The Solution.

Solution 450 still leading Handicap fleet of 46 boats at Leigh and Lowton SC, despite not sailing well at the weekend, discarding 7,7,9 places. I was trying out a new mainsheet setup - no rear Laser-style bridle - which worked well in the lighter winds but was too tiring when the wind built to F4. Plan C is a hybrid system - sheet on traveling rear bridle block, but without 2:1. Extra block/purchase in front of me. Also experimenting with a 6:1 Cunningham, although running into block-block issues. We'll get it sorted, and I quite like trying different rigging systems out. The boat is quick and stable on a reach. It doesn't do dead downwind too well, and you have to gybe the angles. Upwind, it loses momentum quickly if you pinch and, being wide for it's length, it needs to be kept flat. I'm used to a Solo which will forgive a bit of heel-and-stuffing upwind. The Solution will simply hobby-horse and stop if you try that. As a newcomer to the class, here's my feeling about the Solution after a few races (with loads to learn yet):

Pros; Good build quality from Ovingtons, sail controls that work pretty well and allow for some personal tweaking/bimbling, it has a centreboard for easy launching/recovery, stable downwind, raking rig for effective de-powering, don't have to be an Olympic standard gymnast to sail it, lightweight hull means easy onshore trundling.

Cons; Shallow cockpit means it's uncomfortable in light, even medium winds. Lots of kneeling - good kneepads are essential. Shallow cockpit also makes it quite hard to find ways of lifting the toestraps off the cockpit floor. Fairly easy to lose the mainsheet tail down the centreboard slot - have to secure the end inside the boat with a length of bungy. Raking rig + lots of kicker = low, head-banging boom in a breeze. I have wounds on my head already.

Overall - I'm enjoying sailing the Solution. Unfortunately it means I'm boat-on-boat racing with Lasers and it can get pretty noisy and competitive. Some good secondhand Solutions on the class website currently - £1800 for a boat with 2 sails, trailer and trolley. Bargain.

Sorry, I'll shut up now.

Steve White, new owner of Solution 450, currently selling Aero 7 1159 (see classifieds), past owner of 4 Solos, currently crewing X1 dinghy.

Edited by Solo4652 - 01 May 15 at 5:06pm

Hi Woodburner,

I'll try the latest sheet system this weekend and take a photo if it works. In words; tight rear bridle with a free-running block (to help prevent over-centring/over-sheeting the main). Mainsheet is tied to the top of that block, up through the boom-end block, forward inside the boom, exits round the rearmost of two boom blocks. Sheet then goes down and round (threaded from the rear) a block which is tied to the top of the existing ratchet. I tried to rig a forward bridle using the toestrap anchor points, but the bridle fouled the centreboard handle. Sheet goes up to the forward boom block (threaded from the rear) and then back down to the ratchet, threaded from the front. That should give us plenty to grab during a gybe without groping for a just-out-of-reach gybe strop. It also means you can use the aft-most purchase of the sheet that's in front of you for 2:1 downwind sheeting. Hopefully, the overall sheet loads will be less than the nothing-on-the-transom set up which I tried last weekend. We'll see.

What was wrong with the original sheeting method?

Originally posted by jeffers Originally posted by Solo4652 Hi Woodburner, I'll try the latest sheet system this weekend and take a photo if it works. In words; tight rear bridle with a free-running block (to help prevent over-centring/over-sheeting the main). Mainsheet is tied to the top of that block, up through the boom-end block, forward inside the boom, exits round the rearmost of two boom blocks. Sheet then goes down and round (threaded from the rear) a block which is tied to the top of the existing ratchet. I tried to rig a forward bridle using the toestrap anchor points, but the bridle fouled the centreboard handle. Sheet goes up to the forward boom block (threaded from the rear) and then back down to the ratchet, threaded from the front. That should give us plenty to grab during a gybe without groping for a just-out-of-reach gybe strop. It also means you can use the aft-most purchase of the sheet that's in front of you for 2:1 downwind sheeting. Hopefully, the overall sheet loads will be less than the nothing-on-the-transom set up which I tried last weekend. We'll see. Sounds like you might almost want to try the D-Zero.

FTFU

Edited by rodney - 01 May 15 at 4:35pm

Originally posted by Solo4652 Hi Woodburner, I'll try the latest sheet system this weekend and take a photo if it works. In words; tight rear bridle with a free-running block (to help prevent over-centring/over-sheeting the main). Mainsheet is tied to the top of that block, up through the boom-end block, forward inside the boom, exits round the rearmost of two boom blocks. Sheet then goes down and round (threaded from the rear) a block which is tied to the top of the existing ratchet. I tried to rig a forward bridle using the toestrap anchor points, but the bridle fouled the centreboard handle. Sheet goes up to the forward boom block (threaded from the rear) and then back down to the ratchet, threaded from the front. That should give us plenty to grab during a gybe without groping for a just-out-of-reach gybe strop. It also means you can use the aft-most purchase of the sheet that's in front of you for 2:1 downwind sheeting. Hopefully, the overall sheet loads will be less than the nothing-on-the-transom set up which I tried last weekend. We'll see.

Quick update. This mainsheet system worked pretty well, apart from the rear traveller block. It needed some stopper knots 5" or so in from the gunwhale to keep the sheet away from the transom corners in a gybe. Also, I had to remove the stand-up spring under the ratchet block to enable the block to swivel and tip freely. Lastly, I fitted a swivel in between the ratchet and the block attached to it, to help the various parts of the system swivel independently.

Edited by Solo4652 - 05 May 15 at 1:15pm