Horizontal sailing systems/t-mod crab claw

What is your take of this type of sail?



Sails — Holopuni Canoes https://www.holopunicanoes.com/sails
Scroll down to the Hss.


Video of how the lines work.

TriloBoat Talk: CrabClaw Rig: The T-Modification http://triloboats.blogspot.com/2013/06/crabclaw-rig-t-modification.html
Discussion of the pros and cons.

And last but most intresting:
https://www.ayrs.org/repository/AYRS033.pdf
Page 43, "The Umbrella rig"

 

Here is a video of the rig sailing:

There are a bunch more videos on this channel of the same or similar rigs.

 

I think this type of rig has a lot to offer. The glider wing style sail and kite sail have proven to be very fast.

Some advantages I see in them include:
• upward lift. Upward lift should reduce heeling and actually lighten the boat's displacement in the water.
• reefing without reducing sail. There may be weather where less sail is necessary due to both the harsh turbulence and the strain of high wind speeds on the rig itself, but in twenty to thirty knot winds, I can see where angling the sail would have a similar effect to reducing sail.
• Conventional sailing techniques. Many sailors learned to sail on a Sunfish. Basically, this rig could be sailed with the same techniques learned on the Pacific Lateen rig of the Sunfish.

If I were to design a micro-cruiser for ocean crossing, I'd seriously consider this design.

Disadvantages might be:
° Unconventionality. The unconventional rig means a learning curve, a lack of performance data and sailing wisdom. It may also mean parts have to be specially ordered to repairs and replacements.
° Reefing. It looks difficult to actually reduce sail. I'm certain that this issue could be overcome, but this looks like a major drawback for larger bodies of water.
° Stowage. How shows this sail easily furl or stow for the short-term? At anchor or just a picnic on the beach, does the whole rig have to come down?

 

!!!!!!!!!