RS 400 Help !

I sailed a 400 for a couple of years when they first came out, then a 800 when they first came out - in both cases as crew.  Now I sail a Laser 4000 and generally helm it.  I sail at Bough Beech SC near Edenbridge in Kent.

www.BoughBeechSC.org.uk

I can't find any pictures but I'll try and give you a verbal description.

On top of the thwarts you have the jib sheets and on each gunwhale you have the gennaker sheets.  I hope you know what to do with those, this leaves you only 2 more ropes the look after since things like rig tension, cunninham and kicker go back to the helm.

On the floor each side of the mast and just behind it are 2 ropes.  On the left is the pole outhaul (this is the thicker of the two) - pull on this and the pole shoots out in front of the boat and it cleats automatically.  To the right is the gennaker haliard, so pull on that and the kite goes up - this also self cleats.  Linking these two ropes is a strop made of a bit of thick rope or a bit of webbing, pull on that and both the pole and the spinnaker are uncleated.

So apart from doing all the crewing type jobs like getting your weight in and out, operating the centreboard, telling your helm when the gust is going to hit and triming the jib and spinnaker, your other job is getting the pole out and the spinnaker up (in that order).  Then when it come to dropping, pull on the strop grab the downhaul (just to the left of the mast and behind the block) and pull the kite down.  This pulls the pole in as well. Use big arm movements and when it appears from under the foredeck, grab it and give it another big pull and stuff it back under the foredeck.  Get sitting out with jib trimed properly and then grab the gennaker sheets and pull them into the cockpit and tidy up in rediness for the next hoist.

They are fairly powerful boats so its important to get your weight in the right place and then tidy up, don't wait a bit to tidy and then sit out.  Similarly at the windward mark don't be in a hurry to get in and get hoisting, keep your weight out to assist the bear away, then in for the pole and up with the kite.  Your helm should be running very deep while you are doing that and then when its up he'll head high to "heat up" the boat which means you'll be sitting out hard.  I always found them a very tiring boat since the crew has to sit out hard all the way up the beat and again all the way down to the leeward mark.

During the gybe do not let the spinnaker sheet go loose but pull it in as you come in.  Hit the new windward side at the same time as the helm stops the boom and then pull in on the new sheet.  In this way the kite slips past the luff of the jib and doesn't get in a wineglass.  Don't worry at all about the jib, just leave it losely cleated on either side to keep it from tangling with the gennaker.  The helm can lean forward and sort the jib and he also operates the wing-wangs, you keep your eyes glued to the luff and the spinnaker as eased as possible but never let it collapse.  He should now be telling you when the next gust is going to hit!  If the wind is light keep your weight well forward (perhaps stand up at the base of the mast) and tell the helm when the sheet begins to go light - he should then "heat it up" a bit.

These are fantastic boats to sail and when you think about it they are faster than a Fireball and yet don't have a trapeze.  Only the B14 skiff is faster of all non trapeze boats.  If you have a bit of weight and use it effectively you can plane to windward and yet such a powerful boat can still be handled in a 7 because the rig is so adjustable.

Generally speaking (and I've said it before) you shouldn't sit on the twart its too far back and you should face aft when tacking.  The only time you should face farward during a tack is at the windward mark where as soon as you've tacked you are going to go for a hoist.