I had trouble again last night with persuading the top batten to pop over. I suspect this means that I have some of the rig controls set wrongly as I had no similar problem on my first two outings. I can't figure out which controls would have the appropriate affect. Can you help?

Many thanks

David

Tighter kicker seems the most popular route

Some people find a bit of tension on the cunningham works.

Search the forum using the box near the top of the main forum page, and you will find several previous discussions.

I believe the most important factors are kicker, batten tie tension, and technique of roll tacking.

Thanks everyone. Sorry for forgetting to search the forum first. I guess I though that nobody else would have had such a basic problem!

The batten was so much cursed at Hunts at the weekend that the air should have been blue :-)
A slipping halyard meant ineffective kicker and in the light airs the batten wouldn't tack without it. I (crew) ended up shortening the kicker rope twice to get some purchase and then just hauling the kicker as we tacked.

Yes, if you want the kicker slack when sailing, you can ask the crew to pull on it during a tack (they just grab the purchase all together, midway between boom and mast foot).

A little kicker can help but not to the detriment of the sail trim.
On some sails the luff tension can effect the top batten, be careful the main halyard is not over tight and there is no cunnigham.

Was there a lot of roll tacking to get the batten to flip every 20 yards?

Garry, I thought that was the whole point of the top batten! In the light weather at Salcombe last year I was amazed at the constant rocking and rolling. the top batten was to blame!

My point obliquely made!!