Lazy jacks that are easily relaxed

I love lazy jacks and stack-packs. Together with a good reefing system they make as sound a mainsail system as any. There’s only one snag, apart from clearing any full-length battens when hoisting. If the lazy jacks are tight enough to keep the sail cover tidy they can cause issues on the lee side of the sail.

Many ‘store-bought’ systems secure the lazy jack ‘hoist’ at an upper spreader with the length adjusted by ties at the lower ends. This is messy, inconvenient and, understandably, few people bother to slack away when the sail needs it.

A better answer is to get shot of the fixed point aloft and rig a small block up there instead. The hoist is rove through this and back to the deck, becoming a halyard that is readily adjusted from the mast at any time. Result: a neat stack, a clean-setting sail and joy all round.

This ‘Burton’ backstay arrangement multiplies your effort

Tight lazy jacks are great when the main’s down, but they need loosening when it’s up

This clever arrangement allows the lazy jacks to be loosened from the mast