Square-headed mainsails are a fantastic way of adding power to a boat’s sailplan, concentrating sailcloth up high where the wind is. Most square-headed mains carry a horizontal gaff batten at the very top of the sail with a diagonal batten angling down from the top of the leech to support the extra sail area. When it comes time to lower the sail, however, these battens cause trouble, as they don’t flake nicely, requiring that the sail’s head and/or the gaff batten be removed from the sail track. Hoisting sail is also problematic and sometimes calls for harness-dangling heroics, especially aboard large boats. Doyle’s Anomaly headboard solves these dilemmas by affixing the head of the sail to a detachable composite “carriage,” which is attached via a 2:1 tackle to the top sail car on the mast track. When raising sail, halyard tension automatically pulls the carriage into the car where a toggle locks it in place. No more having to attach the head of the sail to the track manually. When it comes time to lower the sail, the carriage comes free again as the halyard tension comes off, allowing for easy flaking. From $1,950. Doyle Sailmakers Inc. doylesails.com
