Graeme wrote:
Jan, If it is just to hold the yard close to the mast, you can just use a soft standing parrel there. (No need for a running YHP). That is what I have found on my Amiina NM2 rig. Or, as you suggest, one of your "rigid parrels".
Although the yard is standing away from the mast (in your photo) the sail looks to be setting nicely without a yard hauling parrel, so the YHP is not needed to make the sail set properly. I find the same with my Amiina sail. But I did decide later to put a standing parrel there, just for safety sake and to keep everything tighter.
It has been suggested (By David if I recall) that a much larger version of the Amiina sail might need a YHP. I can't see why a simple standing parrel would not be enough, as it is with the small size sail - but I defer to David's experience and see no harm in it anyway, just another rope to adjust whenever you reef or unreef, that's all.
For the record, Arne has expressed doubts about rigid fittings of this type, and although he designed a very nice rigid parrel concept, he has told me that he has doubts about it. It needs to be recorded that the rigid type has been proved successful on your boat and on the Serenity of Steve D, but as these are relatively small rigs, we should not assume that the idea is appropriate for a larger ocean-going sail, until the concept has been tried and proven. (Thomas might try the idea? If so, he would be pioneering).
parrel, Graeme. A standing parrel should be enough.
Though perhaps (especially for large offshore sails) there’s a case to be made for a standing yard parrel based on PJR fig 3.34 - a short length of batten tube plus fendering material, that will permit sufficient fore and aft movement of the yard relative to the mast, while limiting athwartships movement more than a soft standing parrel does.