Do you need a vang? Depends how much you care about sailing efficiency (Cruising or racing). Also, to some degree I would be inclined to believe that a properly trimmed main will also last longer. Without enough vang tension in high winds it seems the sail gets way more "belly" then it should, adding stretch and heel. What does the vang do? ( I would venture to say that most casual sailors don't really know. )
It controls the leech tension, some of the mast bend (Helps flatten the sail) and therefore main sail twist, to a large degree it's effects are on the upper third portion of the sail.. I.E look at the top batten. Here are a few examples of what it does If you don't have a vang (Or don't adjust it tight enough) the top batten will point leeward indicating that the top of the sail is 'spilling wind' and not very effective at pulling the boat forward. Running downwind the vang can help prevent accidental gybes by keeping the boom level and under better control In moderate winds close hauled or on close reach reach if the top batten pointed windward you have too much vang / not enough twist / don't have full power If you're racing: Big Difference in boat speed. (A lot of folks over-tighten the vang) The last few inches of the top batten should be about parallel to the boom In high winds, you can use it to control heel to some degree (And avoid reefing, up to a point) as mentioned above, if you loosen it up and the top batten is pointed leeward, the top of the sail "Spills air" thereby lessening the leeward pull on the top of the mast / lessening the heel. If it's too lose on the other hand (As in not having one at all) then the sail "Puffs-up" with more belly and you of course get way more heeling / possibly stretch the sail (I'm talking 25-30 knots wind and more) that is especially true when the sail is reefed as it seems (At least on my boat) that the leech gets pretty loose, especially with 2 reefs In moderate winds you also ease it some to get more twist / more power (Again.. Up to a point). The above were just a few examples, to really understand how it works you should read some of the pro write-ups on the subject, here's a few: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/racing-articles/20721-mainsail-controls-performance-part-two.html http://www.sailingbreezes.com/sailing_breezes_current/articles/Aug00/dell0800.htm https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C31nGzO54O4 To me, that's a big part of what keeps me excited about sailing.. It's a lifetime sport with a never flattening learning curve: The more you learn, the more you realize you need to learn more.. :-) -Francois Rivard 1990 34+ "Take Five" Lake Lanier, GA
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