Sail Setting
Setting the Foresail
When your rig is correctly set up, when sailing upwind fully sheeted in, as you luff into the wind all the jib telltales should start to lift simultaneously. If they do not, check the angle of the jib sheet. When fully sheeted an imaginary line extending the jib sheet from where it is attached to the bottom back corner of the jib (clew), should meet the front edge (luff) of the jib about half way up, and should approximately bisect the angle of the clew.If the top telltale breaks first, the jib sheet is not steep enough.Rake the mast further forward or move the jib fairleads forward on the thwart.If the bottom telltale breaks first, the jib sheet is too steep. Rake the mast further back or move the jib fairleads back on the thwart.
N.B. The class rules do permit the jib fairleads to be fixed to the thwart wherever you like. But they must be fixed, not adjustable.
If the slot is correct, it is OK for the luff of the mainsail to show a flicker of backwinding.
Changing Gear
This section gives suggested settings for beating on flat water, which generally requires a flatter sail shape. The medium wind settings are the norm, and as the wind increases or decreases you must change up (rig tighter, sails flatter) for more wind, or down (rig slacker, sails fuller) for less wind). N.B. Choppy water demands a fuller shape to power through waves, and settings need to be adjusted accordingly.
Light Winds |
Medium Winds |
Strong Winds |
|
Crew position |
Sitting in | On side deck | Fully hiked |
Objective |
Keep Moving. | Powered Up. Drive and point. | Avoid being Overpowered. |
Desired sail shape |
Full. Flat Entry & Exit. | Medium. Some leech tension. | Flat. Mainsail “bladed out”. |
Rig Tension |
250 – 300 | 300 – 350 | 350 – 400 (max) |
Jib Sheet |
Eased | Eased 1″ | Eased 1″ |
Main Sheet |
Eased | In | Hard in. (play in gusts) |
Traveller |
Central or to windward | Central | Eased |
Cunningham |
Off | Off | Medium or Full on |
Kicker |
No tension | Light – Medium | Tight – Very tight |
Outhaul |
Tight | Very slightly eased | Very Tight |
Mast Chocks |
No Chocks | Chocked | Little or no Chocks |
Trim |
Slight heel. Weight forward | Upright, weight central | Upright, weight aft |
Centreboard |
Fully down | Fully down | Raise slightly |