How important is tensioning the battons?

So, after spending Friday evening putting new batten caps on the main and new tensioning ties, I went out racing on Saturday morning. In the middle of the 2nd race, I was getting frustrated with my slower speed and 'why can't I get those vertical wrinkles out of the sale? I have never seen those before?', when I realized that I never tensioned them. Zero tension. I continued on, as I wasn't about to try dropping the main on the lake, and the day would have been done had I headed in to try it on the beach.

The questions is, how much speed did that cost me? I was much slower than everyone else when heading upwind especially.

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Steve
2017 Hobie 16 "Cayman" sails 114795
1985 & 1973? Hobie 14 "Sea & Ski"

I think you answered your own question, Steve.

Without at least taking the wrinkles out, the sail has little shape. No shape = no power.

I hope you have Luff caps on the battens. I go for the aftermarket Trentecs that fit the pocket protectors snugly. I have seen so many sails with missing luff caps and poke thru.
You don't want to over tighten your battens as it can make it difficult to raised the main.

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JKK
83 yellow/ white decks Hobie 14 Corando turbo
82 yellow hulls Hobie 16 Cat Fever
84 yellow hulls hobie 16 Yellow Nationals
plus a few extras that I'm restoring

To be honest, I don't recall what I have on the luff end of the batten. I pulled the original battens from my 1979 Orange Crush sails and cut them down a bit to fit my new sails. The leech ends were crumbling, so I did get new ones and just installed them the night before. Fortunately, I followed the advice of the guys sailing at Caseville with me and put them in so that the battens can't fall out of the sail if they come undone.

Interestingly, we still had a blast on a broad reach. I got my youngest son out on the wire for the first time, and he loved it.

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Steve
2017 Hobie 16 "Cayman" sails 114795
1985 & 1973? Hobie 14 "Sea & Ski"

The luff caps by Tren-Tec are nice, since they are molded to match the angle between the batten and the luff of the main. However, you can achieve the same effect by trimming the ends of the battens to match the angle (each batten is different, and the top three are the ones with the most severe angle).

There are many more factors to boat speed than batten tension. It matters, but the most common error I have seen by fairly new sailors is putting too much attention on the boat. It all matters, but not as much as overall balance, and a steady helm. One too many moves of the tiller will more than make up for difference in batten tension. And that one too many movements of the tiller is nothing in comparison to a good start. And that good start is nothing in comparison to going the right way.

Absolutely learn to tune the boat, but then stop thinking about it so much and sail the boat.

Your question should be, is it important to shape my mainsail? That is a definite YES. Batten tension is but one aspect along with down haul, out haul, mainsheet tension and the condition of the sail. All have an effect on creating the perfect foil for the conditions and point of wind. Batten tension probably has the least effect of the group, followed by out haul. Now that being sail, general rule of thumb:

High wind - you want Flat Sails - little batten tension, just get the wrinkles out
Moderate wind - moderate pocket - tension some so the batten pops a little going back and forth
Light Wind - deep pocket - put about twice the pocket as with moderate wind and yes it will be harder to raise the sail (a little silicone on the bolt rope helps and makes down hauling more responsive).

Oh to answer your question about speed upwind on a non-tensioned main, yes it cost you, the lighter the wind the higher the cost.

PS Unless racing* I just keep moderate tension sailing.0`
*only race occasionally, been in 8 regattas over the past 30 years, always placed; 4 firsts, 2 seconds and 2 thirds