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Mainsheet tension in a Laser?
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Oatsandbeans View Drop Down
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Joined: 19 Sep 05
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Posts: 382 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Oatsandbeans Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Topic: Mainsheet tension in a Laser?
    Posted: 03 Oct 06 at 10:48am

I've just started sailing a laser after many years of sailing boats with jibs. I have always set the sheet tension on these by just getting the top leach tell tale to break (flying ~70%of the time), and this works (in 5 to 12 knots of wind).  It appears that in the Laser you just go block to block in anything over 5 knots ( as per Ben Ainslie's book).  This does not get any flow at the top tell tail.  I would be interested if anyonwe can explain this - are the basic sheeting rules for the mainsail leach different in a single sailed boat?  I find it hard to understand as the top of the sail in both cases is not under the influence of a jib.

PS I suspect that Ben is right, but I would like to know why.
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Jon Emmett View Drop Down
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Posts: 988 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Jon Emmett Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Oct 06 at 1:39pm
If you look at the luff curve in the sail (when you roll it out to rig it) you see if is fairly curved. You need to match the mast shape to this curve by adding kicker tension. The amount of kicker tension required for "the same" leach tension increases as the wind speed increases. The top of the sail should "pant" with the gusts (close in the lulls, open in the gusts).
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Stefan Lloyd View Drop Down
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Posts: 1599 		Post Options Post Options   Quote Stefan Lloyd Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 03 Oct 06 at 1:49pm

Originally posted by Oatsandbeans

I've just started sailing a laser after many years of sailing boats with jibs. I have always set the sheet tension on these by just getting the top leach tell tale to break (flying ~70%of the time), and this works (in 5 to 12 knots of wind).

Maybe that was right for the classes you were sailing but that's too little tension in most classes I'm familiar with.  
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