Seems like increasing the available sail size without increasing weight by much and with preserving the option of infinately-variable reefing would be attractive to somebody doing an EC. .... More oomph in light air, same controllability reefed in heavier air.
Really obvious, even....
But I do not see any accounts of EC people doing it, so I have to wonder what is wrong with my little obsession.
Somebody in the Hobie fora tried it briefly pre-2015. My takeaway is that it was working fo him save a sheeting angle problem when beating with the sail totally unfurled - which may or may not have been completely remedied by moving the aft mainsheet attachment further back... but, either way, worked around by reefing the sail slightly when pinching.
ref:
http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=42630#p177124
http://www.hobiecat.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=69&t=42630&start=15
Couple shots of him under way beginning at 1:12: https://vimeo.com/55756693
Full Disclosure:
I recently bought the Hobie spinnaker kit for my 2015 AI hoping to make it a little more lively in light-to-moderate air - but have determined that, for various reasons, a spinnaker is not for me.
The next thing that occurs to me is to swap out my stock AI mast/sail for a TI mast/sail: use the whole enchilada in light-to-moderate air and simply reef earlier and more when the wind picks up.
What's not to like?
Hopefully Greater Minds Than Mine can illuminate this with some light from The Real World before I go out and drop a bundle on a TI mast/sail.
