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EASY TUNING CHECKS & CALIBRATION!
Through the winter and while racing at the local club with limited time it is easy to get into the habit of not checking your rig is set up correctly. At the Grafham GP I was back in the merlin for only the second time since the nationals and everything was feeling quite alien, trying to remember how to sail the boat is enough of a challenge without having to worry about pulling strings to the right settings.
It’s really important to keep on top of your rig settings, making sure nothing has moved and that you have all the important bits calibrated for easy reference. Lacking speed in a race only to find your mast was on the wrong rake or the rig wasn’t square is never enjoyable. Having a way of recording settings for easy reference is one of the most important things, this way if you have a few weeks off you can refer to this and know straight away you are going to be up to speed. Beyond this if your boat is set up and you do
monitor settings, a change is normally a result of something starting to fail. Identifying this early can save you a lot of problems later.
So the short list pre-launch as often as you can;
Rig tension – Check this every time before you sail, if it is higher than expected then are your shroud pins in the right holes? If less than you expect then something may have moved or stretched and it is worth checking your rake. Use the gauge recommended in your sailmakers tuning guide but 99% of the time the Loos Pro Gauge is the one to have.
Square rig – Sight the rig from the deck up to make sure it has no sideways bend, it’s a reasonably crude method but the luff track will show up any curve or kinks. A quick and easy way to check the spreaders are square is to stand at the side of the boat with the shroud plates in line, if you sight through the shroud closer to you and the spreaders are in line then the far shroud should be hidden. If the spreaders aren’t in line then the wires will be running at different angles and you need to adjust the spreaders accordingly, this is a quick method which I have found to be just as accurate without needing to role the boat on its side.
Rake – Check regularly but know the differences between your jibs if they have fitted luff wires, not all jibs are the same and it’s a costly mistake to make the assumption the same calibration marks will be correct.
Pre-bend – A handy pre-bend gauge can be quickly pushed up the mast to make sure you have the right pre-bend.
Check the jib car settings – Make sure they are set for the rake setting you plan to launch on, calibration and easy reference is a must here.
In all, this will take you less than 10 minutes and will guarantee no surprises on the water. After sailing I always try to record settings to make sure nothing has been adjusted incorrectly and so I know exactly what the rig was set to the next time I’m rigging up. Keeping a wet notes in your tool box to document each sail and settings you liked will mean you have a record.
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GILL INSHORE WINTER JACKET
£126.00
Normal Price: £140.00
You Save: £14.00 (10%)
The Inshore Winter Jacket features zoned insulation keeping the warmth where you need it, protected by a fully taped hydrophobic waterproof shell. This jacket locks out the elements, making it perfect for cold weather sailing.
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PRE BEND GAUGE100
ONLY £4.69
P&B Pre Bend Gauge. Mark the gauge off with the pre bend you are aiming for, slide it up the mast to the point of maximum bend, stretch your main halyard down the mast and when the two line up you know you have the correct pre-bend. |
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TURBOFLAME LIGHTER100
ONLY £8.50
Effectively a mini blowtorch reaching temperatures of up to 1300 F. The lighter is adjustable and refillable using Butane lighter gas. Great for those windy days! |
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