Flattening Reef

One of the neat ways to depower your mainsail when the wind pipes up is to have a flattening reef.  The flattening reef looks a lot like a Cunningham grommet that has been installed in the leech of the mainsail about a foot or so up from the clew.  Set up your reefing line as shown in the picture above.  Tightening the flattening reef line will flatten and depower the bottom third of the mainsail; AND let the top third twist off in the puffs.  This will allow your boat to sail flatter and faster in stronger breezes - - but not so strong that you want to tuck a full reef in.

I have a longer length of reefing line for Snickerdoodle and have the whole setup rigged so that the reefing line leads to the mast and then down to the deck and back on the cabin top like all of my halyards and other reefing lines.  I can easily tuck a flattening reef in the main in about ten seconds.  I simply release the boom vang, ease the main sheet, and pull in and secure the flattening reef line.  The flattening reef is now set and I re-set the boom vang and sheet in the main sheet.  Shaking out the reef is equally easy - - just in reverse.

If your mainsail doesn't have a flattening reef yet, this might be a great winter project.