Keelboat news and development: Grinding on Jib Halyard Downwind

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Grinding on Jib Halyard Downwind

Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: Keelboat classes
Forum Name: Keelboat news and development
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URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=388
Printed Date: 10 May 25 at 10:42am
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Topic: Grinding on Jib Halyard Downwind

Posted By: glennhow
Subject: Grinding on Jib Halyard Downwind
Date Posted: 14 Jan 05 at 2:02pm

The bowman attached the halyard to the peeling strop. Is anybody familiar with this practice? I picked up the practice when doing a couple of day regatta's on a Farr40. There was a couple of hotshots onboard.

Is this common practice throughout the class?
Does this feature in many other classes?
How safe is this to do? How hard can you grind it on?

Regards

glenn

Replies:

Posted By: Stefan Lloyd
Date Posted: 14 Jan 05 at 2:25pm

I have never sailed a Farr 40 but I have heard of it done in many other classes. The theory is that an upright mast is faster downwind. I've never been convinced it makes any difference, particularly in classes with swept-back spreaders (like the Farr 40) which are going to stop much forwards movement anyway.

Posted By: glennhow
Date Posted: 15 Jan 05 at 11:34pm

thanks Stefan,

iam of the opion that every little thing counts in sailing. i understand the theory but as regards the amount of difference remains to be seen. i am more intrested in how common this is in varying keel boat classes, and how much presure can be safely applied. does anybody have any guide lines to this practice... i.e. off the wind angle. differance between fraction rig and mast headed rigs.

glenn

Posted By: Stefan Lloyd
Date Posted: 16 Jan 05 at 9:42am

Originally posted by glennhow

iam of the opion that every little thing counts in sailing.

Aren't we all? However having a body on the bow for any longer than absolutely needed certainly slows you down, so there is also a downside to the practice.

I owned a Hunter 707 for several years, which is a large and competitive fleet in the Solent. A few did it, most didn't. More to the point, one of the faster boats downwind did it but the rest didn't. It didn't seem to make any difference.

I've sailed J/24s, Sigma/33s and Sigma/38s. In all those fleets, a few boats did it but most didn't. All those fleets are (or were at some point) ultra-competitive and if there was a clear advantage, everybody would soon be doing it.

I think the practice originated in the IOR fleets. They had in-line spreaders, so cranking on jib halyard tension downwind would move the mast forwards significantly. Modern swept-back spreader rigs (like all the classes I've talked about) are IMO different.

Posted By: Stefan Lloyd
Date Posted: 19 Jan 05 at 10:01am

I've chatted about this to someone who has done a lot of winning in keelboat classes (but nothing as big as a Farr 40). He says no in J24s or 707s but definitely yes in Etchells. I believe Stars also do it. So it definitely seems to be a class dependent thing. For what my opinion is worth, having never sailed a Farr 40, the rig seems a lot like an expanded version of that on a J24 or 707 i.e. no runners and swept-back spreaders.

Posted By: glennhow
Date Posted: 19 Jan 05 at 10:43am

tanx stefan, a friend of mine just bought an etchells so i'll make sure he does it, mind any thoughts on what is considered a safe amount of pressure and do they stop doing it in say a F5. The rigs on them are considered to me quite delicate. Or hang on maybe its their booms iam thinking of.

glenn

Posted By: Stefan Lloyd
Date Posted: 19 Jan 05 at 11:00am

I'd have though it would be pretty hard to put that much stress on a rig with a halyard, compared to the normal stresses applied by the shrouds. However, it is probably a question best put to those who know the class and I've never sailed Etchells.