Technique: RS 200 Battens

Print Page | Close Window

RS 200 Battens

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Dinghy classes
Forum Name: Technique
Forum Discription: 'How to' section for dinghy questions and answers
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=10349
Printed Date: 27 Jun 25 at 12:33pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: RS 200 Battens

Posted By: JVSAIL
Subject: RS 200 Battens
Date Posted: 06 Jan 13 at 8:31pm

So I was out today in light winds and was sruggling too "pop" the top two battens on my RS200 and wondered if anyone had any techniques to help in the lighter stuff as they seem to be harder to "pop"

Replies:

Posted By: frow3n
Date Posted: 06 Jan 13 at 8:55pm

- come out of a roll tack

- ease the main slightly

- as you bring the boat back flat sheet in hard.

Not sure if what I've just makes any sense. :)

Had issues at Minorca getting the top batten to pop in light airs... could be an RS 'thing'...

-------------
Laser Radial 201357
29er 1907

Queen Mary SC

Posted By: Mister Nick
Date Posted: 06 Jan 13 at 9:17pm

I think it's an RS thing to be honest. My 500 does this a lot, it's a right pain. The way I solved it was to ease the main as you go into the tack, let the boat roll on top of you (standard roll tack to be honest) and then as you jump up to hike the boat flat, pump the main really hard. Make sure you do the hiking and pumping at the same time. I found that I had to tighten up the bridle a couple of centimeters so I can get a bit more leech tension when I pump. Not sure how the main is set up on a 200 but on a 500 you can tighten and loosen the battens with a key. Might be worth a go (although you've probably already tried)

Not entirely sure if this is class legal but we ended up making a light weather batten for really windless days. It's just like a normal batten but the end of it is tapered so it flexes more easily. If you genuinely can't get them to pop normally then this might help.

Posted By: frow3n
Date Posted: 06 Jan 13 at 9:32pm

When I used to sail a 200, before it sank/damaged :) I had issues like this quite a lot but due to me being so light at the time (combined crew weight 18 stone!) half the battens wouldn't pop anyway!

Seems it is an RS thing, though never had this issue on the 100 :)

-------------
Laser Radial 201357
29er 1907

Queen Mary SC

Posted By: BBSCFaithfull
Date Posted: 06 Jan 13 at 9:51pm

Chaps,

Not an RS thing. Before you tack just put a bit of cunningham on and bobs your uncle. The main should be flicked as you push up to the next time.

Best,

-------------
Greatfully Sponsored By
www.allgoodfun.com
Int 14 GBR 1503!!

Posted By: GybeFunny
Date Posted: 07 Jan 13 at 7:19am

Try loosening the batten tension in the top batten/s and then they will pop easier.

Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 07 Jan 13 at 8:54am

Technique and practice...People who have it exactly sorted seem to be able to get the most amazingly tight battens across. I don't altogether have it down, but a lot of it seems to be about timing a little flick on the mainsheet at exactly the right point as the other battens are coming over.

Posted By: Moppo
Date Posted: 07 Jan 13 at 9:37am

It's a pretty agricultural 'last resort' method, used only when the roll tack didn't pop the top couple, but: grab the cunningham and yank down hard and quickly.

I await the monday morning innuendo with interest.

-------------
B14 694

Posted By: kingdacks
Date Posted: 07 Jan 13 at 9:58am

Yank down the cunningham hard, but mind your tack,tick. Or pump the jibing strop a couple of times.

Posted By: fleaberto
Date Posted: 07 Jan 13 at 11:55am

I think most battened sails suffer similar issues - especially if that battens are particularly stiff.

Top batten on my Lightning sail often sticks in the light stuff, as did all of them on my Dart15 when I had that. My EPS also does the same. Solution? - brute force :-) ....just as you're coming out of a tack, tension the mainsheet and give it a good snap - all at the same time.

I can't roll the EPS as much as the Lightning, so demands a much more fierce pull.

Sounds brutal and ruins your 'stealth' approach when sneaking up on people :-)

-------------
Lightning368 'All the Gear' (409), Lightning368 'Sprite' (101), Laser (big number) 'Yellow Jack', RS Vareo (432)'The Golden Rays'

Posted By: Ruscoe
Date Posted: 07 Jan 13 at 12:35pm

Be worth checking your batten tension also. I never had a problem in my 200 (that i can remember) Although had a big problem in the first D-one, it took me months to work out why i was so slow upwind in the light stuff. Turned out that after watching someone else sail the boat the battens were massively too light. Forcing far to much fullness into the sail (which actuallyaltered the cut shape of the sail) I couldnt spot the difference whilst sailing the boat but as above, when someone else was sailing it i noticed it. Once the tension was cracked off my boat speed was then similar to the rest of the fleet. It also meant that the battens snap across with no effort out of the tack.

Maybe just worth double checking.

-------------

Posted By: JVSAIL
Date Posted: 07 Jan 13 at 5:03pm

Cheers guys all different things for me to try out. Kingdacks be careful as you are not allowed to use the gybeing strop for anything else but gybeing (this is a new class rule less than a month old)

Posted By: Telltale
Date Posted: 07 Jan 13 at 6:20pm

I would be interested in the thinking behind that rule revision, is there a big advantage in using the gybing strop for tacking then? Secondly is the gybing strop an option or is it a standard piece of kit. Does that mean you can't use the falls to crack the main then?

Posted By: JVSAIL
Date Posted: 07 Jan 13 at 6:37pm

There is almost no advantage in tacking, i believe that it has been put in place because it was being used for pumping. Also as far as i know it is standard but you are allowed to remove it

Posted By: kingdacks
Date Posted: 07 Jan 13 at 7:14pm

I thought the class rule, allowed you to still you can use the gybing strop to re straighten out the batterns just not hold the gybing strop down wind to stop pumping. Also you should never remove the gybing strop on the rs200 its essential for gybing in strong wind.

Posted By: GybeFunny
Date Posted: 07 Jan 13 at 9:04pm

It has been illegal to use the gybing strop in a 200 for anything but gybing for at least 5 years, probably more.

Posted By: hum3
Date Posted: 09 Jan 13 at 5:23pm

Originally posted by GybeFunny

It has been illegal to use the gybing strop in a 200 for anything but gybing for at least 5 years, probably more.

... and the class has just voted overwhelmingly to maintain that rule.

I've never had issues with battens not popping in the 2 when tacking, but have when gybing in the light. Needed a bit MORE batten tension, combined with a bit of kicker during the gybe (released again after)

FYI the 800 does have issues popping the top batten in the light when tacking - only when tacking from port to starboard though, because the batten is sewn in on one side of the main. I often need to give the cunno a pull to get it through when I'm up front, in the pen.