One of the chief benefits of that says Hickey, "is increased
headstay tension and hence reduced
headstay sag, which allows you to point higher when sailing upwind--meaning you can hold your lane off the start, lee-bow competitors and make that cross against starboard tackers more easily."
The
headstay is also hydraulically controlled and weight aloft is minimised by using carbon standing rigging.
"Our new carbon rig is slightly stiffer and we're seeing higher
headstay loads as sail technology improves and resultant load transferral into the boat," explains Carkeek.
In the Maxi class, the Swan 80 Selene continued its winning ways, sweeping ahead of Whisper and Idea of London (and the Swan too Varsovie, which retired from the regatta after damaging its
headstay on the first day of racing) to victory.
An optional hydraulic cylinder can be installed below the unit to adjust the
headstay so luff tension remains constant.
I clipped a lot of those jib snaps onto
headstays of all sizes long before anyone dreamed up roller furling let alone
headstay foils.
Eventually the Volvo Ocean Race fleet arrived in Hobart battered and bruised: Djuice had suffered a serious leak which filled the bow compartments with water; Amer Sports Two had a
headstay failure; SEB didn't even make it to Hobart and retired with a broken rudder.
So in saying that, the only hydraulic function we have in to adjust the
headstay length.
A Y-shaped main beam supports the mast and allows a bowsprit to extend 10 to 12 feet forward of the hulls to carry an 8,000-square-foot (743-square-metre) gennaker which is set on a removable furling
headstay. Each boat has towering carbon fibre masts which carry square-topped fully-battened mainsails.
The masthead rig has been a real plus in this configuration overcoming any
headstay sag in the runnerless sailplan and it is also of great benefit with non overlapping headsails."
Perhaps it's the combination of IMS-cruiser hull and racing foils, or perhaps the carbon rig (which increases
headstay tension and must reduce the normal cruiser racer tendency to hobbyhorse) is the secret.