Hello Lee
Good post. Thanks. I too am in the same camp. There are a number of good reasons not to have a Staysail boom but sailing performance is not one of them. The location of the clew when sailing is crucial to performance. Using the boom, I can locate the clew anywhere I want. This can not be done otherwise. I may not have enough knowledge to locate the clew for the very best performance, but, at least, I can put it where I think is best.
It seems that about once every passage I am sailing with my "Little Wings". That is, a reefed Main (or double reef), and a winged out Staysail (or reefed staysail). Again, this works much better with a boom. If the staysail boom was not there then I would have to carry a Staysail Whisker pole. That's just me.
There is another camp that tends not to want to use the Staysail at all. That is fine as long as the sailor understands the trade offs. One of the great Westsail assets, Kern Ferguson, once said "Luff length is performance. Foot length is crew abuse" When going to weather, Luff length is more important than square footage. The two forward sails offer more luff length.
I fully understand the many reason for not using a Staysail boom and/or the Staysail. I am also not a member of Facebook but know this subject has been well discussed there. All of us will make the choice that we are comfortable with. I am with you. I use my Staysail boom and staysail whenever appropriate - for me. Thanks, Dave
