FREAKIN’ INSANE SAIL!

we have one of them on my parents cruier and it makes a world of difference to how long you can carry full sail, its like an outhaul but better, really flattens off the sail. only trouble is the bit of strings up by the goose neck so geuss who gets that job? its a bit wet.

I would agree with all of the above

Elastic on the end of the main sheet

Keep the rake on as it keeps the moment of force aft and therefore helps you onto the plane

Remember to keep your weight back on the reaches - the broader and faster the further aft.  Why do a lot of Contenders have Pro Grip on the transom?  Because you need it!!  Trapezing of the transom takes some getting used to I can tell you

Ross, Good to hear your getting to grips with the boat so quickly. Best thing for the mainsheet is to tie some elastic to the end and attach it to the tower, make sure the elastic is not to long though or it will go through the main ratchet.

As for the mast you want as much rake as possible and still get under the boom with the kicker full on, especially in strong winds. Graham Scott puts this at about 6570mm but he does say more is better if you can handle it.

For reaching I generally just crack the kicker off a few cm in strong winds to lift the boom clear, not enough to open the leach up though.

get back on it!

 

Edited by E.J.

Just got back from sailing in the Contender. Contenders are RAPID . It was blowing a good force 4 (5 at some points). At this wind speed, I am limit of being able to sail and keep in control. I did not attempt any gybes, but my tacking has improved a lot in the short time I was on the water.

I need to be taller! I was heading up wind, fully lowered on the trap with one hand behind my head, almost flat to the water and was just holding her. I wasn't close hauled, the boom was a little past the aft corner and I was hammering across King George . If I was a bit taller it would make sailing her that bit easier upwind.

Downwind and reaching I was screaming along! Difficult balancing, but once I get  a few things sorted out with the boat it will be easier. The tiller extension needs to be gripped most of the way along, and new pro grip (that I ordered today) are just two things. The most annoying thing was that my main sheet kept being dragged through the centre board slot. HOW DO I SORT THIS. This was most irritating as I was occupied with retrieving my main sheet while planing, looking out for gusts, trimming the sail, steering and fully out on the trap on next to useless old grip tape! Needless to say while I was doing all this I failed to notice how close my boom was to the water and when it hit it I promptly capsized, catapulting my onto my sail. I was getting good at avoiding the sail by the end of my session (a rough guide as to how many time I went over! ). It also meant that I could ease the main due to having no sheet left

In conditions like this, Do you think I should straiten my mast (make it more vertical)? This would mean when I'm hammering along on a reach/broad reach I wouldn't have to loosen the kicker so much to avoid the the boom being so close to the water. Doing this obviously increases the power of the sail and makes more prone to going over. The other side of this is that if I put more kicker on, I depower the sail and make it more manageable to sail, but the boom is closer to the water and there is less margin for error. If I do straiten the mast will I have to adjust the shrouds and lowers? Will it solve my above (longed out) problem?

I have more to say but I can't be arsed. I'm just over joyed that I went for contender and not a radial or something silly like that . As soon as I feel I have advanced enough in my technique enough, I will be buying a much more competitive Contender.


Edited by Ross