Technique: set up for RS500 and Laser 3000

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set up for RS500 and Laser 3000

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Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Technique
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Topic: set up for RS500 and Laser 3000

Posted By: PaulB
Subject: set up for RS500 and Laser 3000
Date Posted: 12 Mar 13 at 7:51am

Hi I am looking for some basic set up guides for the RS500 and the Laser3000. Goggled both class associations and both seem to be down ? Can any one help with some basic measurements ? Cheers Paul.

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Phantom 949

Replies:

Posted By: Oatsandbeans
Date Posted: 12 Mar 13 at 9:17am

Here is a link for the 500

http://www.rs500.org/docs/rs500/tuning/Tims-RS500-Tuning-Guide.pdf

Posted By: dontdocalm!
Date Posted: 12 Mar 13 at 11:36am

Originally posted by hollandsd 6th March 2013 re 3000 CA website

Hopefully by the end of today there should be a site of some description back up and running.

Dan

Problem Dan?

Posted By: Ian29937
Date Posted: 12 Mar 13 at 5:50pm

Site appears to be up for me. Do you have the latest URL?

http://www.rs500.org/ - http://www.rs500.org/

Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 12 Mar 13 at 7:48pm

The 3k webmaster has once again promised to sort the site out.

In the meantime, exactly what were you looking for by way of set-up guidance?

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http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC
http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class

Posted By: PaulB
Date Posted: 12 Mar 13 at 8:01pm

Some measurements mast rack, rig tension etc. Just a starting point.

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Phantom 949

Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 12 Mar 13 at 11:45pm

There doesn't seem to be magic rake setting for the 3k, but I've been moderately successful with lots, and it looks good! Try two to three full holes up from the bottom of the shroud adjusters, and pull on as much rig tension as you can without resorting to special tricks. That seems about right. As to spreaders, unless you are heavy, just one hole out at the tangs and plenty of rake so that they induce a fair bit of pre-bend - the Hyde main is pretty full cut. Leech tension is critical, so keep playing the main/kicker on the beat to keep the top tell-tale on the break. Boat flat and crew weight uncomfortably far forward until you're fully trapezing.

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http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC
http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class

Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 13 Mar 13 at 10:59am

One vital extra bit of data: mast foot position.

With those shroud settings, you need to put the aft pin in the mast step one hole aft of in the middle, while the other is the length of the mast foot ahead of it. Then if you are using an old Hyde jib you step the mast between the bolts. If using a North jib, tacked down onto the bow, you mount the mast foot astride the aft bolt.

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http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC
http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class

Posted By: NickA
Date Posted: 19 Mar 13 at 7:35pm

I’d been sailing my (V)3000 with about 140kg of rig tension and I understand the Laser 3000 was supposed to be set at 136kg, so not far off. Actually I never measured it until recently and just used to pull on rig tension until the jib luff (forestay) stopped bobbing about in gusts - good enough if you don't have a loos gauge.

The RS500 is pretty similar to the 3000 (though heavier and with bigger sails) and uses up to 180kg!

I have a personal theory that my boat is faster in lighter winds with less rig tension (powers up the jib) but I wouldn’t bet on it.

My latest setttings table, for the V3000 is as follows (all at 140kg measured on the shrouds about 30cm up from the plates).

· Shroud plate holes are numbered from the top - but I'll be everyone's shrouds are different lengths!

Shroud plate hole	Rake	Rig tension,	Comments
Hole 5, back	6.39m	140kg	Vertical (the jib head is right at the block on the mast on my boat). If the wind were light enough to use this setting I’d drop the rig tension and use hole 6 .. probably
Hole 6, back	6.36m	140kg
Hole 7, back	6.30m	140kg
Hole 8, back	6.24m	140kg	My normal single handing setting up to the top of F3.
Hole 9, back	6.19m	140kg	Full possible rake without owning shorter shrouds.

Mr Medway once told me he uses 6.17m of rake … so either he runs less tension or has shorter shrouds. He is an upwind flier and points very high indeed - but I've caught him up down wind occasionally.

PS: the class web site is finally up and running again at www.3000class.org.uk

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Javelin 558
Contender 2574

Posted By: Oatsandbeans
Date Posted: 20 Mar 13 at 7:29am

Didnt understand 100% your table. Do you use all these rakes from 6.39 to 6.19 depending on wind strength?

Posted By: Hengest
Date Posted: 21 Mar 13 at 3:04pm

Forgive me for asking a possibly stupid question, but how do you adjust the rig tension ?

Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 21 Mar 13 at 5:54pm

By simply varying how hard you pull on the jib halyard tensioner.

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http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC
http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class

Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 27 Mar 13 at 3:36pm

The 3000 Class website is now back up again at http://www.3000class.org.uk - www.3000class.org.uk , and very pretty it looks too. One or two bits (like the Y&Y boat test) still to be added.

Have a dig around the technical page (including the 'tips on upgrading' article). Any questions arising, just stick a query on the tech forum.

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http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC
http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class

Posted By: NickA
Date Posted: 28 Mar 13 at 10:03pm

I have used all those settings on the shroud plates; though mast vertical is something I've given up on as you get a bit more power for a lot less point. A couple of our younger class members set off to sail an open with a vertical mast in force 5 a couple of years back, they were VERY fast down wind but did keep falling in. Generally rake is good.

Rig tension on the 3000 is easily adjusted, set the required rake using the shroud adjusters and then pull the jib halyard until the shroud tension is high enough. More tension pulls the mast forward somewhat; so the rake will decrease. It takes a bit of fiddling with a tape measure and a loos gauge to get the right rake and the right rig tension; but if you put some marks on the mast and note which mark goes with which shroud plate position, you only need to go through this "calibration" once.

On recent and modified 3000s the jib halyard adjustment is 2:1 so can be adjusted on the water, so you can always pull a bit more on if the forestay starts bobbing about. On an RS500 (or a 29er) where the jib clips onto the forestay, the rig tension is on a separate rope from the jib halyard.

.. hey, bring a 3000 along to an open and we'll show you!

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Javelin 558
Contender 2574

Posted By: Medway Maniac
Date Posted: 29 Mar 13 at 12:35am

Originally posted by NickA

On recent and modified 3000s the jib halyard adjustment is 2:1 so can be adjusted on the water

Er, 4:1 actually Nick. The original Laser set-up was 3:1 and it helped to have someone pull on the forestay as well to get your 136kg, though it could be done by brute force.

Either way it helps to have the final position marked on the mast, since it is very easy to pull on the required tension when sailing downwind so you can't do it by feel when afloat (the wind replaces your strong man on the forestay!).

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http://www.wilsoniansc.org.uk" rel="nofollow - Wilsonian SC
http://www.3000class.org.uk" rel="nofollow - 3000 Class

Posted By: NickA
Date Posted: 04 Apr 13 at 9:45pm

He's correct, of course. There's 2:1 at the top of the sail and 2:1 at the bottom of the mast.

Easy to full on more rig tension whislt sailing; bit scary letting it off again! So thoughts of easing rig tension for down wind are perhaps unwise.

Meanwhile: Here is a link to some useful RS500 settings:

http://www.rs500.org/docs/rs500/tuning/RS%20500%20Rig%20Tuning%20Notes.pdf - http://www.rs500.org/docs/rs500/tuning/RS%20500%20Rig%20Tuning%20Notes.pdf

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Javelin 558
Contender 2574