The Parker main on my P21 has provision for 3 reefs and a flattener! At the moment I have just 2 lines led back from the boom which I use for the first 2 proper reefs. The clew outhaul is also in the boom and has a 2:1 purchase. Now that I have managed to extract the last of the birds nest that was inside the boom adding all kinds of friction to the block, I can now adjust the foot tension but only from the gooseneck. Having tried it a few times last season I didn't find that it made a great deal of difference.

Next idea is to tie off the outhaul to the end of the boom and take the outhaul control to the flattener cringle on the leech. The luff cringle could be put on the gooseneck horn and that would enable me to use the flattener.

Would anyone in the racing hotshot community care to comment on this proposal. Will it make a whole lot of difference? Or would I be better off saving that line for reef 3? If I need 3 reefs I'm not sure I'd want to be swinging about on the end of the boom threading it up!

Geoff

Geoff
I've sometimes wished my S22 had 3 reefs. In yr position I think I would:-
a) thread up R2 and R3 on the basis that(if you really wanted R1) you could pull down R2 then tie in R1 with lanyards while under canvassed then free off R2.
OR b)just thread up R1 and R3 and settle for being under canvassed but more comfortable with R3 in
I have a cunningham for flattening the main which I have never used in 20 years! I usually heave the boom hard down the goose neck track to harden the luff and I have an outhaul tackle (3 or 4 to 1)with the tail led back under the boom to a cleat within reach.
This seems to work OK and the main is probably the original sail (1976).
Regards Tony Dee Rover