from the cockpit, which suits small crews and anyone who prefers not to go forward in a blow. Reefing is quick: you simply roll part of the sail back into the mast when the wind picks up.
Full batten mainsail
A full batten mainsail is hoisted up the mast with a halyard and lowered onto the boom, usually into a sail bag (lazy bag) fixed to it. Long, thin battens run horizontally across the whole sail, from the front edge (luff) to the back edge (leech). They hold the sail's shape and stop it flapping.
It takes more work to hoist, lower and reef than a furling mainsail. In return you get a better sail shape, which means better performance and more control, especially upwind and in stronger winds.
Which one should you choose?
If ease of handling matters most, for example with a small or less experienced crew, a furling mainsail is the easier choice. If you care about sailing performance and are happy to do a bit more work at the mast, go for a full batten mainsail.
On a charter yacht the mainsail comes with the boat, so the choice is really a choice of boat. If you have a strong preference, tell us when you send your request and we will look for boats with the right mainsail.
