Since we got these sails we never had any problem furling them downwind or on broad reach. The only problem that can occur when unfurling is that the top of the first batten gets caught in the V1 shroud. To avoid this, we bring the boom closer if necessary. 
I can add that we never have to adjust the vertical angle of the boom to a certain point. Furling in and out always is working fine.

From our point of view one of the most important skills a bluewater yacht must have is the ability to reef and furl main (and mizzen) on all courses to the wind. It may sound strange but my captain and I voted for full battened sails because we were (and still are) convinced that it is the most reliable solution using an in mast furling system.

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Interesting to see your pics, Laurens.

The front battens end clearly above the foot. This certainly makes it much easier to pull out the battens compared to our design. The sails on the pics have fewer battens: 4 and 3 instead of 5 and 4 like ours. The sail cloth seems to be membrane instead of our laminate fabrics (triradial).

As we planned also new sails we looked and asked around a bit. We came in contact with Elvstrom. They did gave us good advice and bring us in contact with an Amel 54 owner who already have their fully battened sails.
He is sailing with them for more as two years and is VERY happy with them. Never had any problems with furling. He’s so much happy with this sails that for his planned trip to Cape Horn he ordered the same new sails but in a more heavy quality. 
This information gave us so much confidence in the Elvstrom quality that we ordered the same sails as well. Only difference is for us not in black but in white.
They will be delivered this spring so we’re very curious if it’s all worth the investment. 
I have attached the pictures and also our quotation.

Laurens Vos
Fun@Sea
A 54 / 72
La Rochelle 

Let me point out that Elvstrom Sails, who make the sails for Halberg Rassy, has been making these sails with the long battens for what seems like a decade.  All HRs with furling Mains seem the have them as standard.  If anyone has access to the HR forum, maybe it would be possible to get their experience with the system.  Not only should these long battens improve sail shape but also sail longevity since the sail will not flog as much.  

Joerg Esdorn
A55 #53 Kincsem
Currently in La Rochelle 

1. Until today, we had no problems furling and unfurling the main and mizzen, no matter which angle to the wind the boat was facing and how strong the wind was.

2. We had these concerns too. However, there is enough room in the mast. When fully furled, the mainsail leaves about 1.75 to 2 cm of space between the sail and the mast chamber measured at the bottom of the mast chamber. It should be noted that on Mago del Sur both the main foil and the mizzen foil have a diameter of 35 mm. You should explicitly point this out to Stade if you have a 40 mm profile for the main. In all cases it is an advantage if the foils are reinforced by an additional aluminum element which is inserted in the foil (available by Amel).

3. We cannot answer the question about differences. The old sails had lost their battens and their leeches and aft parts including the leech genoa were no longer standing. We changed all sails at the same time so we could not recognize which effects were caused by the genoa and which by main and mizzen. I beg your pardon, we cannot make a reliable comparison.

4. Both the main and the mizzen are equipped with a leech line, which is usually not necessary. (This is different with the gennua, where we have to use it regularly).

5. The negative effects are

•         The sails are more expensive.
•         It takes a lot more work to take down the sails, as it is not easy to get the long battens out. At the jetty, we always take the battens out completely and disassemble them into their parts when they are lying on the jetty.
• If the halyard comes off the sail, you have a problem because the long battens prevent the sail from sinking down completely or from being pulled down. You then have to pull the battens out part by part, which requires a lot of work with the sagged sail. It is therefore important that the halyard and the knot at the head of the sail are in perfect condition and reliable.

Regards

Martin
Mago del Sur - 54#40
La Línea, Spain

Hi Martin,

Very interesting and many thanks that you made us aware of the way a sail can be build.
I checked the website of Stade and almost sure I’m going to visit them soon to discuss the possibilities for our 54.
Regarding the furling, you wrote that you never had problems with furling in any wind and any direction you furled the sail. Is that correct ? 
But with the battens all the way down doesn’t get the rolled sail too big for the space inside the mast ? 
Did you experienced a difference in power of the sail or less or helm compared to the sail with the short battens ? 
Do you still need a leech line to prevent slapping ? 
Are there any negative effects to this way of battens in a sail ? 

Best regards 

Laurens Vos 
Fun@Sea - 54#92
La Rochelle 

Hi,
here a pic I made today. It shows the fourth of five battens of the main. I furled it to a position to demonstrate the slant of the batten. The top of the batten pocket has disapeared in the mast, only the last stitching is visible. At the lower end the batten pocket is 2 cm out of the mast. The longer the batten (first, second and third batten) the bigger this effect.
Hope this pic is helpful.

Regards

Martin

Mago del Sur - 54#40
La Línea, Spain

Hi Randall,
here some pics.
The mizzen (2 pics) is unfurled completely. You can see the first batten is in a closer distance to the mast, the space between the next battens is larger. Its not to see that the battens are slightly slanted, but they are. The mizzen is trimmed to go as close to the wind as possible with quite some knots of wind. Otherwise we would release the outhawl of course. 
The main is in its "first" reef meaning the first batten is furled in.  

Regards

Martin
Mago del Sur - 54#40
La Linea, Spain