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KNOW YOUR SETTINGS
Having just sailed the I14 worlds put a real emphasis on how important it is to know your settings. We put the boat into a container over 2 months before the event and with no sailing in that period it becomes really easy to forget how the boat was tuned. We keep a log of the settings and I have a recorded process of rigging which was in the boat to make sure I didn’t forget anything when we final got to unpack and rig her again in Geelong. Perhaps it sounds a bit over the top but it made for a seriously stress free build up to the event knowing exactly what we needed to do to get on the water as soon as possible. We landed in Melbourne in the morning and were sailing that afternoon without issue.
Importantly for me we had an accurate set of numbers for rig tensions, rake and pre-bend. I’ve always found you have lower rigging numbers in hot countries which is especially evident with carbon rigs but with the rake and pre-bends as well this gave me a lot of confidence we had the rig set the same as we did in the UK before shipping the boat.
The pre-bend gauge is such a great piece of kit but I hardly ever see people using them. For the 14 which has a 2-spreader rig, so is more complicated with additional variables, I have a pre-bend gauge marked with desired mast bends for 3 specific heights, giving me an accurate check at the lowers height, and both spreader heights. We use a piece of twine which is attached to the back of the mast in exactly the same way each time and I checked this every day of the worlds. I also checked it after sailing, if anything had moved it would be highlighted and I would rather sort it that evening than the morning of the next race!
Through preparation and knowing our rig settings and having a way to check them we had 4 days sailing in Melbourne, with a minimum of 3 hours each day. Not a second of this time was wasted worrying about whether our rig was set up right, it was 4 days remembering how to sail the boat and getting accustomed to the venue in complete confidence that the key work had already been done in the UK. Perfect!
DON'T FORGET THE TUNING CHECKS!
It’s really important to keep on top of your rig settings, making sure nothing has moved and that you have all the important bits calibrated for easy reference. Lacking speed in a race only to find your mast was on the wrong rake or the rig wasn’t square is never enjoyable. Having a way of recording settings for easy reference is one of the most important things, this way if you have a few weeks off you can refer to this and know straight away you are going to be up to speed. Beyond this if your boat is set up and you do monitor settings, a change is normally a result of something starting to fail. Identifying this early can save you a lot of problems later.
So the short list pre-launch as often as you can;
Rig tension – Check this every time before you sail, if it is higher than expected then are your shroud pins in the right holes? If less than you expect then something may have moved or stretched and it is worth checking your rake. Use the gauge recommended in your sailmakers tuning guide but 99% of the time the Loos Pro Gauge is the one to have.
Square rig – Sight the rig from the deck up to make sure it has no sideways bend, it’s a reasonably crude method but the luff track will show up any curve or kinks. A quick and easy way to check the spreaders are square is to stand at the side of the boat with the shroud plates in line, if you sight through the shroud closer to you and the spreaders are in line then the far shroud should be hidden. If the spreaders aren’t in line then the wires will be running at different angles and you need to adjust the spreaders accordingly, this is a quick method which I have found to be just as accurate without needing to role the boat on its side.
Rake – Check regularly but know the differences between your jibs if they have fitted luff wires, not all jibs are the same and it’s a costly mistake to make the assumption the same calibration marks will be correct.
Pre-bend – A handy pre-bend gauge can be quickly pushed up the mast to make sure you have the right pre-bend.
Check the jib car settings – Make sure they are set for the rake setting you plan to launch on, calibration and easy reference is a must here.
In all this will take you less than 10 minutes and will guarantee no surprises on the water. After sailing I always try to record settings to make sure nothing has been adjusted incorrectly and so I know exactly what the rig was set to the next time I’m rigging up. Keeping a wet notes in your tool box to document each sail and settings you liked will mean you have a record.
If you have any questions on tuning then your team are on hand to make sure you are on the right track. Why not take advantage of the off season and get your boat into P&B South for a full tune up and calibration? |
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RIG TENSION GUAGE
£82.40
Normal Price: £103.00
You Save: £20.60 (20%)
The Loos Rig Tension Guage allows quick and accurate adjustment of sailboat shrouds and stays to help get the most out of your rig set up. |
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PRE BEND GAUGE
ONLY £4.83
Use P&B's simple, easy to use Pre Bend Gauge to help set up your rig just how you want every time you go out sailing! |
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THE RIGGING HANDBOOK
£25.00
Normal Price: £40.00
You Save: £15.00 (38%)
Tools and Techniques for Modern and Traditional Rigging, The Rigging Handbook is the definitive book on the art of rigging. |
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