NORTH SAILS BLOG

Congratulations on your purchase of North Buccaneer sails. We are confident you will find superior speed over all conditions. Time has been spent to insure that not only are your sails fast, but they are also easy to handle and trim. The following measurements are those we’ve found to be the fastest for your new North sails. After experimenting you may find slightly different settings which may mean even better boat speed for you and your style of sailing. We have found that neutral helm is a good goal of the tuning process. If you have any questions or problems, please don’t hesitate to call. We are anxious to help you go faster and win more races! Onshore Adjustments The two key tuning adjustments, mast rake and centerboard position, differ greatly for low mast step pre 1980 Buccaneers and high mast step boats built after that date. MAST RAKE The Nickels Buccaneers are set up to sail with neutral helm at 4.5 degrees of rake. To set up the mast with the proper rake the simplest method is to run a tape measure from the main halyard shackle pulled to the sheave at the top of the mast to the transom. With the “standard” mast length of 23’5” (281”) the distance to the outside edge of the transom will be 24’7” (295”). As a rule of thumb, 2” represents 1 degree of rake. This must be done with the jib on and the rig fully tensioned. You increase rake by moving the pins on the shroud adjuster down. Some Cardinals and Gloucesters have a mast that is 2” longer (283”) – use 297” to 299” to determine rake. Chrysler masts are 3” shorter so use 293” to 295” to set the rake OR add blocking to raise the mast higher). If this causes too much weather helm – rake the mast forward until the helm is neutral. On pre-1980 Buccaneers with low mast steps, less rake is needed. With the longer mast, the same amount of rake would move the center of effort aft more than on post 1980 high mast step boats. If the rake is increased as much as suggested above, the centerboard may need to be moved aft (see below). It is best to set up the mast rake on your older Buccaneer so that with the correct amount of rig tension (less rig tension than on newer boats) the mast will be 1/4″ to 3/8″ away from the forward edge of the deck partner (on boats where the mast is stepped below deck level). This is important as it will allow the mast to bend adequately in heavy air with the boomvang tension on tight. As a final check the boom should be drooped slightly below parallel to the horizon at the outboard end when trimmed in and sailing upwind in a 10-15 mph breeze. In winds below that (8-10 mph) the boom should just be level with the horizon. Two tables help to determine mast rake, either from a plumb bob measurement (Table 1) or from the masthead to transom measurement (Table 2). The plumb bob method uses a plumb bob (or other suitable weight) attached to the main halyard. This method must be performed with NO wind and the boat carefully leveled on its waterline to be accurate. The foredeck is sloped forward at 0 to just over 1.0 degrees, but a useful quick method of leveling the boat is to level the fore deck just in front of the mast and deduct 1.0 degree from the value from Table 1. Because of the variability of the deck angle this is only an approximate level. Measure aft from the mast base to the plumb bob and read the angle from the table for the appropriate mast length. The second method uses a long measuring tape hoisted to the mast head on the main halyard. The measurement should be taken from the mast head to the transom inboard of the of the hull-deck joint. Use Table 2 to determine the mast rake for the appropriate mast length. A more complete discussion of mast rake and boat leveling is contained in Spira and Twombly’s Buccaneer Tuning Guide. RUDDER POSITION The rudder must be capable of being set to vertical so that the leading edge is approximately perpendicular to the waterline. Any significant rake aft will lead to a tug on the helm and cause excess drag. CENTERBOARD LOCATION Newer Buccaneers are equipped with pivot hangers mounted on the centerboard cap. The ideal location is 7.5” from the center of the hangers (pivot point) to the bulkhead. This is the placement on the Nickels boats. Many older Buccaneers have come from the factory with the centerboard over 1” forward of where it is located on the newer boats. To take advantage of the full 4.5 degrees of rake you may consider relocating the centerboard further aft or the additional rake will simply cause excessive weather helm. The stopper can also be removed from the tip of the centerboard so it can be used in its full down position while going upwind effectively moving the board forward, while the pivot has been moved aft. RIG TENSION We have found that the Buccaneer performs better with the rig set up very tight. Measured using a Loos gauge, a minimum of 250 lbs will barely keep the lee shroud from sagging in light air. We recommend 350 lbs for most conditions. This will keep the jib stay tension so that the leeward shroud does not go slack when sailing upwind until it is blowing 10-12 mph. This rig tension can be tuned in with the jib halyard through the use of a 16:1 cascade, magic box, a lever, or a series of balls on your halyard hooked to a plate assembly. Up to 400 lbs can be used, if necessary in higher winds. More tension than that can damage the boat so be careful. To set up this amount of rig tension without a magic box or lever, ease off your spinnaker halyard enough so that a person can stand at least 10’ in front of the boat and hold onto the spinnaker halyard. Then, recleat the halyard and pull on it hard enough so that the correct amount of rig tension can be “tuned in” with your jib halyard. JIB LEAD POSITION Your jib lead angle should be 8 – 10 degrees off the centerline. This corresponds to locating the jib track near the inside edge of the seat – about 1.5”. Unfortunately there are several different jib lead positions on the different model Buccaneer boats built. We suggest measuring out 10 degrees and try to set your lead accordingly side to side to meet the adjustment. As for fore and aft trim, set your jib leads so that the jib luff breaks evenly from top to bottom in light to medium winds. In winds above 10-12 mph it is best to move the leads back 2″. In winds above 20-25 mph it is best to move the lead back another 2″. With the rake at 4.5 degrees we have found that the median jib lead position is 34” aft of the bulkhead, measured along the front edge of the seat. This position moves further aft with less mast rake. Sailing Adjustments MAIN AND JIB CUNNINGHAM For both the main and the jib, never pull tighter than to just remove the wrinkles. It is best to leave just a hint of horizontal wrinkles from the luff of your main and jib to be sure that you don’t have it pulled too tight. Your North Buccaneer jib is fitted with a small plastic clam cleat so you can easily adjust the cloth tension on your luff wire. As on the main, it is a good idea to set the cloth tension so there is just a hint of wrinkles coming off the luff of the jib. It is better to err toward the loose side than the tight side of luff tension on your North Buccaneer sails. OUTHAUL Your North Buccaneer main is fitted with a shelf foot which, when eased, will give the main incredible power. We suggest pulling the outhaul tight enough to close the shelf (so that the top seam is parallel with the boom) when sailing upwind in all conditions except very light winds with extreme chop. In these conditions it is advantageous to ease the outhaul 1 1/2″ to open the shelf up approximately 1 ½-2″ at the center of the boom. When sailing downwind or on a reach it is a good idea to ease the outhaul off so that the shelf is open and the sail is close to 4” open in the middle of the boom. However, never ease the outhaul to the point where vertical wrinkles appear. JIB SHEET TRIM An easy guide for jib sheet trim on the Buccaneer is to trim until the foot skirt of the jib is even with the line where the spinnaker sheets, pulled tight, lay on the deck. Basically, we are looking for a parallel slot between the exit of the jib and the entry of the main. The guide that has been used with success is that of imagining a batten in the jib at mid-leech. This imaginary “batten” is usually set parallel to the centerline of the boat which makes the upper leech of the jib twist outboard slightly and the lower leech of the jib twist inboard slightly. It seems that 90% of the boat speed problems on the Buccaneer are due to faulty jib sheet trim. MAINSHEET TRIM The mainsheet should be pulled tight enough so that the last 18″ of the upper compression batten on the main is set parallel with the boom. This is sighted from underneath the boom and lining the batten and the boom parallel on a horizontal plane. In light winds it is sometimes impossible to keep the upper batten from hooking slightly to weather because of the weight of the boom hanging on the leech of the sail. In these conditions and in choppy water we suggest easing the sheet out approximately 6″ so that the upper batten will then become more or less aligned with the centerline of the boat. In choppy conditions ease the mainsheet approximately 6″ to open the upper batten slightly to or past parallel to the boom. This is a “power” gear which will allow the mast to straighten slightly and the main become fuller. Picture the mainsheet as your accelerator. As your boat picks up speed, pull the main tighter and tighter until the upper batten is parallel to the boom. In light winds or when the boat is hit with a wave and is slow downwind, ease the mainsheet so that the upper batten is angled outboard slightly inducing “twist” into the sail. Use the Cunningham as the wind increases to keep the draft from moving to far aft. In light air put on only enough Cunningham so that there are wrinkles along the luff in at least the bottom half of the sail. In heavy air pull it tight so the wrinkles are nearly removed and the sail is smooth ( no tighter!). Make certain that the main halyard is up as far as possible and mark this position on the halyard so this setting can be repeated easily. The halyard should be made from wire or no- stretch line such as Spectra. UPPER COMPRESSION BATTEN Your North Buccaneer main is fitted with a full-length upper batten that fits into plastic protectors along the luff of the sail. The Velcro adjustment allows you to change the tension on this batten as the conditions change. However, 90% of the time we set the upper batten in the pocket just tight enough to barely remove the vertical wrinkles along the pocket. To overcompress the batten will induce more fullness into the sail than it is designed for and will tend to hook the leech to windward in all but the heaviest conditions. It is best to slide the batten into the pocket, putting very little tension on the batten and pocket before setting it in the Velcro. BOOMVANG Downwind the vang should be trimmed tight enough to keep the boom down and the leech set on the mainsail so that the upper batten is parallel to the boom. Basically we are looking for the main to set as it does when sailing upwind in a medium breeze. Upwind in medium to heavy winds the vang is set just tight enough to keep the tail end of the upper batten parallel to the boom. In heavy breezes this may require a great deal of boomvang tension as this will also help bend the mast and flatten the sail. In light winds (below 8 mph) never use any boomvang tension upwind. SPINNAKER TRIM Sail your North spinnaker with a 6-12″ curl in the luff. Careful concentration is needed. Use short, smooth ins and outs on the sheet to keep the spinnaker trimmed correctly. Try to keep from jerking the sheet when the spinnaker begins to collapse. Keep the clews even at all time through the adjustments on your topping (pole) lift. In some conditions it is difficult to see the leeward clew behind the mainsheet so you can use another guide of adjusting the pole height so that the center vertical seam in the spinnaker is parallel to the mast. The pole position to the wind should be set so that the pole is nearly perpendicular to the wind. TABLE 1: Mast Rake from Plumb Bob Measurement, for different mast heights Note 1 2 3 4 MAST HEIGHT 278 281 283 288 Rake Offset In Offset In Offset In Offset In 0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 1 4.9 4.9 4.9 5.0 1.25 6.1 6.1 6.2 6.3 1.5 7.3 7.4 7.4 7.5 1.75 8.5 8.6 8.6 8.8 2 9.7 9.8 9.9 10.1 2.25 10.9 11.0 11.1 11.3 2.5 12.1 12.3 12.3 12.6 2.75 13.3 13.5 13.6 13.8 3 14.5 14.7 14.8 15.1 3.25 15.8 15.9 16.0 16.3 3.5 17.0 17.2 17.3 17.6 3.75 18.2 18.4 18.5 18.8 4 19.4 19.6 19.7 20.1 4.25 20.6 20.8 21.0 21.3 4.5 21.8 22.0 22.2 22.6 4.75 23.0 23.3 23.4 23.8 5 24.2 24.5 24.7 25.1 5.25 25.4 25.7 25.9 26.4 5.5 26.6 26.9 27.1 27.6 5.75 27.9 28.2 28.4 28.9 6 29.1 29.4 29.6 30.1 7 33.9 34.2 34.5 35.1 8 38.7 39.1 39.4 40.1 9 43.5 44.0 44.3 45.1 10 48.3 48.8 49.1 50.0 Measure aft from the mast base. Notes: High step Chryslers-after 1980, Starwinds, and early Gloucesters Standard Height-Nickels and adjusted earlier models Later Gloucesters and Cardinals Low mast step Chryslers TABLE 2: Mast Rake from measurement from masthead to stern for different mast heights Note 1 2 3 MAST 278 281 283 MB TO T 123 123 123 Rake MH to T MH to T MH to T 0.00 301.3 304.1 305.9 0.25 300.8 303.6 305.4 0.50 300.3 303.1 304.9 0.75 299.8 302.6 304.4 1.00 299.3 302.1 303.9 1.25 298.8 301.6 303.4 1.50 298.3 301.1 302.9 1.75 297.9 300.6 302.4 2.00 297.3 300.1 301.9 2.25 296.8 299.6 301.4 2.50 296.3 299.1 300.9 2.75 295.8 298.6 300.4 3.00 295.3 298.1 299.9 3.25 294.8 297.6 299.4 3.50 294.3 297.1 298.9 3.75 293.8 296.6 298.4 4.00 293.3 296.0 297.9 4.25 292.8 295.5 297.4 4.50 292.3 295.0 296.9 4.75 291.8 294.5 296.3 5.00 291.3 294.0 295.8 5.25 290.8 293.5 295.3 5.50 290.3 293.0 294.8 5.75 289.8 292.5 294.3 6.00 289.2 292.0 293.8 6.25 288.7 291.5 293.3 6.50 288.2 290.9 292.8 6.75 287.7 290.4 292.2 7.00 287.2 289.9 291.7 7.25 286.7 289.4 291.2 7.50 286.2 288.9 290.7 7.75 285.7 288.4 290.2 8.00 285.1 287.9 289.7 8.25 284.6 287.3 289.2 8.50 284.1 286.8 288.6 8.75 283.6 286.3 288.1 9.00 283.1 285.8 287.6 9.25 282.5 285.3 287.1 9.50 282.0 284.7 286.6 9.75 281.5 284.2 286.0 10.00 281.0 283.7 285.5 Notes (table 2): High step Chryslers- after 1980, Starwinds, and early Gloucesters Standard Height-Nick- els and adjusted earlier models Later Gloucesters and Cardinals Table not useful for Low Step Chryslers-different geometry READ MORE

This tuning guide will cover mast tuning, sail care, boat preparation and sail trimming tips. If you have any questions or need any advise please feel free to contact us. Remember, this is the general mast set-up and tuning used by the top Atlantic sailors. If you tune your boat by these instructions you will give yourself that advantage you need to win the season series, fleet championship or Nationals. Tuning the Rig Before Stepping Mast Make sure spreaders are solidly fixed and the brackets tightly riveted to the mast. Check to see that they are even height at the shrouds. Check rake Hook tape to main halyard and hoist completely to top of the mast (use a safety line in case tape breaks.) Measure to intersection of transom and deck at centerline of boat (back of boat) 40′ 8″ to 40′ 5″, adjust headstay so that you fall in this range. Tensioning the Shrouds & Centering the Mast Remove all gear from boat and make sure that ballast is centered. Hook a tape measure on jib or spinnaker halyard and measure down to water on each side of boat alongside of chainplates. Make sure that with tension on the tape being equal that this measurement is also equal on both sides of boat. For future reference, make note if it is equal to the rail on both sides of the boat. On most, it’s 1/8″ or 1/4″ different. Tension the upper shrouds to 880 lbs. Check the rake and adjust the headstay if necessary. Blocking the Mast at Partners Put wedges or blocks behind the mast to push the mast forward until you have 2″ – 3″ of pre-bend. Also, put wedges or blocks at the side of the mast to keep it centered in the boat. The center of the boat is not necessarily at the center of the mast partners. Position the mast so it is straight sideways. This may be more easily done after tensioning the lower shrouds. Tensioning the Lower Shrouds Tension so that the mast is straight sideways. Tension should be 620 lbs. Pre-bend should now be 1 1/2″ – 2″. Headstay should be barely measurable on the gauge – approximately 5-10. If it is more, push the mast further forward in the partners (thicker blocks behind) and re- tension lower shrouds accordingly. Check rake again to see that is hasn’t changed too much. Important Things to Remember Less than 5 knots Make certain you loosen headstay 3 – 5 turns and use some backstay tension. This will optimize your main and jib shape for light air performance. Put a shackle or line to let the tack of the jib 4″ above deck. It is too low, the foot will lay on the deck and you won’t be able to get sufficient leech tension. Setting your Jib Leads 2′ 2″ apart at 8′ 2″ back from headstay. Use a barber hauler to pull the lead outboard 2″ in slop or heavy air (over 20 knots.) Range of fore and aft sheeting is 8′ 1″ to 8′ 6″ with 8′ 3″ to 8′ 4″ being the average – forward for light air and slop (with 2″ barber hauler at same time.) Aft for smooth water and medium air or for heavy air. Setting the Main Outhaul Loosen the outhaul so some shelf opens in light air approximately 4″ for smooth water or 8″ for rough water. Tighten progressively as the wind blows harder. Setting the Main Cunningham Allow slight wrinkles to come in luff of main up to spreaders in anything under 12 knots. In stronger winds, when the boat is easily heeled down to her lines, pull the luff smooth. If in doubt, allow slight wrinkles in the lower 1/3 of the sail. Setting the Jib Luff Loosen halyard until you get a slight wrinkle at each hank for light air. In more wind, pull it just smooth. Proper Mainsheet Trim Trim to make top batten parallel to the boom. The sail trimmer should get under the boom and sight up to check for this. It needs to be checked each time another adjustment is made. For flat-water moderate breeze conditions, the mainsheet can be over trimmed to make the top batten point to weather 5 degrees. In light air, slop or in heavy air, under trim so the top batten points to leeward 5 degrees. Proper Jib Trim Trim to make the middle batten parallel to centerline. Top batten in light to moderate air points to leeward 10 degrees to 45 degrees, depending on wind pressure — less wind pressure ease some more. More wind pressure, trim harder. As the wind blows harder, the top batten gets more nearly parallel to the middle batten and hence the centerline. Sail Care Your North Atlantic sails are constructed with the best materials available on the market. Before we made your sails we tested many different fabrics from the best suppliers in the world. Mainsail It is not necessary to remove the battens from the main when storing it. Be certain to roll the sail up parallel to the battens to avoid putting a permanent twist in them. Watch the mainsail for signs of wear on the batten pockets and where the sail hits the shrouds. Wash the sail off with fresh water when it gets salty and dry thoroughly before storing. When lowering the mainsail have a crew member at the leech pull back on the leech to help keep the sail from folding on itself. Jib When rolling the jib, keep the battens parallel to the leech. Roll from the head to foot. Avoid stepping on the sail when lowered for downwind sailing. Attempt to pull back on the leech when lowering the jib. Wash the jib off with fresh water when salty and dry thoroughly before storing. Spinnaker To prolong the life of your spinnaker, always store it dry and clean. Rinse with fresh water when it gets salty and dry before storing. Fold your spinnaker to store it if possible. READ MORE

Knowledge is power. We see this in every sport throughout the world. Racing sailboats is much different from the other sporting events. Sailing requires tuning for different wind and water conditions. Many of these tuning adjustments are very small, yet important. Provided here is an outline of items to work through on your X boat. These are guidelines and helpful hints. The measurements achieved have been tested through countless hours on the water in a variety of conditions. What is truly unique with this North Sails Tuning Guide is the fact that we have simplified the tuning process for the X Boat in order to make the process easy for our customers. You will be able to achieve newfound speed in your X Boat. These measurements coupled with the fastest one-design sails in the world will give you the knowledge for speed. In sailboat racing this is a combination for power and speed! Thank you for sailing with North Sails. BOAT SPEED TIP When sailing in the vicinity of a faster boat try matching or paralleling that boats course. Also, match your angle of heel. Then adjust sails slightly until speed starts to equalize with the faster boat. Listed below are the best settings for the X Boat through a variety of conditions. While the sails, mast and boom have gone through some changes the boats sailing characteristics are still pretty much the same. The most important thing you can do when sailing your X Boat is to sail the boat flat once the wind is above 5 m.p.h. We have seen many of our X Boat sailors sailing too flat in the 0-5 wind range and in some cases actually heeling to windward, please do not this as it is very slow. How do we sail the boat flat if we are a light or medium weight crew and it is very windy? Steering technique and mainsheet trim have the most effect on the boats ability to sail flat. Do not ease the jib except a click here, a click there for a better overall setting. Also, there are a few other areas of importance when sailing the X Boat. The mast rake numbers we have listed below are very important. We have seen to many X Boat teams with their mast rake too far forward. Be very careful in this area. Don’t forget when measuring mast rake this is done on the trailer, hopefully in light air with the jib up. 0-5 MPH 6-15 MPH Mast Rake - 21' 0" with side stays snug. Downhaul and Cunningham - Top of car should be above the black band on the mast. Wrinkles should appear. Cunningham off. Vang - Loose. Centerboard - All the way down. This is very important. Make sure your board can go deep as possible without hitting the leading edge of your board box underneath the boat. Jib Luff - None, you should have noticeable wrinkles. Main Trim - Ease main sheet so that the upper batten is parallel to the boom. In a drifter let the boom out to the corner of the transom. Jib Trim Loose trim so that the upper batten twists off. Jib lead should be set so that the sail luffs evenly up the luff when you slowly come into the wind with the jib trimmed. If the sail breaks up high first then your lead is to far aft, if it breaks low first then your lead is to far forward. You may move your jib lead forward one or two positions from your normal position in light air. If your tracks have been installed exactly as shown in our diagrams you will find the best position for the lead is all the way aft with two holes showing behind the car. Mast Rake - 21' 0" and 20' 11" in 10 to 15 Knots and side stays snug. Downhaul and Cunningham - Bring downhaul car down to the top of the black band on mast. Wrinkles should now be partially gone. Cunningham can be applied to remove wrinkles and flatten luff of sail if you cannot hold boat down with hiking and mainsheet trim. Vang - Fairly tight in 5-10 Knots, but a lot tighter in a breeze ranging from 12-15 Knots. Centerboard - All the way down. When the wind reaches 15 Knots with big chop, bring board up 3-4 inches. This will enable the boat to drive through the chop and allow the skipper to steer much easier. Jib Luff - All wrinkles along the luff of the jib should be gone. Main Trim - Trim top batten parallel to boom. Jib Trim - Generally harder with increased wind, keep top batten tell-tale flowing aft, if the tell-tale is stalled against the sail then try easing the sail out slowly until the tell-tale starts flowing. Jib lead normal position. 16-25 MPH Mast Rake - 20' 10" with side stays snug. Downhaul and Cunningham - Top of car should be at the bottom of black band on the mast. This will remove all wrinkles. Cunningham on hard upwind and off downwind. Vang - Head the boat into the wind and trim the main sheet as tight as possible. Then tighten the boom vang. Pull hard. This allows you to vang sheet your main going upwind. Centerboard - Up 4 to 5 inches for less helm / easier steering. Allows the boat to sail faster upwind with less helm. Do this = SPEED Jib Luff - Tight, no wrinkles. Main Trim - Trim is based on how well you can control the angle of heel. If you are heeled way up, you need to ease your main considerably. Possibly as much as 4’. Goal is to keep the boat flat and driving through the water. Heading the boat up into the wind / pinching is not fast in this condition. Ease the main, keep the boat flat and go for speed through the water. Jib Trim - Tight all the time. Jib lead can be moved aft one or two positions to open up and twist off the top of the jib. Sail the boat off the jib. Ease the main when needed to keep the boat perfectly flat. Again keep the tell-tale flowing aft. Special Note: Always roll your new North Sails jib, do not fold windows. Always keep jib trimmed so that sail is not luffing hard this will help the sail age better. Obviously when leaving the dock and coming back to the dock you will have to luff your jib this is okay, we suggest that you do not allow your jib to luff for long periods of time. The jib window material is as strong as the sail but if abused can tear so take care of this special and fast sail. All these generalizations are norms and averages that have proven fast over many years. Some experimentation by your part may be necessary to fine tune your particular rig and sailing style. Good luck with your new sail and please feel free to call us with any questions you may have. READ MORE

The North Sails T-10 team has been working hard to make sure you are getting the most updated info and getting the most performance out of your new North Sails. Collectively we have all combined our notes, tips, and tricks for making the T-10 go fast and we are excited to share all this info with you. If you have any questions about the information in this Tuning Guide or would like to learn more about Tuning, Sail Trim, or Sailing Techniques please do not hesitate to contact any of our T-10 experts. Sail Care Properly caring for your North Sails will prolong the life of the sails. When storing your sails, keep them clean, dry, out of direct sunlight and away from areas of extreme heat. Rolling the mainsail and jib when they are not being used and folding your spinnaker (instead of stuffing it in a bag) will help all your sails remain wrinkle free and last much longer. In addition, releasing the tension on the full-length battens in the mainsail and headsail, for storage, will increase the life of the sails. Tuning Tools Some basic tools are required to accurately setup and tune your T-10 mast. These include: Steel Measuring Tape, Model B Loos Tension Gauge, Calipers, Permanent Marker, Bucket and Electrical Tape. Each of these tools will be mentioned in this tuning guide and will aid in the proper tuning of your mast. Tuning tools needed to accurately setup and tune your T-10. Another important setup tool is the use of reference marks. MARK EVERYTHING! While this sounds basic, marking settings can make it much easier to repeat your setup and tuning on the water. Mark your shrouds to be consistent in which side is which (port vs. starboard) as this will make it easier the next time you tune your mast. Mark your sheets, halyards, and control lines as well to make settings repeatable and more accurate. Mast Set Up and Tuning Initial Rig Set Up - Mast Down Spreader Trim Marks - Before stepping the mast, mark the spreaders with tape stripes to use as a reference when trimming the jib. These marks will indicate the location of the leech of the jib when it is trimmed for upwind sailing. Measuring from the side of the mast, along the aft edge of the spreader, put tape stripes at 30”, 31 1/2” and 33” with the measured edge of the stripe closest to the mast. Headstay Length - Make sure your headstay is at the class max for allowable length. Forestay measured from the center of the eye to the forestay attachment point (lower edge of the T-ball fitting where it rests on the forestay attachment point), to the bearing point of the hole which connects to the link plates. Refer to the measurement table in the class rules to ensure your forestay is at class max length. Mast Butt Position - The “J” dimension (measured from the pin at the bottom of your headstay link plates to the front face of the mast at deck level) should be 12’ which is the class minimum specification. Mast butt position and headstay length will affect your mast rake. With the headstay at max length and the “J” at minimum you will be sailing with maximum mast rake. Measurement Marks to Center the Mast - With the boat out of the water, you must place marks on each side of the hull equal distance aft from the headstay pin and equal distance up from the keel. This will ensure that your mast is inline and centered with the keel, not just the deck. Refer to image below. Measure aft from the headstay pin connection and place a mark on the hull near the toe rail. Next measure up from the center of the front edge of the keel to your mark measured aft from the forestay and place another mark making a cross hare. This mark will be used to center the mast with the keel. Tuning Before the mast is stepped, with the mast down and supported, track side facing up, sight from end to end to ensure the mast is straight. If any S or bend is evident this will come into play later when we tension the lower shrouds. Center the Mast Side to Side - With the lower shrouds disconnected, backstay disconnected, and boom off, hand tighten your upper shrouds as evenly as possible. Using the Jib Halyard, attach to your bucket (halfway filled with water, this will create even weight to measure the mast side to side). Place the bucket over the side of the boat and lower it down past your markings on the side of the hull. To measure the rig side to side you can place a tape mark 2-3’ above the deck on the halyard. Now measure down from this mark to your markings on each side of the hull. Adjust each upper shroud accordingly to get the mast centered and inline with the keel. Get Your Mast in Column - With your lower shrouds attached now, we need to get the middle of the mast in column with the hounds (we centered the hounds to the keel), the tip of the mast may fall off one side or the other if the middle of the mast is bowed to one side or the other.Sighting up the mast track, adjust each lower shroud to get the middle of the mast in column with the hounds. Remember if the mast had any S or bend to it prior to stepping, if so, you may not be able to get the mast perfectly straight, and that is not uncommon with T-10 masts, we will talk about tuning on the water and getting the mast to set up evenly tack to tack later in the tuning guide. Getting Tensioned to BASE Tune - Set the base shroud tension. The base tension for the upper shrouds is 40 and the lower shrouds is 22 using Model B Loos tension gauge. While adding tension to get to the base setting, occasionally sight up the sail track on the aft side of the mast to ensure the length of the spar is straight. If the mast track has any side bend or curve, adjust the shrouds to bring the mast into column.A helpful tip if you are struggling to get the upper shrouds tight enough to read 40 on the Loos Tension Gauge is the tension the backstay extremely hard. Tensioning the backstay will lower the tension on the upper shrouds, making it easier to adjust using the turnbuckles. Be sure to release the backstay completely before taking a new tension reading. Check Mast Pre-bend - After setting the shroud tensions at 40-22, check that the mast has the proper pre-bend (aft bend) by pulling the main halyard down taught to the bottom of the mast track near the gooseneck (see pic). The pre-bend distance between the back of the mast track and the front of the main halyard (at the spreaders) should be between 1.5” to 2”. Use Calipers to Record BASE Settings - Use calipers to check your base settings. After setting the base rig tensions and checking the side-to-side center position of the mast, it is a good idea to use calipers to measure the distance between the studs on the Upper and Lower Shrouds. This measurement can help you get the rig back to base setting more easily, especially if unsure of the turns or tensions while on the water. Rig Tuning While Sailing The T-10 class is one of a few classes that allow for rig adjustments while sailing during a race. It is critical that you pay close attention to your shroud tension, the headstay sag, as well as how your sails are setting up tack to tack. In various wind speeds and sea states it is important to properly set the shroud tension to optimize the sails shape. We have produced a Quick Tune Guide that has recommended adjustments for certain conditions, but every rig can set up different. It is important to pay close attention to how your mast is setting up, and how it is affecting your sails shape. Remember when making tuning adjustments to always trend on the looser side. Light Air | Under 8 knots A looser rig is required to increase sail depth for power. There is a difference however between sailing in light air flat water vs. light air and chop. Light Air and Flat Water Decreasing upper shroud tension and lower shroud tension will create a deeper and more powerful sail plan. However, in flat water we do not want the rig tension to be too loose. In flat water conditions it is not ideal to have a sail plan that is too full as you can lose your ability to trim the sails tight enough to have an advantage in pointing ability. Adjust your upper shrouds so that the leeward upper is snug, not tight, and not lose, you want to have some tension on the leeward upper shroud. This will ensure that you are still able to create pre-bend in the mast. Having pre-bend in the mast will help to flatten the mainsail enough so you can trim harder with out stalling the leech of the mainsail. The upper shroud tension also has a direct affect on the headstay tension (headstay sag). Setting your upper shroud tension this way will generate a little more headstay sag vs. having the uppers too tight, but not too much headstay sag making the headsail too deep. If the headsail gets too deep you lose the ability to trim the sail tight enough to gain a pointing advantage. Adjust your lower shrouds so that when sighting up the mast (place your eye next to the gooseneck and sight vertically up the mast slot to the top of the mast) you want to see the middle of the mast (at the spreaders) sag to leeward 1”. This tension for the lower shrouds allows the mast to bend more, creating more pre-bend. Light Air and Chop When sailing in lighter air conditions and a choppy sea state, generating power in the sail plan is more important than generating the ability to point. Adjust your upper shrouds so the leeward upper is starting to go completely loose. You do not want to see the leeward upper shroud so lose that it is doing 2” circles, rather you want to see and feel the leeward shroud at the point it is under no load. Adjust your lower shrouds to achieve 2” of leeward mast sag (when sighting up the mast slot). This will help create more sail depth in the middle of the mainsail. By setting the rig tension up this way you are creating a deep and powerful sail plan. The mast will have little to no pre-bend as the upper shrouds will be loose. The headstay will have more sag creating a deeper headsail shape. Pay attention to the headstay though, if the headstay is moving around (bouncing) you may need to snug the backstay slightly but be careful not to apply tension to the backstay. If you need to apply tension to the backstay to control the headstay bounce, that means your shrouds are too loose. The difference in turns from light air and flat water to light air and chop should only be one full turn difference. Medium Air | 8-15 Knots Tuning your T-10 mast for medium air is similar to tuning for light air. We still need to consider the sea state, are we sailing in flat water conditions, or choppy conditions. Medium Air and Flat Water Still paying close attention to the leeward upper shroud, we want to feel some tension on it, you do not want it to be lose nor do you want a lot of tension on it. Adjust the uppers accordingly to achieve the “snug” feel of tension. What you are looking for when making adjustments in lower shroud tension involves sighting up the mast slot as we do in the light air tuning. Set your lower shroud tension so the mast has a slight amount of leeward sag at the spreaders. You are looking for close ½” of leeward sag. This lower shroud tension will help create pre-bend in the mast, so the main is not setting up too full for the flat water conditions, however the lowers are now tight enough that when we apply backstay in puffs, the main sail does not over flatten (overbend wrinkles). Medium Air and Chop Setting up your rig tension for medium air and chop is like light air and chop. We tend to keep the rig tension a little looser when sailing in chop. One full turn looser is usually a good setting or starting point for medium air and chop vs. medium air and flat water. Start by setting your upper shroud tension for the leeward upper is just starting to go loose. When tuning for medium air and flat-water conditions however you do not want to see any leeward mast sag. What you want to see is a straight mast. By having the lowers slightly tighter you now can use backstay in puffs to control the mainsail shape as well as headstay tension with out over flattening the mainsail (overbend wrinkles). If the lowers are too loose, as you apply backstay, the main sail will get too flat too quickly, resulting in the loss of power to help get you through the choppy conditions. Also, having the lowers slightly tighter you have more control over the headstay, keeping the headstay stable in choppy conditions is critical. Heavy Air | 15 + Knots As the wind speed increases, creating more rig tension is required to control our sails shape, our sail trim controls will have more effect on sail shape with the rig tuned properly for the conditions. Unlike sailing in light air and medium air, the heavy air rig setting focuses more on Headstay tension and main sail shape. To properly set your shroud tension, start by setting your upper shrouds so the leeward upper is still under some tension. If the uppers are too loose, we will lose some control of the mast’s pre-bend as well as the headstay tension. Your lower shroud tension becomes more critical in heavy air conditions. The lowers control the middle of the mast as well as the ability to use backstay to control headstay tension. In heavy air conditions getting your headstay tight enough is critical to your boat’s performance. The lowers need to be tight enough so we can apply backstay without generating over bend wrinkles in the mainsail. In flatter water the headstay needs to be very straight, little to no headstay sag. This means we need to be able to tension the backstay awfully hard, pay close attention to the main sail and tension your lowers so the main is flat but not inverting. In a choppy sea state, your shroud tension needs to be tight enough so you can control headstay tension without the use of too much backstay. To set your rig tension in heavy air and chop, set your lowers the same way you would for flat water, but take one full turn off the upper shrouds. Sail Trim Settings Mainsail Trim Mainsail trim on the T-10 is an important factor in getting the boat up to speed. Check each of these for proper mainsail setup: Make sure the mainsail hoist (luff tension) is appropriate for the conditions. In lighter air set the main sail halyard tension so small wrinkles appear along the mast. In medium to heavier air conditions, the halyard should be set so no wrinkles appear. It is also good to lower the main slightly when sailing downwind but be sure to get the main back to a proper upwind setting prior to rounding the leeward mark. Having marks on the main halyard will allow you to have repeatable settings.This setting should be checked regularly as the halyard could stretch out during the day. Correct batten tension is important to achieve proper mainsail shape.Each batten should be tensioned so that all the wrinkles are removed from the batten pocket and the batten can pop from side-to-side easily. If a batten is too loose, winkles will appear along the batten pocket and if a batten is too tight, it will be difficult to pop the batten from side-to-side. Tack pin location. On the T-10 you may have several options to pin the tack of your main sail, make sure you are using the tack pin location that creates a smooth sail in the tack area, if you have wrinkles appearing in the tack area, try using a different tack pin location.Trimming the mainsail on the T-10 is a balance between power and stalling. If the sail is trimmed properly, you will get the maximum amount of power out of the sail and if not trimmed properly, the sail could stall, and your boat speed will suffer. The controls that most directly affect the trim of the mainsail are the mainsheet, the main traveler, the boomvang, the outhaul and the backstay. Here is what to check for each control when trimming the mainsail: Mainsheet Tension Mainsheet tension is the place to start for proper trim. In most conditions, the T-10 mainsheet should be trimmed so that at max trim the leech telltale at the top batten of the main is stalling 20% of the time. In light wind or when building speed the upper leech telltale should be flowing 80- 100% of the time. As the wind speed increases, it is critical that you input enough twist into the mainsail by easing the main sheet more, but you do not want to ease too much, ease the main to the point where the top tell tale just starts to fly at 100%. Boom Height Boom height relative to the boat’s centerline, is another important factor in mainsail trim and the mainsheet traveler is the way to set the boom height properly. Until the boat becomes overpowered, the traveler should be set so that the boom is near the centerline of the boat while sailing upwind. It can be set slightly above center to help in pointing, but there is risk of stalling the sail. If the boat loses speed when the boom is raised above centerline, the traveler or the mainsheet should be eased to help return the boom to centerline and build speed. In heavier air conditions, you may lower the traveler below center line to help de-power the boat. Remember that easing the main sheet too much is bad, so lowering the traveler is a good way to depower the boat. Boomvang When the wind gets stronger the boomvang is used to help depower the lower part of the mainsail. Adding tension to the boomvang flattens the lower main sail and allows the trimmer to ease the mainsheet in the puffs and still maintain some leech tension on the sail. It is important to remember to ease the boomvang when the wind speed drops to add shape and power back into the mainsail. Outhaul The shape of the foot, and lower section of the mainsail can also be changed using the outhaul. The outhaul should be set looser when the boat needs more power and tighter as the power increases. A good indicator of proper outhaul tension is the lowest batten. When the mainsheet is trimmed properly, the lowest batten will hook slightly to windward of the boom. If the lowest batten hooks too much, the outhaul might be too loose and if it is parallel with the boom, the outhaul could be too tight. Backstay Like the boomvang and outhaul, the backstay is used to change the power in the mainsail. When the wind gets stronger, more backstay tension will help to depower the upper part of the mainsail and take sag out of the headstay. Increasing backstay tension bends the top of the mast and flattens the upper part of the main and tensions the headstay flattening the jib. Also, like the boom vang and outhaul, the backstay should be eased off if the wind drops so the mainsail and jib will gain depth and power. In medium wind speeds, when main sheet adjustments are more frequent, it is important that you take the slack out of the backstay so you can ease the mainsheet and not loose headstay tension. Headsail Trim Trimming the headsail in a T-10 requires constant attention. The boat responds well to headsail trim adjustments, but before we get into those adjustments it is important to properly set your headsail up for the conditions. Jib Lead Position Measured from the headstay pin to the center line of the jib car sheave you should read 14’1”. This is your BASE jib lead setting, and you should place a mark on the deck in this location. From this BASE setting, the jib lead will only move forward in wind speeds less than 5 knots and moved aft 1 hole from BASE in wind speeds greater than 15 knots. Jib Halyard Tension Depending what jib you are using will determine how to set your jib halyard tension. Below is a chart for recommended jib halyard settings for the different wind speeds and sea states for paneled headsail as well as the 3Di headsail. The wrinkles refer to the distance the wrinkles (crows’ feet) move aft in the sail. Sail Light/Flat 5-8 knots Light/Chop 5-8 knots Med/Flat 8-15 knots Med/Chop 8-15 knots Heavy/Flat 15+ knots Heavy/Chop 15+ knots Paneled AP 2" wrinkle 6" wrinkle 2" wrinkle 1" wrinkle Tight Smooth 3Di AP Smooth 1" wrinkle Smooth Smooth Tight Tight 3Di Light/Wave Smooth 1" wrinkle Smooth Smooth Tight Tight . Jib Sheet Tension The T-10 responds well to an active jib sheet, meaning in the changing conditions (puffs, lulls, waves) the jib sheet should be adjusted. To make these adjustments properly and effectively it is recommended that you incorporate a system to be able to trim the active jib sheet from the windward winch (windward cross sheeting). In 10 knots of breeze trim your jib sheet so the middle batten of the jib is parallel to the centerline of the boat. This trim setting will position the leech of the sail at the 30” mark on your spreader. In lighter conditions, overpowering conditions, or wavey conditions, the jib sheet should be trimmed outside of the 30” mark, depending on the conditions. It is not uncommon in windy conditions, or extreme choppy conditions to trim the jib sheet so the leech of the sail is even with the spreader tip. Sailing Tips When making tuning adjustments before each race, always trend on being looser vs. tighter Loosening the rig tension in light air OK, but pay close attention to your headstay, if it starts to bounce around too much the rig to too loose As soon as your team is starting to hike, your rig tune should be set so the mast is straight when sighting up the mast slot. No leeward sag in the middle of the mast is necessary. When the boat is becoming overpowered, continue to tension the uppers so the leeward upper maintains tension and adjust your lowers to keep the main sail from inverting (overbend wrinkles) Jib sheet adjustments are critical in maintaining good boat speed. Ease the jib before large puffs or bad waves, trim the jib in during flat spots Proper Jib Halyard tension is critical. Make sure you have a marking system on your halyard to create repeatable settings When sailing downwind, it is beneficial to Fraculate the rig forward. By attaching the jib halyard to the tack fitting or having a snap shackle on a line extending from the tack fitting attached to the jib halyard, pull the rig forward to help increase downwind performance. T-10 Quick Tuning Charts DOWNLOAD QUICK TUNING CHARTS (PDF) READ MORE

This comprehensive tuning guide will give you the key information needed to stay in the front of the Sonar fleet, whether you are sailing at the local or national level. Our sails are designed with proven technology in cloth as well as shape to insure durability and speed on the race course. Our sails are also designed to keep things simple in order to give you the confidence that is needed to keep your head out of the boat while sailing in close One Design competition. TOOLS NEEDED 50 Foot Tape Measure Shims (At mast partners) Electrical Tape Silicon Screw Driver Level Mast Blocks (six 1/2″ blocks) Indelible Marker Adjustable Wrench Model “A” Loos gauge Before Stepping the Mast Forestay should be 25′ 11″ when measured from the bearing point of the Tee fitting aloft to the center of the turnbuckle clevis pin. Clean and lubricate turnbuckles. Spreader angle: set deflection at 2 3/4 — 3″. **To get proper deflection measure from the back face of the mast to a line extending between the holes in the spreader tips. This distance should be 2 3/4 — 3″. After Stepping the Mast Adjust partner to fit snugly side to side (so mast is centered). Mast step: Measure the distance from the aft face of the mast where it meets the step casting to the gel-coat edge of the center of the cabin opening lip near the floor. This should be set between 28 1/4″ and 28 3/4″. (Ontario boats only.) Next, measure the distance from the forward edge of the mast partner opening to the center of the headstay anchor point. The class rule limits this dance to 7′-11.5″. Fine Tuning the Rig Center the mast laterally using a tape measure on the jib halyard to a common spot on the port and starboard rails. Remove any mast blocks as well as the lower shrouds from the chainplates. Remove the slack from the backstay until the headstay just becomes taut (no mast bend.) Place a mark on the deck abeam of the aft face of the mast. This is your reference point in the relaxed state. Now pre-bend your mast at the deck with mast blocks on the aft side until you have moved the mast 1″ forward of the mark. Make a new mark and erase the old. This is the new “Neutral” position. Next, you want to tension your upper shrouds in equal increments on both sides to between 230-260 pounds using a “LOOS-Model A” tension gauge (cable size is 5/32″ or equivalent.) Check the mast laterally again by repeating step #l. Finally you want to attach the lower shrouds and adjust them so that you can make 8 to 10” circles with them at shoulder height. This requires some guess work but loose lowers are required to keep the tip of the mast in column when you are sailing. Minor adjustments should be made to you’re lowers when you first go sailing by sighting up the mast track and tightening or loosening the lowers to keep the rig straight. Now you have a great starting point and adjustments will be made from and relative to this position depending on different wind strengths and sea conditions. Trimming Your Sails It’s important to mark all your shrouds, sheets, tracks, outhaul, backstay, etc. Keep records of your tuning set-ups for different conditions in order to be able to reproduce settings when you know the boat was going fast. BLOCKING You want to make six 1/2″ wide plastic blocks from the template shown below, this will give you the proper amount of blocks to take up the extra space and allow you to block the mast according to our chart. **Blocking measured from aft face of mast relative to the neutral position. Blocking Positions: Light Air/Flat Water: 1″ in front of neutral Light Air/Lump:1/2″in front of neutral Medium Air/Flat Water: Neutral Medium Air / Lump: Neutral Heavy Air/Flat Water: 1/2″ behind neutral Heavy Air/Lump: 1″ behind neutral Mast blocking has two profound effects. First, the more blocks you put behind the mast the less headstay tension you will have and the more the headstay will sag. This results in a deeper and more powerful jib for light and lumpy conditions. Secondly, blocking in front of the mast will create more headstay tension thus a flatter jib for windy conditions. The second effect is relative draft position of the lower part of the main. In lighter air blocking to induce pre-bend (behind the mast), will remove forward draft and decrease the depth of the sail. In heavy conditions, you will want to block in front of the mast in order to power up the bottom part of the main in order to help you through rougher seas. Remember blocking in front also give you more tension on the headstay for a flatter jib. Mainsail Trim the mainsheet hard enough to make the top batten parallel to the boom. You can check this by sighting from underneath the boom on a vertical plane. Once the boat has accelerated and you want to point higher, trim harder (2-3″) to cock the top batten slightly to weather. If the mainsheet is too tight (top batten hooking to weather), you will slow down. In light air and choppy water, the top batten should be parallel or twist off slightly. You may want to mark your mainsheet somewhere in the middle so you have a nice reference point for mark roundings and upwind sailing. Pull the traveler car to windward until the boom is on centerline. To check this, have your crew sight aft along the boom and line up the center of the boom with the eye that attaches the backstay to boat (this should be in the center of the transom). Keep the boom on centerline up to 12 knots and gradually drop the traveler to keep helm and heeling under control as wind speed increases. The lens foot allows the sail to act as a loose-footed sail. Upwind the lens foot should not be fully open. To set your outhaul properly, use the following guide: **This chart is based on settings relative to the black band KNOTS OUTHAUL TENSION 0-5 Eased 1 1/2″ 6-10 Eased 1” 11-14 Eased 1/2″ 15+ Maximum **On reaches and runs the outhaul is eased 1 – 2″. The cunningham is used to position the draft in the main. Your goal should be to keep the maximum draft position 50% back in the sail or just slightly forward of this. In a new sail, we use no cunningham up to 6 knots, enough to remove most of the wrinkles in 7 – 14 knots and progressively tighter in higher winds so there are no wrinkles. Pull the cunningham very hard above 18 knots to move the draft forward in the top of the sail. Under most circumstances, you do not need much backstay tension. The exception would be in breezy, extremely puffy conditions, particularly when combined with flat water. In these conditions, you can use the backstay as a power control. Pulling the backstay reduces the power in the mainsail up high by opening the leech, thus reducing heel and weather helm. Remember, backstay has a large effect on luff sag. A tighter backstay equals less luff sag. More luff sag makes the jib entry fuller and moves the point of maximum draft back. This is best in light air and flat water. As the breeze freshens, a straighter jib luff produces a flatter jib entry. Use the boom vang downwind and on the reaches to control the amount of twist in the mainsail. The twist should be the least amount that still permits attached flow at the upper batten telltale and stalling is unavoidable. From 100 degrees or so to a dead run set, the vang so the top batten is parallel to the boom. Your main sail is equipped with a leech cord. The primary function of the leech cord is to prevent the leech from fluttering. In windy conditions, tension the leech cord to prevent the leech from fluttering. In light to moderate conditions, pull it just tight enough to eliminate flutter. Jib Your North Sonar jib does not have a wire in it. Therefore, luff sag is controlled by headstay tension (see blocking and backstay section of tuning guide). Luff sag is measured as an offset from the center of the jib luff to a straight line between the head and tack of the jib. To trim the jib correctly, you must have the lead in the proper fore and aft position. This is accomplished by moving the lead forward or backwards until all three telltales on your jib lift at the same time as you begin to pinch the boat above a close hauled course. If you find that the windward telltale on the top of the sail lifts before the ones lower down, this is an indication that the lead is so far aft and should be moved forward. Conversely, should the windward telltale on the bottom of the sail lift before those higher, then you should move the lead aft. After experimenting in say 8 to 12 knots and you have your central lead position, you may want to move the lead forward a little in very light air and aft a bit when the breeze is above 15 knots. The most critical adjustment you will make with your jib is the sheet tension. The best way to gauge this is to pull the sheet is when you are going upwind until the upper batten is parallel to the center line of the boat at the back end, or perhaps points just to leeward from parallel. In no instance do you want the upper batten pointing to windward towards the mainsail. This will create backwinding and stall the boat which will slow you down. Spinnaker and Downwind Sailing Set the vang so the top batten is parallel to the boom. Ease cunningham, outhaul and backstay. Trim the spinnaker so there is 6″ to 8″ of curl in the luff. Keep pole perpendicular to apparent wind. Keep outboard end of the pole even with the free clew. On runs you may want to use some leeward tweeker to keep the leeward leech from opening too much.** Remember, over trimming the spinnaker (never allowing the luff to curl) chokes down the slot between spinnaker, leech, and main. The result is a boat driven sideways instead of forward. Steering Technique The Sonar has a very big main, therefore, it is very important to balance the boat for different wind strengths. If your boat is not balanced, you will feel it in the helm. In heavy conditions you want to de-power the main in order to reduce windward helm. Since hiking is limited in the Sonar class, it is a good idea to sail with four people, you can use these people to your advantage by moving them around in the boat. Use crew weight to help steer the boat upwind as well as downwind. In light air, keep the crew weight low and forward in the boat as the wind freshens moves the crew weight to the windward rail and forward and close together. In all conditions playing the mainsheet, traveler and backstay will keep you in close tune with the helm. Remember, steering fast is a function of concentration and balance of your boat. This tuning guide has provided the numbers and know-how to balance your boat. Now it is time to get out and practice and enjoy the upcoming racing season. Sail care Your new main and jib are made from stiff resinated cloth. With just a little extra care, they will perform at top speed longer than softer materials. Both main and jib come in tube bags. They should be rolled starting at the head straight down the leech so that the battens remain parallel. The spinnaker should be flaked so that the leech tapes do not get wrinkled. The spinnaker should not be stored wet for long periods of time — some bleeding of colors may occur and this is not covered by warranty. All sails should be rinsed periodically to remove salt and should be dry when rolled up. Diligence in these areas will dramatically extend the life of your sails. READ MORE

The tuning guide is written to give you the best performance from your North sails. The preparations and settings are those we have found to give the best VMG on a Norlin MKIII. However, there is a lot of useful information even for those sailing another design. There is an infinite variety of sailing conditions and a tuning guide like this can help you to a good base tuning, which will make it easier for you to find the optimal tuning in the actual situation. We hope this will give you successful and fun sailing. Preparations OUR PHILOSOPHY A 2.4 has the same tuning possibilities as a large keelboat. The difference is that everything including steering and tactical decisions has to be done by one person. The sailor can not waist attention on controls that don’t make a significant difference on speed or ability to point. We have systematically tested which controls do make a difference and removed those that do not. This makes it easier to focus. We have also designed the sails to be forgiving in the sense that a slight mistune or a wiggle by the helmsman will not give a drastic change of boat speed. TOOLS Tuning scales (stickers) are used in several places to make a good tuning repeatable. (One unit on the tuning scale is 12,5 mm). Shroud tension is measured with a “Tension Gauge” from Loos & Co. It comes in two base models and for different shroud dimensions. Note that the gauges are individual and the readings differ +/- 2 units between them. MAST The masts from Vene Bjorndahl are excellent. A softer mast does not work as well and indications are that an even stiffer mast would be an advantage. HEADSTAY The headstay shall have the same length regardless of weather conditions. That gives a number of advantages and we have not found any disadvantage. We have systematically tested mast rake in the interval 5500-5600 cm without noting any difference in VMG. The largest advantage with a permanent mast rake is that a mark on the mainsheet will make tuning of the main exact. This is important as an adjustment of 1 cm on the mainsheet will make a significant difference on speed and ability to point. The permanent headstay also makes the marks on the backstay more meaningful and it makes it easier to move the headstay forward on the bow. RIG POSITION The headstay shall be mounted as much forward as possible. The mast is thereafter placed to use maximal J (1560 mm). It is necessary to move the shrouds forward on older boats when the mast is moved forward. It will otherwise be difficult to push the mast forward on downwind legs. Moving the shrouds forward often requires some work. We do not think that it is a good idea to move the mast forward without moving the headstay. That will narrow the slot between main and jib and make it difficult to make the main work correctly in strong winds. Use lower and upper shrouds and spreaders from Vene Bjorndahl. They will make the distance from the mast to the center of the shroud 295 mm. Lower and upper shrouds shall go through deck at the same point. A straight line drawn between the port and starboard deck through point will cross the mast 10 mm forward from the aft edge of the mast. The distance between the port and starboard deck through points for the shrouds are 490 mm. As a stiff mast is an advantage we do not recommend sailing without lower shrouds. In strong winds the pressure on the mast in the mast hole at deck level will increase substantially and several masts has actually snap there. MAST RAKE The mast rake should be 5570 mm. We measure mast rake from the lower edge of the upper measurement mark on the mast to the aft most point of the hull . To make the measurement band stay close to the mast when hoisted, a traveler is introduced in the mast track and tied to the measurement band. The backstay shall be tightened only to prevent it from sagging. Tighten it hard and then ease it again before measurement to make sure that the headstay is stretched. The length of the headstay is fixed to make the rake 5570 mm. SHROUD TENSION The upper and lower shrouds are tightened such that the reading with tension gauge model A is 21 and 9 respectively and 15 and 9 respectively with gauge model PT-1. Observe that these readings are valid for rod. Other types of shrouds will give different readings. BACKSTAY A 4:1 purchase for the backstay is fine and we use 3 marks on the trimline. Take the slack out of the backstay in same manner as when you measure mast rake. Put the first mark on the 55 mm from the centre of the cleat (Figure 4). The third mark is placed 490 mm from the first and the second half way between the first and third mark. When we further on write that the backstay shall be on 1,25 or 1,75, we mean positions between mark 1 and 2. If you follow the recommendation for distance between the deck trough positions for the shrouds is that the same as the distance between mark 1 and 3 on the backstay trim line. MAST BEND INDUCER AND RESTRICTOR These are not used for trimming but the mast bend inducer is used to hold the mast forward downwind. MAIN SHEET As mentioned earlier, 1 cm adjustment of the main sheet gives a significant change in speed and ability to point. Hence, tying the mainsheet with a knot is not accurate enough. Sew an eye on the permanent end of the mainsheet and fasten it in a permanently mounted shakle behind the hatch on aftdeck. Make a hole through deck and mount the shackle in the support for the rudder shaft. A traveller is not used and observe that they normally flex substantially on the standard boat. The mainsheet should be 1:1 without purchase. That reduces the sheet that has to be taken in to half when rounding the leeward mark. Put a trimscale on the aft side of the mast above deck. Put 1 at the top and mark the main sheet such that the mark is at 3 when the main is trimmed in 3-5m/s. This means that the upper batten is parallel with the boom and that the top tell tail flies 60-70% of the time. MAIN TACK The mainsail tack should be fixed in a way to make sure it stays in the same position with different outhaul tension. At the same time it is an advantage if the tack can move an inch or so along the mast. The best way to achieve this is to have a slug slide sewn to the tack of the sail. If the opening in the mast track is extended all the way down to the boom, you can’t use a slide. Instead a thin rope with low friction is tied through the tack grommet and around the mast. Make sure the tack of the sail is close to the mast to prevent the clew to go beyond the black band when the outhaul is pulled tight. OUTHAUL Make a mark on the trimline for the outhaul and stick a trim scale such that the mark is on 1 when the clew is at the measurement band on the boom. Let the reading increase as the outhaul is eased. We use 1:1 purchase for the outhaul. MAIN HALYARD To make the sheeting of the main exact it is equally important to hoist the main to the same point each time as is the permanent length of the headstay and avoiding tying the main sheet with a knot. This is simple to arrange either with a halyard lock in the top of the mast (best solution) or a hook at the mast foot where an eye on the halyard can be fastened. It is impossible to hoist to the same height with an ordinary cleat. SPREADER REFERENCE FOR JIB LEECH The sheeting of the jib is described as the distance between the spreader tip and the leech of the jib. A small trim scale on the spreader helps to judge the distance. The measurements later described is valid for the standard 295 mm spreaders. If you have different length spreaders you have to compensate for the difference. FOOT CAMBER JIB The depth of the jib at deck level is described as the distance between the point where the jib meets the rail. The distance is measured 850 mm back from the headstay. SHEETING ANGLE JIB The holes in deck for the jib barberhaulers shall be 120 mm behind the aft edge of the mast and the distance between them shall be 465 mm. WHISKER POLE HEIGHT The eyestrap holding a 100 mm long rope and a block for the whisker pole line shall be mounted 210 mm above the lower measurement band. Check that the line pulling the whisker pole to the boom is long enough to allow the whisker pole to come all the way up to the block. Sail Trim Observe that the trim given below is valid for “normal” sea conditions. In choppy sea controls shall be eased and in flat water tighter/flatter trimming is possible SAIL FAST AND POINT Most important for good speed and height upwind is to find the right balance through good trimming and concentrated steering. Right balance is equivalent to the right rudder pressure. You achieve this by trimming main and backstay and in stronger winds by pointing to reduce the pressure on the sailplane. I often sail with the jib slightly luffing. In flat water a stronger rudder pressure can be allowed as choppy seas require an almost neutral rudder to facilitate easy steering. The rudder easily turns into a brake. Start by sheeting your main to the proper mark then trim the backstay for right balance. If extra power is needed the jib may be trimmed fuller. MAINSAIL Sheeting In 3-5 m/s the mark on the main sheet is on 3. The top batten is then parallel to the boom and the top tell tail flies 60-70% of the time. This is the reference trim for the main and the starting point for the readings below. In very light wind the top tell tail shall be visible as much as possible. The top batten will then point leeward. This can be difficult to achieve with an older main which batten row may tend to fall in. The mark on the main sheet is in very light conditions above the scale and in 2 m/s on 2. 3-5 m/s is the reference wind. In 7-9 m/s breeze the mark shall be on 5 and in 10-12 m/s on 6. The whole leech shall always fill. If you have an old and soft mast the main may get overbend wrinkles from the clew to the mast when the backstay is pulled very hard. These can be reduced by tightening the cunningham. However, it is better to have a well balanced boat then a good looking main. Backstay The backstay is only used to stabilize the headstay in 0-2 m/s wind and is not even pulled to the first mark. In 3-5 m/s it will be trimmed between 1,25 and 1,75. In 6-8 it will be on 2-2,5 and it will be trimmed to 3,25 as a maximum when the wind increases above 10 m/s. If you manage to steer more into the wind without loosing speed less backstay tension is needed. Consequently, the backstay has to be pulled harder in choppy conditions as more active steering is required then. Cunningham Cunningham affects the camber position. In light winds the mast is relatively straight and therefore the main has enough draft forward without using cunningham tension. The camber position is moved backwards as soon as the backstay bends the mast and short horizontal wrinkles is seen at the luff. Pull Cunningham until the wrinkles disappear. Outhaul The outhaul is on 7-8 in 0-2 m/s and on 3 in 4-6 m/s. It is on 1 in stronger winds, which means that the clew is at the measurement band on the boom. JIB Marks are not used on the lines used for trimming the jib. Instead trim scales are in two places that give a well defined shape of the sail. That is at the spreader and at on the rail. The jib Cunningham is pulled harder when the wind increases. To avoid that the foot is resting too much on deck in strong winds and to make sure that there is no gap between deck and skirt in light winds the jib is hoisted to different heights. Sheet and barberhauler effects the shape of the jib in a way that it is often nessecary to adjust both at the same time. Spreader Reference The jib is sheeted to 5 units outside the spreader in 0-2 m/s and it is sheeted to 2-3 units outside in 3-5 m/s. It is then gradually opened to be 9-10 units outside in winds above 10 m/s. The main sails from North have a window allowing you to see the distance between the jib and the spreader having your head on the windward side of the sail. It is always better to sail with a too open jib than a too closed one, which can be very slow. Foot Camber The jib is sheeted 2 units outside the rail in 0-2 m/s wind (let us call that -2 units). The foot is sheeted to 3 in 3-6 m/s and in 7 m/s and above it is sheeted to 5. A fuller jib is needed in choppy conditions a flatter one is better on a flat sea. Jib Cunningham The jib Cunningham is always pulled just enough to remove the sag between the luff buttons. Headstay sag Hedstay sag is set by the backstay and is hard to control without changing the balance of the boat. However, a very flat jib (too little sag) is often an indication that the backstay should be eased. DOWNWIND TRIM Mast Rake The mast shall be pushed as much forward as possible downwind. Let the backstay out and pull the mastbend inducer to keep the mast forward. The headstay will be loos and allow the jib to be spinnaker like. When the apparent wind is 70 degrees from behind or more the backstay is tightened to give 10-15 cm sag. Mainsail The main shall have much draft and the chamber position should be close to the centre of the cord. This is achieved by letting cunningham and outhaul loose. The vang is adjusted such that the top batten is parallel to the boom. Let the boom out to 90 degrees with the wind from the stern. With a wind angle sheet such that the top tell tail flies but is slightly irritated. Jib The full length of the whisker pole shall be used and cunningham shall be loose to create clear bows between the luff buttons. Sailing angles In very light conditions a shy wind angle is necessary to make the jib fly. In other conditions angles between 0-20 degrees form a dead run give the same VMG and you can let tactical decisions decide the angle. If you have options chose the one closest to the mark. READ MORE

Congratulations on your purchase of North Interlake sails. We are confident that you will find superior speed over all conditions. Time has been spent to insure that not only are your sails fast, but also easy to trim. Please read the following guide, set up your boat to the numbers specified, and go racing! If you have any questions or problems, please don’t hesitate to give us a call. We are anxious to help you go faster and win races. BASIC RIG SETUP MAST BUTT PLACEMENT AT DECK Maximum forward – 6’4” (76”) from the stem to the forward edge of the mast. Remember that the measurement is from the imaginary intersection of the hull and deck. Do not include the rub rail. MAST RAKE Measure mast rake by hoisting a tape measure on the main halyard and latch it where the halyard would be at the top black band. Pull the tape back to the middle of the transom at the joint between the transom and the deck. The measurement at this point should be 25’3”. Keep in mind that you will measure your rake measurement when the rig is tensioned, whether it is by jib halyard tension or by tensioning the forestay itself RIG TENSION We have found that the Interlake performs best when the rig is set up fairly tight. There are several different methods Interlake sailors use to set up and tension their rigs when sailing. Some set the forestay very tight and adjust the halyard tension to set the cloth/luff tension. Some set the forestay only snug and then add more tension through adjustment to the jib halyard (which will make the forestay actually become slack as all the tension is taken on the luff wire in the jib) with a powerful block and tackle arrangement. In either case, ideally the tension will be tight enough that the leeward shroud would just become slack when sailing upwind in a 10 mph breeze. For those who like to check the rig tension more precisely with a Loos tension gauge, we suggest the tension be set so that the shrouds register around 250lbs In lighter breeze ( below 8mph) ideally the tension will fall between 200 and 250lbs. For breeze over 12 the proper tension will be increased to nearly 340lbs. CENTERBOARD ANGLE Your centerboard should never swing farther forward then straight down (leading edge vertical) or perpendicular to the hull when it is lowered to its maximum. If your board swings past vertical, tie a knot in the centerboard pennant to limit its travel. Some Interlake sailors have had success in heavier winds raising the board slightly in order to help maintain a balanced helm. JIB JIB LEAD PLACEMENT Your Interlake jib has a trim line drawn from the clew grommet towards the body of the sail. This line provides the most accurate check for your basic jib lead position (below12 mph winds). Your jib leads should be positioned so that the sheet is a direct extension of this trim line. This is more effective than a measure from the stem because of variations in jib lead fittings, deck styles and small rake differences. In heavy winds (above 12 mph), move the leads aft 1- 1 1/2 inches from the basic trim line position. JIB CLOTH TENSION Setting the cloth tension along the luff of your North jib properly is important in setting up the designed shape. Again there are several different methods used by Interlake sailors the cloth tension. The “adjustable luff” system means your boat is equipped with an adjustable jib tack/Cunningham. Shackle the luff wire to the bow plate and attach the jib cloth shackle to the grommet in the sail. The tension is usually adjustable back in the cockpit. The “furler luff” jib is fitted with a small clam cleat near the tack that allows the tension on the cloth to be adjusted independently of the luff wire tension. Like the adjustable luff jib, the halyard is attached to the luff wire at the head of the jib and usually tensions the rig. The “Burkhardt luff” system actually has two halyards, one for tensioning the rig (and attaches to the luff wire) and one for adjusting the cloth tension ( and attaches to the grommet in the cloth at the head). This system is used primarily with a jib furler. In all three systems, adjust the cloth tension just tight enough to barely leave the horizontal wrinkles along the luff that appear as “crows feet” at each snap. In winds above 10-12mph, tension the cloth so that the luff is just smooth and no wrinkles or crows feet are present. JIB SHEET Trim the jib sheet so that in “boat speed” conditions the middle batten is straight aft parallel with the centerline of the boat. In light wind and/or sloppy conditions, ease the jib sheet so the middle batten is angled outboard 10 degrees. Also in breezy conditions, ease the sheet for more twist in the leech. Only in medium winds and relatively flat water will the jib ever be trimmed so that the middle batten is just slightly hooked to windward and the top batten nearly straight back…and for only short periods of time. MAINSAIL TAPERED BATTENS Included with your new North mainsail are special tapered battens specifically chosen to perform best with your sail. When inserting the tapered batten, the thinnest end of the batten should be inserted first for the greatest flexibility on the inboard end. OUTHAUL Pull the outhaul tight enough to just induce a slight horizontal wrinkle along the foot. In heavy winds or when the boat is overpowered, tension the outhaul until you will notice a horizontal crease along the foot. Downwind, ease the outhaul only until the foot is smooth…never to the point of vertical wrinkles off the foot. CUNNINGHAM Your North mainsail is built with a maximum length luff. As a result, cunningham tension is used to tighten the luff of the mainsail and position the draft (maximum depth) properly ( nearly 45- 50% aft) in the sail. In light winds (less than 6 mph) there should be small wrinkles perpendicular to the luff all the way from the head to the tack. In medium winds there should be horizontal wrinkles only in the lower 1/3 to 1/4 on the mainsail. In heavier winds, tension the Cunningham until the luff is nearly smooth. MAIN SHEET TRIM The main should be trimmed so that the upper batten is parallel to the boom (sighted from under the boom looking up the sail). In lighter winds, or when sailing in a great deal of chop, it is helpful to ease the mainsheet slightly so the upper batten is angled out approximately 10-15º. In drifting conditions, when the boom is hanging on the leech and hooking the upper batten, set the upper batten parallel to centerline of the boat. Only in drifting conditions should the main be trimmed this way, as this will place the boom approximately 2′ (61 cm) off from centerline. In very heavy winds ( above 12mph), with the help of the boom vang, set the mainsheet tension so the upper batten is again angled outboard approximately 5º from parallel to the boom. It is important, in winds above 15 mph, to apply heavy boom vang tension so the mast and boom will bend correctly to sufficiently flatten the sail. It has been found that the boom may be deflected from the straight line nearly 3” in heavy breezes. This heavy boom vang tension will help make playing the main much easier, as the sheet will not have quite as much strain as it does in even moderate winds. Note: Make sure when rounding the windward mark that the boom vang is eased to your normal downwind trim so more strain is not applied to the mast and boom! BOOM VANG The boom vang is used downwind to keep the upper batten parallel to the boom. A sailcloth telltale is attached to your mainsail leech at the upper batten. This telltale is used to help determine the proper boom vang tension (and therefore mainsail twist) on reaches or runs. Too much or too little vang will stall this telltale and will indicate that vang adjustment is necessary. Note: We suggest not using this telltale to determine mainsheet trim upwind as proper trim upwind will result in the telltale showing a stall 50-75% of the time.) Upwind, as indicated above, the vang is used in heavy winds to help maintain the upper batten parallel to the boom. If the vang is properly adjusted, when the mainsheet is eased in a puff, the boom moves outboard laterally. When tensioned properly in bigger breeze, there will be as much as 3” of bend in the boom. TRAVELER The traveler is used to depower and balance the boat by easing the mainsail sideways in heavy winds. When heavy windward helm develops ( the boat wants to turn up into the wind) the traveler is eased to help keep the boat flat. The traveler bridle height should be 24” from deck level to the top of the block, or as high as possible to allow centering the boom in light winds while still allowing enough mainsheet tension to adjust the leech tension in moderate to heavy breezes. If your bridle height is adjustable, set the height at 28” in light winds and as low as 18-20” in very heavy winds. Be absolutely certain that the traveler height is set so that you will never run out of distance between the traveler blocks on the bridle and the mainsheet block (“two block”). Running out of mainsheet trim before the upper batten becomes parallel with the boom will greatly hinder your Interlake’s ability to point. SPINNAKER SPINNAKER TRIM Keep the two clews of the spinnaker even with the deck by adjusting your pole height with the topping lift. The halyard should be lowered so that the spinnaker flies 8 inches off the mast and away from the mainsail. Start with the spinnaker pole positioned perpendicular to the apparent wind direction as indicated by the masthead wind indicator. Try to always carry 6-12 inches of curl in your spinnaker luff. No curl means the spinnaker is over trimmed. The crew and the helmsman must work together closely when sailing in heavy winds with the chute. The crew must ease sometimes as much as 3 feet to allow the skipper to bear off in a puff to keep the boat flat. The skipper must always be prepared to ease the mainsail downwind to keep the boat flat and balance the helm. The only exception to keeping the boat flat is when sailing directly downwind. Under these conditions, balance the helm and allow the spinnaker to swing out behind the mainsail by heeling the boat to windward. Pull the centerboard up as far as possible; only leave enough board down to allow the boat to answer the helm without crabbing sideways or to prevent excessive rolling. If rolling occurs, lower the centerboard at least halfway IMMEDIATELY to prevent the infamous “death roll” to windward, and then pull it back up when the rolling ceases. OTHER IMPORTANT ITEMS WEIGHT We suggest sailing with a combined crew weight of 390-460 lbs. Keep the boat almost perfectly flat upwind (except in very light wind) and place the crew weight as far forward as possible. Keep the crew and skipper close together and line up directly behind the shroud when there is enough wind to have all three on the weather rail. The only exception is when sailing in waves where the crew all move back one foot to allow the bow to ride up and over waves more easily. STEERING Rapid tiller movement seems to slow the Interlake. Instead, slow, gradual movements are best when sailing upwind. Tacking is quickest when actually steered through slowly. Keep the boat moving. ROLLING THE SAILS Leave the battens in the mainsail. Start at the head of the sail and roll the sail parallel to the seams (which are parallel with the battens so they won’t get twisted). Put the luff end of the sail into the tube bag first. If the jib sheets remain attached, they can be left out of the tube to dry if they are wet. READ MORE

Knowledge is power. We see this in every sport throughout the world. Racing sailboats is much different from the other sporting events. Sailing requires tuning for different wind and water conditions. Many of these tuning adjustments are very small, yet critical. We have outlined tuning information for many different boats that we race on a regular basis. The measurements achieved have been tested through countless hours on the water in a variety of conditions. What is truly unique with this guide is the fact that we have simplified the tuning process for all of these classes in order to make the process easy for our customers. You will be able to achieve newfound speed in your class. These measurements coupled with the fastest one-design sails in the world will give you the knowledge for speed. In sailboat racing this is a combination for power and speed! North Sails will continue to bring you the very best in sailing service and technology. Our objective is to allow you to set the pace in your racing class. The Swept Spreader Rig The new swept spreader rig was developed to take A scow racing to the next level of simplicity and enjoyment. This new rig is deck stepped, making the rigging process for two people a fraction of what it was with the old rigs. The new rig is pre bent via the upper shrouds running through the spreader tips back to the base of the mast. This set up allows us to remove the permanent backstay and the ram as the mast bend can be fine tuned with the upper shrouds. This rig is more forgiving to use in regard to all aspects of rigging and sailing. This new rig allows the boat to accelerate in the puffs making the boat much easier to sail and in light air the mainsail shapes to the mast correctly, bringing the fleet closer together in terms of boat speed. Mast and Shroud Setup Untie the mast from the boat, place the mast rest pole in the boom rest socket. Attach the mast head fly to the top of the mast and retrieve any halyards that are pulled to the top and attach the running backstays into the mast, take care to go around upper shrouds properly so that when mast is flipped over tunnel down the running backs are properly lead. With a person at each end of the mast, flip the mast over so the tunnel is down, carry aft and latch in the base of the mast in the deck plate and rest the top of the mast in the mast support. Attach the Intermediates to the aft hole in the chainplate, make sure the spinnaker sheets are lead outside the chainplates when attaching the shrouds. Attach the Lowers to the forward hole in the chainplate. Tie the jib halyard feeder line onto the end of the jib halyard and pull jib halyard through deck and out the side of the back bone. Be careful not to lose feeder line inside back bone or the line will have to be relead through the pulleys. Pull the jib luff lines tight on both sides of the deck and insure that they are properly cleated, attach the block and tackle of the mast stepping pole to the jib luff, attach the forestay to the eyestrap on the other side of the mast stepping pole, place the mast stepping pole saddle over the base of the mast. Stand on the front side of the mast stepping pole purchase and with a person on each side of the boat holding on to an upper shroud to guide the mast and keep the mast centered on the way up, pull up the mast using the purchase system. Make sure that the mast stays centered on the way up so as not to damage the mast step. Make sure the spinnaker sheets are lead in front of the forestay and attach the forestay. Remove the mast stepping pole and stow away. Attach boom and finish rigging and running lines and taping all necessary fittings. Mast pre-bend The upper shrouds run through both spreader tips and back to the base of the mast. When the upper shrouds are tensioned, they pre-bend the mast. The all purpose setting for the pre-bend is 5”. This is found by running a string along the back of the tunnel and measuring at the midpoint of the spar. TUNING CHART Light Air 0-12 Medium Air 10-18 Heavy Air 18 + Mast rake 15” 16.5” 18”-19” Upper Shrouds pre-Bend Ease off 2 turns 4”-4.5” Pre-Bend Back up 2 turns to 5”-5.5” of Pre-Bend Standard spot 5”-5.5” of Pre-Bend Intermediates 180-200 lbs on Model A Loos gauge + 8 Full turns + 8 Full turns Lowers Set up so mast Has ½” sag + 6 Full turns + 6 Full turns Removing the pre-bend for storage The pre-bend should be taken out of the spar for winter storage. Mark the turnbuckles and spin off the turnbuckles or, if you have the levers, either release those with the mainsail up and trimmed in, or when the spar is down on horses and you have someone put their weight on the middle of the spar to bend and take pressure off the upper shrouds. Never remove the pin on the lever when the uppers are under load. Mast rake We now measure the mast rake from the deck up to the junction of the forestay pin along the forestay. The measurement range is between 15” and 19”, 15” being the max forward position in light air and 19” would be max aft in the big breeze. FINE TUNING MAST RAKE Light air The light air mast rake setting can be as far forward as 15”, especially if you are sailing with heavy crew weight. You may even want to experiment with the rake further forward if you sail heavy. Heavy air The mast should be raked aft so that the mainsheet pulleys trim close to “block to block”. This measurement should be around 19”, some fine tuning may be necessary to dial this in to the perfect rake. Basically, when you have big breeze and you have the running backstay cranked on hard, you will want to be able to trim out the mainsail and close up the top batten. If you are raked too far aft, the mainsail will stay twisted open too much. DOWNWIND When sailing downwind, the only adjustment we have to make in regard to the mast and the standing rigging is with the running backstays. You only want to snug up the backstays downwind to help support the mast and take some of the shock load off the chainplates in big waves and big puffs. Generally, you could sail downwind with no backstays on at all if you wish as the upper sidestays support the top of the mast and with the chainplates swept aft, you do not need the backstays to support the mast. It is recommended that in medium to heavy air you snug the windward runner to ease the load on the chainplate area, however, take care not to pull the runners too tight and invert the mast up high. It is a good idea to have a crewmember sight the mast bend and make sure there is not too much running backstay on. Jib Set Up The jibs should be set up so that they are low to the deck. The foot skirt should curl on the deck. In light air, the jib should be set up fairly full down low, and the luff should break evenly as you slowly head into the wind. As the wind builds you will want to gradually flatten the foot of the jib and twist open the upper leech, causing the jib luff to break sooner up high when luffing into the wind slightly. The upper leech should have a telltale on the top batten. This telltale should always be flowing. To find the correct trim, trim until the telltale stalls and then ease the sheet until it begins flowing— that would be maximum trim. Jib luff Just pull the wrinkles out in all conditions. Over tensioning the luff may over stretch the sail. Jib track The maximum inboard position would be even with inboard edge of cockpit. Ease outboard in medium/heavy wind to keep mainsail from “backwinding”. Set to the maximum outboard setting when reaching and running.   RUNNING BACKSTAY Light Air Keep soft to sag headstay and power up the jib, you can even tape forward along sidestays to get them out of the way if you wish. Medium Air Ease in lulls, pull hard in puffs to depower and flatten jib, and depower and twist open mainsail. Heavy Air Pull very hard to depower and flatten jib and mainsail. Mainsail Controls CUNNINGHAM Light Air None Medium Air Pull out wrinkles Heavy Air Pull hard to move draft forward and open leech   VANG Light Air Loose Medium Air Start to play the vang on in the puffs to bend the mast and depower the mainsail. Heavy Air Very firm to vang sheet in puffs and to flatten the mainsail.   OUTHAUL Light Air Ease in approximately ½” to ¾” from boom band to power up bottom of mainsail. Medium Air Pull to black band to flatten and depower. Heavy Air Pull to black band.   SHEET Light Air Twist top batten open, keep top leech telltale flowing as much as possible. Choppy conditions require more mainsail and jib twist with fullness down low. Medium Air Trim until top telltale stalls half of the time. Or sight back 1/3 of top batten parallel to boom. Again, more twist if the chop is big. Heavy Air Flatten and twist main, work sheet to keep the boat on her lines and driving.   TRAVELER Light Air Pull to windward of centerline approximately 8″-10″, this allows you to keep a loose mainsheet tension and allow the mainsail to twist open as much as possible up high. As the breeze builds and the crew starts to move towards the windward rail, ease the traveler down to center and trim the mainsail harder to remove twist. Medium Air Center and work down in puffs to keep boat on her lines. Heavy Air Work up and down in puffs. Maximum out is at rudder posts. Asymmetrical Spinnakers 0 – 6 knots Use the small VMG asymmetrical. Induce Maximum leeward heel. Take jib down if necessary. Over 6 knots Use the big one. Keep maximum heel, Use 2/3’s to max board board. Work the shifts. Work the puffs. If the breeze is up, everyone must hike, mainsheet in fairly tight and press the boat up to go as fast as possible all the time. Hoisting Asymmetricals Hoist halyard first, under main and keep sail under control to leeward. At the same time pull out bowsprit. When the kite is approximately ½ to 2/3 of the way up, pull out tack making sure that a crew member feeds the kite out of the bag keeping tension on the foot and the tack line to keep it up on the deck and out of the water, and fill chute. The helm should bear away during the hoisting process to not fill the kite too quickly, however, if it looks like the kite is going to go in the water and shrimp, the helm should head up to fill the kite and lift it out of the water. Heading up too high could cause a capsize. Gybing Asymmetricals There are two gybes that work best on the A scow, the Mexican gybe and the pre-gybe. Mexican Gybe The Mexican gybe works best when there is over 7 or 8 mph of breeze. To perform the Mexican gybe, the trimmer overtrims the kite as the boat bears away, strapping the foot tight as if to do a Mexican takedown. As the kite loads up on the new gybe, the trimmer blows the sheet off and the other trimmer overhauls the new sheet. Make sure that the sheets run free and that there are no sharp objects at the sidestays or the forestay. The helm will come through the first part of the turn fairly quickly to help load up the kite on the new gybe, the helm will hold the turn at the point where the kite loads up on the new side to give the kite a chance to fill, then freshens up to accelerate. Pre Gybe The pre gybe works best in light air when there is not enough pressure to load up the kite on a Mexican. On the pre gybe, the helm bears away to almost dead downwind, the trimmer starts to trim the kite around to the new side and at the same time the bow overhauls the new sheet at the shrouds to help the kite around. The helm waits until the clew is at the sidestay before gybing through the wind onto the new gybe. If done properly, the kite will come out filled and off you go. Asymmetrical Takedown Windward take down Head the boat straight down wind, start jibing spinnaker and overhaul windward sheet around until clew is near the mainsheet position. An early release on the tack line will help take the pressure out of the kite to pull it around faster. The jib trimmer must tend to the tack line to keep it from running out too far and going under the boat. The helm should steer under the kite to help blow it on the deck and a forward crew should control the foot to keep it out of the water. Leeward take down On a leeward takedown you must first throw the lazy spinnaker sheet foreward around the headstay into the water to blow it aft alongside the leeward side of the boat. A crew member grabs the lazy sheet pulling off the clew as far foreward as possible in the cockpit, right behind the shrouds. The helm bears away to take some load off, the tack is blown off and the clew is pulled in and down quickly under the boom. Pay attention to the upper leech of the mainsail as the kite will sometimes catch on the leech. Also, you must tend to the tack line to keep it from running out too far and getting tangled in the rudder or board. Mexican take down Approach the leeward mark on starboard tack approximately 1.5 boat lengths to windward of buoy. When just shy of port lay line gybe the boat and at the same time trim the chute tight on the port side, release the bow sprit and the tack line to allow the kite to be trimmed further aft behind the shrouds, and as the chute blows into the rig release the halyard and drop the chute on the deck. Keep control of the foot and sail to keep it out of the water, steer under sail, tail tack and halyard lines down. This is the most effective take down if done properly. In a Mexican, there is very little time in between the steps and the crew needs to practice the steps to get it down properly and quickly. Troubleshooting Too much windward helm Pull on max outhaul, then rake mast aft, then more running backstay, if that doesn’t do it then pull some board up. Can’t point Jib car might be too high, or jib is set-up too full down low. Rig may be too tight or mast rake too far aft or both. Mainsail may be set up too full. Leeward helm downwind Not enough board. Sail Care Your North Sails are constructed out of the best materials on the market today. We make sure of this by testing every roll of cloth we use. Through proper care and maintenance your sails will give you the performance you have come to expect from a North sail. The most important factor for a long life for your sails is to watch them for signs of wear and tear in high load and chafe areas. Be sure to wash the sails off with fresh water and dry the sails thoroughly before storing. A dry, mild climate is best. Excessive heart can cause problems with the sails due to the possibility of shrinkage. It is best to roll the mainsail and jib. Mainsail When hoisting and lowering the sail try to minimize the amount of creasing or wrinkling of the sail. Every time the sail gains a crease the cloth breaks down that much faster. Always have someone contain the leech and luff during these procedures. The battens can be left in the sail without any problems. Be sure to roll the sail parallel to the battens so that the battens will not twist. This could cause damage to the battens. Jib When rolling the jib keep the battens perpendicular to the leech. Pay special attention to the battens and batten pockets for wear and tear. Spinnaker The spinnaker is fairly straight forward. Be sure to repair all tears and pulled stitches. Folding the sail when storing is best. Always dry a spinnaker after every use. Do not hoist the spinnaker up the mast to flog it dry unless there is very little wind. The flogging breaks down the material much faster.   READ MORE

SETTING UP THE BOAT When buying a boat the important thing to look for is the condition of the hull. The brand is not that important as long as the hull and blades (leeboard and rudder) are in good shape. The bottom and blades should be free from all nicks and scratches. For masts there is little difference between the Proctor, LeFiel and Gold Finger spars. Again look for a mast that is free from dents and that is not bent permanently in any one direction. MAST RAKE Mast rake is a very important consideration in the Sabot. It determines how much helm the boat will have upwind and has a great deal to do with boat speed in general. To measure mast rake, tape a tape measure to the top of the mast and measure down to the top center of the transom. This measurement should be about 13’3 3/4″. There is no way to change the mast rake on the water. So you’ll have to come back to a dock and get someone to hold the mast for you while you change the setting. ** Remember these settings are only a starting point, the best way to find your perfect rake is to go sailing and to see what works best for your boat. A good reference point on the water while you are sailing is that when the sail is fully sheeted in the boom should be about 16 inches above the corner of the transom. A boat that has a problem pointing or holding a lane may have too much mast rake. On the other hand, a boat that points well but can’t go through the water may have too little mast rake. These measurements can be a matter of an inch or two. It’s always good to get the opinion of someone else or take a picture of you sailing to see for yourself. LEEBOARD POSITION The leeboard and rudder are important parts of your boat and taking care of them carefully should be your first concern. The best shape for either blade is very thin and as wide as possible below the waterline. The thickness of a well-shaped blade is 3/4″. A good way to get this is to try and get a hold of some templates and shape them skinnier than the slot and max in the mold. When sailing upwind rake the leeboard slightly forward until about 10 knots. I about 10 – 14 knots you will start to rake the board more straight up and down. If the breeze increases more and the boat still has a lot of helm you may need to rake the board just slightly aft. ** Remember upwind on starboard tack to sail the boat as flat as possible. It is OK on port tack to sail with a slight heel. SAIL TRIM UPWIND When sailing your Sabot always be aware of your mainsheet tension, as this is a gas pedal as well as a brake if you’re not too careful. When sailing upwind in light air (0-7 knots) be careful to not pull on the mainsheet so hard that it stalls your upper telltales and closes down the back of your sail. You will also have no downhaul or boomvang on. You will have a very powered up sail at this with the outhaul eased having about 6 inches between the boom and the sail. It is always better to err on the eased side of things when sailing in light air. As the breeze increases you will have to trim things a little harder. When sailing upwind in medium breezes (8-13 knots) trim your mainsheet so that you are just beginning to stall the top telltales about 30% of the time. You will be pulling on the downhaul just enough to get rid of the wrinkles and then easing it off again as to not have much tension on it at all. You will also have your outhaul a little tighter, as you will need to pull it to the point where you are just beginning to see a very small crease in the foot of the sail. As the breeze gets windier (13+ knots) you will have to start to pull everything a little harder. The outhaul will be pretty tight. The downhaul will be just tight enough to take all of the wrinkles out of the sail, and you will be sheeting pretty tight, but never past the corner of the boat. You may in the puffs be easing the mainsheet enough to get you on your feet again. When easing the mainsheet in a puff try to anticipate the puff and never ease more than 3-6 inches, anymore and the boat will stop going forward. You will also have your boom vang on just snug so that when you ease in the puff the leach of your sail doesn’t twist off too much. You want to try and maintain the same tension on the leach as you had while you were trimmed in. ** Marks or reference points on all of your control lines are a great idea!!! DOWNWIND When sailing the sabot downwind find a comfortable angle of heel so that you can concentrate on the BIG PICTURE around you and not weather your boat is going to flip over. When sailing downwind it is recommended that the leeboard be lifted out of the water, but only if you feel comfortable doing it. Be very aware that when the leeboard is out of the water this limits your maneuverability on the course. (i.e. heading up or gybing) When sailing downwind remember to ease all of your control lines off, as this will severely hamper your downwind speed. The vang should be pulled on just enough as to have a firm leech with the batten parallel or with a slight twist to it. Experiment with this and you will be able to tell the difference pretty quickly. Also downwind you should never let the boom out past 90 degrees. In more than 14 knots you may have the boom pulled in a little to help with the stability of the boat. Try to feel comfortable in the boat and do not use downwind as a time to rest as some of the biggest gains on the coarse can be made on the downwind legs. SUMMARY When sailing upwind be aware of how your body weight effects how the boat lies in the water, so that the bow is not digging and that the stern is not dragging. Because everyone weighs a little different this position may vary from person to person, but the general rule of thumb is to sit as close to the thwart as possible. Remember to always keep the boat driving forward, especially in chop. In flat water if you can sail the boat a little higher, but not to give up any speed on your competitors try to, this can be a huge weapon. Remember that a happy medium is the best way to sail your boat. Try these settings, practice and go sailing. If you find something that works a little better for you or have any questions about the Sabot in general please contact our Sabot experts at North Sails San Diego. Good luck with your new T-5/T-6 and sail fast!   UPWIND LIGHT (0-7 knots) MEDIUM (8-13 knots) HEAVY (14+ knots) OUTHAUL 6 inches from boom 4 inches, just showing creases in foot 2 inches, tight always showing crease in foot DOWNHAUL None 1/2 of the wrinkles out No wrinkles MAINSHEET All telltales flowing Top telltales just stalling 30% All top telltales flowing LEEBOARD Raked slightly forward Straight If too much helm rake slightly aft VANG None None Just snug, maybe vang sheeting DOWNWIND LIGHT (0-7 knots) MEDIUM (8-13 knots) HEAVY (14+ knots) OUTHAUL Eased 10-8 inches from the boom 6 inches from the boom DOWNHAUL None None None MAINSHEET Eased to 90 degrees Eased to 90 degrees Pulled in to 80 degrees LEEBOARD Pulled up Pulled up Pulled up VANG Top batten just twisting off Tight, top batten parallel Tighter, top batten parallel Rev R05 Rev R05 READ MORE

Congratulations on your purchase of North Day Sailer sails. We are confidant you will find superior speed over all conditions.Time has been spent to insure that your sails are not only fast, but also easy to handle and trim. The following measurements are those we have found to be the fastest setting for your new North sails. However, we urge you to experiment because you may find slightly different setting will mean even better boat speed for you and your particular boat. If you have any questions or problems, please don’t hesitate to call. We are always anxious to help you go faster and win races. MAKE RAKE AND SHROUD TENSIONTo measure the aft rake of your mast, hoist a tape measure on your main halyard and hold it tight at the intersection of the transom and rear deck. This measurement, without your jib up and your rig set “snug” (no play in any shroud or forestay), should be 24 11” to 25’ 1”. Then hoist your jib and pull the rig forward through either a magic box, a block and tackle, or using the forestay (as a bow and arrow effect) until you achieve a 25’1” to 25’2” measurement at the transom. With this rig tension (approximately 150 lbs on the shrouds) the leeward shroud should not go slack until the wind velocity is approximately 10 mph. This may require more rig tension than you are used to carrying, but this tension is important in keeping the jib luff sag down to a minimum for maximum speed and pointing capability. National Champ Dave Keran sets his rig tension very tight solely with the forestay tension. His rake is set at 25’1” with the forestay tensioned to 200-210 lbs. The shrouds will be accordingly 300-320 lbs. They do not use the jib halyard to tension the rig at all…in fact it is used only to tension the cloth on the luff of the jib. The rake and rig tension are set and not altered at any time….making for a very simple, yet effective tuning setup. MAST STEP AND SPREADER TUNEAfter the mast is setup at the proper rake and rig tension there should approximately 1” of positive prebend in the mast. This can be sighted by holding the main halyard at the gooseneck and determining the distance between the halyard and the back of the mast at the spreaders. When sailing upwind in a 10 to 12 mph breeze you should see just a hint of diagonal overbend wrinkles in your main which will appear below the spreaders and aim back towards the clew of the main. These overbend wrinkles are important to show us that the mast bend/mainsail shape is matched together perfectly. These wrinkles are just an indicator and should barely show in these conditions. In heavier winds, above 15 mph, the diagonal wrinkles should be more definite. In winds above 20 mph, the wrinkles should be definite enough to give them the name “speed wrinkles.” To achieve this type of mast bend, careful adjustment to the mast step and spreaders is necessary. Mast bend can be divided up into three sections with each being separately adjusted. The top section or the one above the hounds (where the shrouds and forestay attach to the mast) is solely dependent on the relative bendiness of the mast and is really not capable of being adjusted. Some masts are bendier up top while other masts are stiffer. Your North main will readily adapt to either mast bend through controlled cloth stretch. The mast bend in the middle third is controlled through spreader length and sweep. Spreader length is adjusted to side bend of the mast and it is important to check the relative sideways straightness when sailing upwind in an 8 mph breeze. Simply look up the luff tunnel of the mast along the luff of the main facing forward. If the mast is bending to leeward at the spreaders, your spreaders should be shorter. If the mast is bowing to windward, the spreaders should be longer. Ideally, we want to see a perfectly straight mast from side to side or a very slight amount of bend to weather. We suggest cutting your spreaders off no more than ½” at the time because it really doesn’t take much to make a major change in mast bend. As a rough starting point, many Day Sailer masts setup with 21 ½” spreaders. The spreader sweep fore and aft adjusts fore and aft mast bend. If your main is too flat in light winds (even showing overbend wrinkles above the spreaders) cock your spreaders slightly farther forward. You can tape battens, pennies, etc., under the back edge of the spreader so they will be held farther forward. Adjust the sweep forward so that overbend wrinkles are just barely visible above the spreaders when sailing upwind in a 10 mph breeze. If the spreaders are too far forward ( the tips too far apart), the leech of the mainsail will hook to windward and the mainsail will be too deep. The lower third of the mast bend is controlled by moving the bottom of the mast forward or aft on the keelson. By moving the bottom of the mast forward, the lower third of the mast will be stiffer. By moving the bottom of the mast aft, the lower third of the mast will be bendier. Again, after setting up your rake and spreaders, you can adjust the lower third of your mast bend so that these overbend wrinkles are just evident in the 8 to 10 mph breezes. As a base starting point we’d suggest setting the butt of the mast 11’1/2” measuring from the inside of the transom forward to the aft face of the mast along the floor of the boat. We can offer another guide that may help you position your spreaders very close initially. Pull your spinnaker halyard down to the chainplate to help determine the proper spreader “poke” and “cant”. Feed it around behind the spreader. Pull the halyard very tight and is just touching the chainplate where the shroud attaches. There will be a gap between the halyard and the spreader at this point of approximately ½”. The spreader should extend out past the taut spinnaker halyard approximately 3 ½”. While these numbers are not the perfect answer for every boat they should help you get close initially. Shaping your mainsail correctly through mastbend is important for excellent upwind performance. We realize that this is sometimes difficult to achieve due to the different mast sections, shroud placements, etc. in the Day Sailer class. Therefore, we urge you to consult us so that we may help you out with the correct mastbend control. Overbend wrinkles in the lower section of the main are a good indication of proper prebend and mast bend setup. MAINSHEET TRIM The mainsail should be trimmed so that the upper batten is parallel to the boom (sighted from under the boom, looking up the sail.) In lighter winds or when sailing in a great deal of chop where power is needed, it is helpful to ease the mainsheet so that the upper batten is angled outboard from parallel to the boom approximately 5 degrees. In drifting conditions when the boom is hanging on the leech of the main and hooking the upper batten, it is best to set the upper batten parallel to the centerline of the boat. Only in drifting conditions should you trim the mainsail this way, as this will place the boom approximately two feet off the centerline of the boat. In very heavy winds and with the help of pulling on the boomvang, set the mainsheet tension so that the upper batten is again angled outboard approximately 5 degrees from parallel to the boom. It is important in winds above 15 mph to apply some tension so that the mast will bend correctly to sufficiently flatten out the sail for these conditions. The mainsail is very important in helping steer the Day Sailer upwind. The skipper should always hold his mainsheet and be ready to ease it out quickly when he feels an increase in his weather helm (i.e. load on the helm acts as a brake.) When the boat is tracking well and the helm is balanced, the skipper should slowly trim the mainsail back in.CUNNINGHAM AND JIB CLOTH TENSIONPull the Cunningham on your main and the jib cloth tension just tight enough to barely remove horizontal wrinkles. It is best to leave just a hint of horizontal wrinkles on the mainsail and slight “crow’s feet” off the snaps of your jib so that you know the luff tension on both sails is not too tight. OUTHAULPull the outhaul so that the bolt rope on the foot is just standing up straight in all conditions except in very heavy winds when overpowered. In these conditions pull the outhaul nearly to the band. Ease the outhaul 2” to 3” when sailing downwind. BOOMVANGDownwind trim the vang hard enough to keep the boom and the leech supported on the mainsail. Use the guide of setting the upper batten parallel to the boom. When the boomvang is trimmed correctly, the telltale should fly straight off the leech at the upper batten. We feel that in the Day Sailer class there is a tendency for the boomvang to be pulled too hard when sailing downwind. This will over tighten the leech up top and due to the side bend of the mast, over flatten the mainsail. As mentioned earlier, upwind in heavy air the boomvang is set hard enough to resist upward movement of the boom to adjust the upper batten to ease no more than 5 to 10 degrees past parallel to the boom. The mainsheet, in these conditions simply acts as a traveler and allows the boom to move mostly sideways and outbound. JIB TRIMTrim the jib sheet so that upper leech of the jib is angled outboard about approximately 10 degrees in most conditions. In very flat water and medium winds you may be able to trim the sheet slightly tighter. In light lumpy conditions trim the sheet looser so the middle of the leech is slightly open as well. JIB LEADSet your jib fore and aft so that the tell- tales break nearly even from top to the bottom on the jib as you luff the boat slowly into the wind. If the upper telltale breaks first, move the jib lead slightly aft. If you were to err one way or the other, you should make the top of the jib break slightly ahead of the bottom. A good starting point is set the lead jib block 9’3 ½” aft from the jib luff wire measured around the cuddy. In heavy winds, it is helpful to move the lead aft 2” to 3” so that the top of the jib does break early flattening out the upper section of the jib and therefore helping to de-power the boat. Most Day Sailer skippers have fitted their boats with inhaul lines to help pull the jib leads inboard for proper upwind performance. These lines, added to the top of the cutty, will pull the jib sheet inboard to a point where the sheet if extended would cross the cutty 16” from the centerline. This is not the sheave position on the block, but where the sheet would strike the fiberglass if extended on. In breezy conditions we suggest moving your leads outboard (and aft) 1-1 ½”. If very light, and especially choppy conditions move your lead outboard 2” to 18” off centerline. Be sure to ease the sheet in these conditions. Dave Keran, Day Sailer National Champion, describes his method and set-up of using his inhaulers below. Thanks Dave!! “The barberhaulers exit from through-deck bullseyes on the vertical face on the aft end of the cuddy. The exits are about 8” from centerline and lines cross to the other side of the boat from where they exit. We sail with the barberhauler block positioning the jibsheet 12” off centerline which means the block is 20” from the bullseye. I believe that the position of the bullseye (both fore and aft and laterally) and the length of the barberhauler line are important in getting the right trim on the jib. If the lines exit forward, on the top of the cuddy, they cause the jib to cup into the main when closehauled and the shape becomes less than optimal. Secondly if jib is pulled down to the cuddy either by a short line or to a track with a block I think the leach gets too tight. By allowing the barberhauler block to float I feel the jib is properly tensioned on the leach and the foot.” SPINNAKER TRIM Sail your Day Sailer spinnaker with a 6” to 12” curl in the luff. Careful concentration is necessary. Use short 2” eases and trims on the sheet to keep the spinnaker trimmed correctly. Keep the clews even at all times through adjustments to your topping lift. In some conditions, it is sometimes difficult to see the leeward clew behind the mainsail so you can use another guide where you adjust your pole height to keep center vertical seem parallel to the mast. We wish you good luck and fast sailing! Don’t hesitate to give us a call if you have any questions or problems. READ MORE

Pre Race Preparation THE IMPORTANCE OF THE PROPER TUNING The Shields is one of the most successful, classic design keelboats in the world. However the same classic, elegant looks that make people notice the boat are also some of the reasons it is one of the more difficult boats to prepare to race. The class limitations allow for very strict one design conformance, which make tuning and sail design extremely important for performance and longevity. The fact that class rules allow only one sail acquisition per calendar year added to the fact that the three sails that are carried while racing must go through wind ranges of 0-30 knots are very large obstacles that we all must face while racing the Shields. We need our sails to be very flat in heavy air yet full and powerful in the light stuff. Through some simple adjustments to the headstay and trim we are able to make the Shields perform through all conditions. HULL PREPARATION We all know a smooth, fair bottom makes any boat go faster and a Shields is no exception. We recommend that the bottom be faired (see rule 4.4) and properly finished with a racing bottom paint before launching at the beginning of the season. Be certain to check with the Chief Measurer before any major or professional work is done to your hull. During the season it pays to have the bottom cleaned at least once a week and preferably two or more times during the active marine growth period of your region. RIGGING The simpler your control lines work the easier it is to sail a Shields fast. There are many ways to set up your controls but we have found the following to be among the most important: Gooseneck – The fixed gooseneck is available through many sources including Cape Cod Shipbuilding. This is an easy to install item that all but eliminates the possibility of gooseneck failure. When installing make certain that the fitting conforms to Rule 5.10. Cunningham – A purchase of 4:1 is suitable for all adjustments to mainsail luff. Make certain that the Cunningham is easily accessible from either rail and will not bind up when used. Vang – The maximum purchase of 8:1 is required to get sufficient tension on the mainsail leech when running in heavy air. A cascading 8:1 purchase is best is the best vang purchase. This purchase system allows for ease of cleating and most important provides the power for reaching. easing must be considered. When installing or updating your current system consider whether the system used provides for the easy ease of the vang. Backstay – An 8:1 purchase led to a cleating system that exits amidships where the skipper sits is a must for changing gears in the Shields. Having the backstay led side to side allows for quick adjustment to mast bend and headstay tension, which is most critical in sailing fast through wide wind ranges. Traveler – The traveler is perhaps the most important control of all. The traveler must be led to the midship position across from the skipper so that the skipper or the main trimmer can quickly and easily make the adjustments. An 4:1 or 5:1purchase is recomended. It needs to be set up so that it can be played, cleated and uncleated while sitting on the weather rail. Twing Lines – Spinnaker twings are very inexpensive to install and make controlling jibes much simpler. We use Harken 146 bullet blocks snapped onto the twing line with a stainless steel snap hook so that the twing block can be removed in light air. RIG TUNING Before stepping mast Before stepping your mast the following procedures need to be followed: Make certain your mast has the black band on it at the proper position at the gooseneck as defined by rule 5.8 (2’ 5” above the deck). Run your backstay down the aft face of the mast and make a mark (use nail polish or similar) 11” up from the bottom of your mast. If your backstay is too short you will need to add length. If too long, it will need to be shortened. Please consult a local rigger for the best way to do this. This mark will be referred to as “Backstay Datum” mark for the rest of this guide. Run your forestay down the front face of the mast and make a mark on it at the top of the black band at the gooseneck. This mark we will call the “Forestay Datum” A backstay guide needs to be installed on the back deck to measure the amount of backstay that is pulled on at any one moment. We use an old batten mounted on an angle bracket with 1” marks for a length of about 12”. After stepping mast Using the “Forestay Datum” adjustthe headstay so the mark is 47” from the point where the headstay meets the deck. This is your standard rake position. Typically, at least one Merriman 3 1/8” toggle is needed. The Merriman part number is 5770-312 for bronze and 5770- 412 for chrome. Prices should be around $20 to 23 each. Put chocks and/or blocks in the mast partners so that the mast is pushed as far back in the partners as possible and it will not move. Attach the upper and lower shrouds and check to be certain that the spreaders are bisecting the shroud angle. This should put the spreaders at an angle about 2” to 3” above perpendicular to the mast. Tension the upper shrouds to 800 pounds using a “Loos” tension gauge. Check that the mast is centered in the boat by taking the jib halyard and checking for mast tilt side to side at the clevis pins. Tension the lower shrouds to 300 pounds. Sight up the aft face of the mast to be certain that the mast is straight throughout its overall height. HEADSTAY ADJUSTMENTS All active Shields racers have, at one time or another, seen the foredeck crew of a competitors boat on the bow adjusting his/ her headstay length. The following table (Headstay length table, The table above indicates headstay length adjustments for three typical wind conditions. When adjusting your headstay length please be certain to take caution in hazardous conditions. We have found that having the headstay not at the exact proper length is still faster than having a crew fall over-board. Also, carry extra clevis pin “ring dings” on the boat for the ones that may (read: will) fall overboard during some adjustment. The table indicates target numbers to use as a guide to get going. You may find that your particular boat and sailing style may deviate from these recommendations. Trying different adjustments may help you find the edge you are looking for to win the fleet championship or Nationals. Keep experimenting, but use these numbers to get you in the game. HEADSTAY LENGTH WIND SPEED NOTES 47”(Standard) 8-20 MPH This setting should be used as the all-around setting. It is the best setting for all-purpose conditions. 47 3/4”(Light air) 0-10 MPH Light air, drifting conditions when maximum power is needed. This setting helps get the mainsail flat while increasing headstay sag to help power up the jib while increasing pointing ability. 46”(Heavy air) 19+ MPH Shortening your headstay here allows you to pull on enough backstay to get the forestay very straight while allowing the mast to bend and not over flatten and invert your mainsail. The straighter the headstay in heavy air the faster you will go. Pull the backstay on HARD when the breeze is up! HOW TO GET THE PROPER HEADSTAY LENGTH Ched Proctor’s method No sails hoisted, no jib on the headstay. Upper and lower shrouds set as described in the tuning guide Apply backstay tension until the headsty is just not slack Put a PT2 Loos gauge on the headstay at Shoulder height Adjust the backstay until the gauge registers 7 Check the bend in the mast. For Light air set up should be 3” to 3-1/2” For Heavy air set up should be 1” to 1 1/2” To use a pre bend gauge: tie the spinnaker halyard to the gauge. put a line on the bottom loop to pull it back down Lead it around behind the upper shrouds to allow hoisting the pre bend gauge in the sail groove. hoist it to approx 3′  above the spreaders pull the main halyard taught and hold it against the back side of the mast at the top of the gooseneck read the bend amount where the halyard passes the gauge Sail Trim Learning the set up and trim of your North Shields sails takes only a few minutes of practice time. The following notes will help you determine what to look for to get optimum trim and speed out of your Shields sails. MAINSAIL SETTINGS The three key adjustments for the mainsail are the mainsheet, backstay and traveler. The outhaul, Cunningham and vang help set sail shape and twist. Mainsheet – When trimming the mainsheet we use, as a trimming guide, the aft 12” of the top batten. For most conditions we will get this section parallel to the boom. In light to moderate air and flat water we will trim it so that it is 2 or 3 degrees closed. If the boat stalls or begins to slow down, ease the sheet to get it going again. In heavy air the top batten will be open 10 to 12 degrees. Traveler – We use the traveler very aggressively on the Shields to balance the helm and actually help steer the boat. Under 10 knots of breeze, after adjusting the mainsheet, pull the traveler so that the boom is within 6” of the centerline of the boat. Over 10 knots ease the traveler up and down to balance the helm. Try not to allow the traveler to go all the way down in any condition as this will make steering the boat and keeping it tracking very difficult. Generally the traveler will not fall below the cockpit coaming. Backstay – The backstay’s main use is to tension the headstay. In light air you should be able to adjust the backstay so that the draft is in the middle of the mainsail while the jib does not get too flat. Your mast should have about 1/2” of bend and the headstay should still sag about 6 (Headstay length table). If the headstay is not long enough, pulling on any backstay will over flatten the jib and this is very slow. If the mainsail looks circular and the jib looks round in the front then you have achieved the proper light air. Headstay – As the breeze comes on, and it is over 10 knots, you should set your headstay shorter. This will allow you to pull hard on the backstay and straighten the forestay to keep the jib flat. In breezy conditions (16 knots +) you should have the backstay pulled on so that the headstay has no movement or bounce in it. If the mainsail develops overbend wrinkles (wrinkles from the clew radiating out towards the luff of the sail then your headstay will need to be shortened to achieve this look. Once you have these measurements on your boat and know where to set your headstay and how hard to pull the backstay (use the gauge that you have installed on your back deck with the 1” increments) to document and duplicate the settings for future use. Outhaul – The outhaul is set so that in light to medium winds the clew is 1 1/2” from the back band and in heavy air the clew is 1/2” to 3/4” from the band. The band position is measured from the aft side of the mast to the end of the boom and should measure 13’ 3 5/8”. Cunningham – The Cunningham we leave slack until over 10 knots of wind. Above this we tension the Cunningham to remove wrinkles and keep the draft forward on the mainsail. It is important to note that while there is no band measurement at the top of the mast, the top of the boom cannot be closer than 2’ 5” to the deck,at the black band. If you do not have a fixed gooseneck at 2’ 5” make certain that you slide the boom down to that point after hoisting the mainsail and pull the Cunningham on to that point to keep the boom from riding up the track of the mast. Vang – The vang should have an 8:1 purchase to make adjusting it as easy as possible. Set the vang so that downwind the top batten is parallel to boom. In very heavy air downwind pull the vang on very hard to help limit the amount of rolling. If you do broach while going downwind, blow the vang to help relieve load at the top of the mast and get the boat upright again. JIB SETTINGS The three adjustments on the jib are sheet, lead and halyard. Jib Sheets – We use 1:1 jib sheets because they are faster on the tacks and they don’t easily foul. Sheet to the inboard fore and aft track only. Jib Leads – In light to medium wind put the lead at the “T” where the side to side tracks intersect the fore and aft track. In heavy air you may decide to move the leads back one hole. At the tack of the jib use a long shackle to get the tack 4” off the deck. To be certain that your lead position is correct view the foot of the jib where it hits the deck. The foot skirt should lie about 6” to 7” in from the hand rail that is on the deck (not the toe rail that is at the edge). Jib Sheet Tension – To judge sheet tension use the middle batten of the jib. This should be parallel to the centerline of the boat. For light to medium conditions this will put the leech of the jib about 4” inside the spreader tip. In heavy air the batten will be twisted open about 5 to 10 degrees from the centerline. Jib Halyard – The jib halyard should be set loose enough in all conditions so that there are just a hint of wrinkles coming off of the hanks. As the sail ages (1 season or older) the halyard should be pulled so that all the wrinkles are removed. Sail Care Your North Sails are constructed out of the best materials available on the market today. Before we made your sails we tested many different fabrics from the best suppliers in the world. MAINSAILIt is not necessary to remove the battens from the main when storing it. Be certain to roll the sail up parallel to the battens to avoid putting a permanent twist in them. Watch the mainsail for signs of wear on the batten pockets and where the sail hits the shrouds. Wash the sail off with fresh water when it gets salty and dry thoroughly before storing. When lowering the mainsail have a crew member at the luff and leech and pull back on the leech to help keep the sail from folding in on itself. JIBWhen rolling the jib keep the battens parallel to the leech. Check the battens and batten pockets for signs of wear and chafe. Avoid stepping on the sail when lowered for downwind sailing. Attempt to pull back on the leech when lowering the jib. Wash the jib off with fresh water when salty and dry thoroughly before storing. SPINNAKERTo prolong the life of your spinnaker always store it dry and clean. Rinse with fresh water when it gets salty and dry before storing. Fold your spinnaker to store it if possible Shields Racing Clinics This tuning guide just begins to cover all there is to know about sailing and racing the Shields. The North Shields Team is prepared to give in depth Shields Racing Clinics if your fleet is interested in learning more. In the course of a weekend you will learn more about Shields racing than you could learn in a season of racing. Please call us for more details. At North Sails we are constantly striving to make our products better. If you have any comments on this tuning guide and how we may be able to improve it we would love to hear from you. Please give us a call or drop us a line. READ MORE

North Sails has been sailing J/80s since they were first introduced. Our commitment to the class and to its sailors sets us apart from any other company in the sailing industry. Welcome to the North Sails Program, the relationship we are about to build is of utmost importance to us. We look forward to working with you. The measurements and the settings included in this book are one that we have found to be the fastest the J/80 designs available from North. Since crew, wind and sailing conditions vary, you may find slightly different settings are better for you. BOAT PREPARATION MAST RAKE Mast rake is very critical in getting the best all around performance from your J/80. Because of differences in the measurement from the black band to the main sail halyard sheave box, combined with slight differences in the total length of the spars, we have determined that rake must be measured at base rig shroud tension, also making sure the backstay is fully eased. Adjust the back stay turn buckles so that blocks are hanging approximately 12” below the top of the bridal. STEP-BY-STEP: Set your mast but so the aft side of the mast step is 7.75” from the bulkhead. This is only a mast step starting point and most likely will have to be adjusted later in this rig set up procedure. Attach tape measure to main halyard and raise to top of mast. Measure down to top of black band at boom goose neck and adjust halyard so tape measure reads 30’ at that point and cleat. Again, this measurement needs to be exactly 30’ to top of black band at the goose neck. Swing the tape measure out to the stern and rap the tape around the stern next to the tiller. Measure to the center of the tiller cut on the very aft part of the boat hull. Where the tape measure first hits fiberglass at the aft center of the tiller cut out should read 37’ 2 3/4”. Remember that every time you move your mast but location to achieve your correct 3.5”to 3.75” of prebend your rake number and shroud tension will change. It will take some going back and forth to achieve perfect prebend and rake together, but the payoff can be big gains up the beat. FINAL MAST BUTT POSITION & PREBEND SETTING Once your headstay is set for the correct mast rake it is now time to adjust your mast but position for the 3.5” to 3.75“ pre bend which best suites your J/80 main sail for a wide range of conditions. We have found that its best to aim for the 3.75” prebend number in flat water venues and the 3.5” prebend number in windier , choppier venues. We have also found that moving your mast but forward .5” from your standard spot in winds over 20 knots can be very fast , especially in big wave conditions when a eased main sheet ,bow down mode is required to go fast upwind. Moving the mast but forward in big breeze also allows you to sail with more headstay tension for a given amount of back stay and shroud tension which in tern helps transform the jib into more of a flatter draft forward heavy air shape. Make sure your spar is in the standard factory position, well chocked side to side and for and aft so the spar can’t move at the deck. Position the aft side of the mast step 7 3/4” from the bulkhead but remember that this is only a starting point and you will most likely have to adjust from there to acquire your desired prebend. Due to inconsistencies in bulkhead placement and mast placement at the deck, there is no way to give you the exact placement from the bulkhead for you to achieve your exact desired prebend. To check to see if the 7 3/4” position is giving you the correct pre-bend: Attach the main halyard to the goose neck as close to the back of the spar as possible and tension the halyard hard. Hoist someone with a tape measure up the mast on the jib halyard and have them stand on the bottom spreader , taking there weight off the halyard. Another way to measure brebend is to put a ladder up on the front of the mast and have some one climb up to the the first spreader and measure maximum prebend from the ladder. While some one is standing on the deck ,pushing the main halyard against the back of the mast just above the goose neck, have the person up the mast measure the maximum distance from the back of the spar to the closest part or forward edge of the main halyard. Again, the maximum distance or prebend should be a couple of feet above the bottom spreader. Have the person up the mast move the tape measure up and down in that area to determine max pre-bend. This pre-bend measurement should be between 3.5” and 3.75”.If your pre-bend is less, then move your mast back to increase pre-bend and if your pre-bend is more, then move your butt forward to reduce pre-bend. Pre-bend is very critical in allowing your mainsail to react correctly with back stay adjustments along with the correct slot between luff of the main and the leech of the jib. TAKE THE TIME TO ADJUST YOUR MAST BUTT FOR THE REQUIRED 3.5” to 3.75” PREBEND FOR MAXIMUM PERFORMANCE WITH YOUR NORTH SAILS! Once your mast but is in the correct position, scribe a permanent line on the beam that the butt sits on so you will never have to go through this process again. CENTERING THE SPAR Measure back from the stem fitting 9’ 7” to each rail and mark with permanent marker. Attach a tape measure to the jib halyard and raise a couple of feet. Measure to each side and adjust the uppers so the measurement is the same on both sides. SHROUD TENSIONS Once the mast is centered, tighten the uppers so that they read 28 on your Loose tension gauge. Tighten the intermediates so they read 12 on the Loose gauge. Sight the rig by looking up the mast track and adjust the intermediates in 1/4” increments so the rig is straight. If you tighten one side a 1/4 turn,ease the other side a 1/4 turn, to insure you keep the same approximate tension on each intermediate. Tighten the lowers to 5 on the Loose gauge. Again, repeat step 3 until the spar is straight side to side. NOTE: If you find that it requires much more lower or intermediate tension on one side than the other to keep the spar in column, then the mast may need to be re chalked from side to side at the deck. If not corrected, you will be sailing with different head-stay sag from tack to tack, which will make it impossible to duplicate jib lead position and jib sheet tensions from tack to tack.image Your rig is now tuned for base setting 6-10 knots. We recommend leaving dock at base setting and adjusting from that point up and down for different wind strengths. We also advise that you buy some measuring calipers and measure your turn buckle distance at base so you can always get back to base setting on the water. NOTE: Remember to adjust your backstay turnbuckles with your shroud turnbuckles. As your shrouds are tightened , your backstay will become to loose and won’t have the throw you need to tension properly if the turnbuckles aren’t adjusted with the shrouds. This also is true when easing your shroud tension. When easing your shrouds for lighter conditions , remember to also ease your backstay turnbuckles to achieve proper headstay sag. TIP#1 Learning to fine tune your intermediates and lowers by sighting your rig sailing upwind can pay big dividends on the beat. Always follow the tuning guide for upper adjustment, but learn to adjust your lowers and intermediates to always keep your mast perfectly in column while sailing to windward. We have found that the J 80 sails faster upwind , under 10 knots with a 1/2” to 3/4” of smooth leeward mast sag. The tuning matrix numbers will get you close to the correct side to side mast sag, but sighting up the rigs mast track while sails are trimmed correctly and weight placement is correct will tell you if small adjustments are needed for perfect tune. TIP#2 Quick rig tune check is to make sure your lowers and intermediates are snug on the leeward side when sailing over ten knots. As the breeze increases to over 15 knots, your lowers and intermediates should be tighter than snug. This quick check can’t be used with the uppers on a J80 because the shroud bases are very close together. The uppers on the leeward side should always be much tighter than snug to assure your spar is in column at the hounds. The information put forth in this updated tuning guide is a combination of rig settings developed by multiple North American and World Champion Max Skelley, combined with information learned and tested in extensive two boat sail testing. J/80 TUNING MATRIX Using the Loos Gauge B WIND SPEED 0-5 knots 6-10 knots 11-15 knots 16-20 knots 20+ knots UPPERS 27 28 30 32 34 LOWERS Slack 5 15 22 26 INTERMEDIATES 5 12 15 22 24   NOTE:The thread size of your turnbuckles will determine the amount of turns it will take to get from one setting to another. We recommend making a chart with the amount of turns so that you can change settings easily on the water between races. SAIL CARE Always store your sails away from the sun and make sure they are clean and completely dry. Be sure that you always “roll “your upwind sails. This will help then last longer and remain wrinkle free. READ MORE

MAST SETUP (RIG DOWN) Before we put the rig up in the boat there are a few things that need to be looked at.  First we want to check to see that the mast is straight fore and aft and also sideways. Small bends can be fixed.  If you have large bends or kinks you should contact your mast supplier for their advice. Next check the intermediates and adjust if necessary.  To do this pull the upper shroud down the front of the mast and make a mark on the mast at the bearing point of the shroud (this is the inside bottom of the loop on the shroud).  This should be done on the opposite shroud also.  After both uppers are marked pull the intermediates down the front of the mast and mark as you did for the uppers.  Measure the difference between these marks.  You should have a measurement of between 73 (2 ⅞”) and 76 mm (3”).  Tighter measurement here is better in heavier air or for lighter teams, longer measurements develops more power for lighter air. Most boats now have a long, continuous headstay.  Lay the headstay along the front of the mast and put a mark where it intersects the top of the lower black band by the gooseneck.  This will be used later to set the rake measurement. The next thing you need to do is to set the spreader sweep and square the spreaders to the mast butt.  Do this with the mast track down and the spreaders swept back in the upwind position.  Take a thin piece of shock cord and tie it to each shroud right below the spreaders.  This piece of shock cord should be stretched tight to make a straight line from shroud to shroud.  Next, measure from the back of the mast to the shock cord.  This should measure between 5” and 5 ½” ( 127 to 140 mm).  Less sweep tends to make the middle section of the mast stiffer.  More sweep allows the middle of the mast to bend more, flattening the main and requiring more lower checkstay. After setting the spreader sweep you need to make sure they are square to the mast butt.  To do this leave the shock cord on the shrouds that you used to measure the sweep with.  Get a batten and put it on edge on the leading edge of the butt casting.  Stand back at the butt of the mast and sight along the batten and this should line up with the shock cord that is stretched between the shrouds.  The batten should line up with the shock cord.  If this does not line up adjust with the Allen screws in the spreaders.  Make sure that you adjust each screw the same.  You will have to screw one in and screw the other out to keep the sweep at the proper amount.  Be sure to seize the allen screws with locktite so that they do not move while sailing. One quick note about spreader sweep, if you feel your mast is soft you might have to use less sweep and conversely if your mast is stiff you will have to use more spreader sweep. MAST SET UP (RIG UP) Now that you have the mast ready, put it up in the boat.  After you have all the shrouds and backstays attached put the boat on a level place to finish the set-up of the rig.   Once the mast is stepped in the boat you need to check the butt location.  This is done by taking a tape measure from the back of the mast at the base back over the aft edge of the cockpit along the deck to the transom.  Using a straight edge along the transom measure the location.  The measurement should be between 14’ 10” (4520 cm) and 14’ 9” (4495 cm) depending on the age of your boat and the keel location.  Older boats have the keel further aft and require the mast butt further aft.  Newer boats have the opposite.  This is very critical to the upwind balance of the boat and may require a good bit of sailing to find the correct spot. Next with the mast in its upwind sailing position, spreaders back, put some tension on the back stays.  The lower shrouds need to be in line with the front of the mast and the uppers approximately ½” (1.3cm) in front of the lowers. The final step is to make sure the mast is centered in the boat.  This is done by running a tape measure to the top of the mast using the main halyard.  Running the tape measure in front of the spreaders, measure to the top of the shroud track just in front of the shroud car.  Do your best to make this measurement the same from side to side. RIG TUNING To measure the shroud tension we use the Loos Pro Model Gauge (PT-1). Using the Loos Gauge, start by putting 10 on each upper backstay.  Now check your rake measurement.  36 ½” to 37 3/4” (93 to 96 cm) seems to work well on most boats.   Now using the Loos Gauge measure the tension on your upper shrouds.  This should be 22 to 23.5 for your base setting. Make sure the forward mast bender is not on when setting this tension and that the spreaders are locked aft. Finally you need to set-up your inner lower shrouds.  First measure up from the tip of the black band up the front of the mast 36” (91.5 cm) and make a mark.  Now measure across from shroud to shroud.  By pulling the shrouds together this measurement should be 27½” to 29” (70  to 74 cm). Now the mast is set to go sailing.  The measurements and settings that we have suggested are a very good starting point.  Sight up the mast when sailing upwind to check the side bend.  In light air, a small amount of leeward sag at the spreaders will help power the boat up.  Likewise, in heavy air, more lower shroud tension will pull the middle of the mast to windward and help to de-power the boat.  You might have to make some small adjustments to fit your sailing style, wind and wave conditions,  and crew weight. Before you leave the dock you should mark your jib lead position.  First measure the fore and aft position of your jib lead.  Measure from the head stay back to the center of the jib car.  To start this measurement you should start out at 7’ 2” ( 215 cm).  This is a very good all around position.  You can experiment by moving the lead forward ½”  (1.3 cm) in rougher water, which will make the lower part of the jib a little fuller and give you a little more power to help you get through the waves.  As it gets windier try moving the lead back ½” (1.5 cm).  This will make the lower part of the jib a little flatter and give you just a little more twist.  This should help you de-power and make the boat more manageable. Next you need to mark the athwartship position of your jib lead.  Measure from the centerline of the boat out 14” (36.5 cm) to the center of your jib car and make a mark on the deck.  Your jib car should stay at this location in all but the windiest conditions.  And then only let it out 1” (2.5 cm).  This will help open the slot. SAIL TRIM ON THE WATER Mainsail The most important adjustment for the main is the main sheet itself.  Small adjustments make very obvious changes in performance and balance of your boat.  Trimming harder gives you a tighter leech with more power and helm, which translates into pointing higher.  An eased main gives you a more twisted sail, which translates into less helm and the ability to go fast forward.  The difference between being trimmed hard and eased might only be 1” to 2” (2.5 to 5 cm) of trim on the main sheet.  If you have a single type main sheet marking it is a good idea so that you can reproduce your settings.  If you use a double type main sheet you cannot mark the sheet so you will have to look at the main to judge your mainsheet trim.  Typically the boom will be 7 – 8” (17.5 to 20.5 cm) off the deck at the transom in moderate conditions, closer in heavy conditions and further off the deck as it gets lighter. The outhaul controls the depth in the bottom third of the sail.  In very light air and flat water the outhaul should be pulled out near the band.  As the water gets rougher and the wind picks up you can ease the outhaul in but no more than 1 ½” (3.8 cm) from the band.  As you start to get over powered pull the outhaul back on until it is at the black band in 14 knots of wind.   In all but the windiest conditions the Cunningham should only be used to just pull the wrinkles out of the luff of the main.  As you start to get overpowered you will have to pull harder on the Cunningham to help open the top of the main and de-power the boat.  But it is very important to ease the Cunningham as soon as the conditions get lighter. Your backstays are two more adjustments that help you get the most out of your sails.  The lower backstay controls the bend in the lower part of the mast.  In very light air and flat water there should be no tension on your lower backstays.  As the wind increases and the water gets rougher you will need to pull on your lower backstay to give the boat enough power to sail through the waves.  As the wind further increases and you start to get overpowered you can start to put some tension on your upper backstays.  This bends the mast which helps flatten the sail and twists open the top part of the main.  This also tensions the head stay which makes the jib a little flatter.  All of these things help de-power the boat and make it more manageable in windier conditions.  Again as with the Cunningham, it is very important to ease the upper backstay as soon as the conditions get lighter. The mast bender should be in a neutral position in all conditions. Except in very light wind and flat water you can experiment by pulling some mast forward on. Jib Once you are on the water set your jib halyard so the jib tack is 1” (2.5 cm) off the deck.  Remember the height of the jib halyard has a big effect on the lead position.  If the jib is higher off the deck, it is like moving the lead forward and vice versa if it is lower.  It may take some small adjustments to maintain the correct jib height in different conditions. Your jib Cunningham should only be pulled hard enough just to pull out the wrinkles in all conditions. Now you have your jib leads set and your halyard in the proper position.  You will want to trim your jib to the 18” (45.7 cm) mark on the spreader.  This works well in most conditions.  Watch trimming inside of this mark.  A general guide would be to always have the upper leech tell tale flowing.  This is especially true in light and bumpy conditions. ON THE WATER QUICK GUIDE Helm and Speed The goal in sailing upwind is to get the sails and mast working most efficiently for the conditions.  When racing against other boats, you will have a very good measure of how your boat speed is, otherwise you will have to “feel” how your boat is going.  The helm should be almost balanced with just a slight weather helm.  If the boat is overpowered, you will have too much weather helm and will need to de-power the main.  When the boat feels sluggish and underpowered, or if you do not have any punch through the waves, you need to power up the sails.  As a general rule, lean towards de-powering because the Star is almost always overpowered.   Controls Light  (0-6) Medium  (6-12) Heavy  (12+) Mast Rake * 95.5 cm 94.5 cm 97 cm Upper Shroud Tension 21 23.5 26 Outhaul ¾” (2 cm) ½” (1.25 cm) Maximum out Cunningham None Snug Increase tension to bleed power Jib Cloth Tension Enough to remove wrinkles at all times Jib Car (Fore & Aft) 7’ ½” (217 cm) 7’ 2” (218.5 cm) 7’ 2 ½” (220 cm) Jib Car Athwartship 14” (35.5 cm) 14” (35.5 cm) 14 1/2” to 15”(38-7.0 to 38.5 cm) Upper Backstay Slack Snug Hard Lower Backstay Slack Tight for maximum power Ease as necessary to bleed power   *Rake settings for newer boats. For older boats, settings are about 2 cm shorter. SAIL CARE Your North Sails are constructed out of the best materials on the market today.  We make sure of this by testing every roll of cloth we use.  Through proper care and maintenance your sails will give you the performance you have come to expect from a North Sail. The most important factor for a long life for your sails is to watch them for signs of wear and tear in high load and chafe areas.  Be sure to wash the sails off with fresh water and dry the sails thoroughly before storing.  A dry, mild climate is best.  Excessive heat can cause problems with the sails due to the possibility of shrinkage.  It is best to roll the mainsail and jib.   Mainsail When hoisting and lowering the sail try to minimize the amount of creasing or wrinkling of the sail.  Every time the sail gains a crease the cloth breaks down that much faster.  Always have someone contain the leech and luff during these procedures. The battens can be left in the sail without any problems.  Be sure to roll the sail down the leech so that the battens will not twist.  This could cause the battens to warp. Jib When rolling the jib keep the battens perpendicular to the leech.  Pay special attention to the batten pockets for wear and tear.  Since this sail is manufactured from yarn tempered Dacron, problems can arise due to mishandling. STAR BOAT CLINICS This tuning guide only begins to cover all there is to know about racing the Star.  The Star team at North One Design has prepared a professional, in depth Star boat racing clinic that you and your fleet will be interested in learning more about.  In the course of an evening or weekend you will learn more about racing you Star than you could possibly learn in a season of racing on your own. At North Sails we are constantly striving to make our products better.  If you have any comments on this tuning guide and how it could be improved for your purposes we’d love to hear from you.  READ MORE

MAST TUNING - CARBON MASTS SET SPREADER DEFLECTION Check spreader deflection measurement by placing a straightedge or string between the shroud tips at the spreaders. Measure from the side of the straightedge or string closest to the mast, to the back of the sail track. We prefer to have this between 290mm and 300mm. Ideally, set it at 295 mm (11 3/8”). If you have to choose between a deflection measurement slightly under 295 vs slightly over 295, we suggest choosing the larger deflection measurement. Ideally set the overall spreader length set to 683mm (26 ⅞”). This is measured from the mast to the tip of the spreader when the spreader is attached to the mast. You can slide the end fitting in or out on your spreader tip to achieve this measurement. Having to set your spreader length to 27” in order to achieve the proper deflection measurement is not uncommon, and therefore you shouldn’t be worried if you need to do this. MEASURE YOUR HEADSTAY From the lower side of the “T” fitting at the top of your headstay to the center of the pin at the bottom, this measurement is 7576 mm. We recommend taking this measurement with the headstay wire laying on the ground as straight as possible - detached from the mast. MAST STEP POSITION Check which hole in the step to place the aft pin by measuring from the front edge of the keel slot at the cockpit floor to the aft pin in the mast butt track. This measurement should be about 552mm (1’9 ¾” ). This often leaves 2 holes showing behind the mast on the mast butt track. MAST PARTNERS In order to best tune your Viper, it is necessary to restrict the forward mast movement in the partners. You can do this with the line and cleat that comes with the boat. We recommend using mast blocks in front of the mast in order to solidly control mast bend. Adding blocks provides greater headstay tension to keep the jib flat and twisted as the breeze increases. It also helps control the depth in the lower part of your mainsail. The aft block which fits against the front of the mast needs to be filed away to accommodate the angle from the rake and curve of the mast. This will help keep the blocks from climbing up. We recommend a “base” tune of ⅛” of fore-and-aft play (“wiggle”) in the blocks between the front of the mast and the front of the partners. If you are sailing in less than 6 knots, you may want to remove ¼” - ½” of blocks from “base” to induce pre-bend in the mast and slack in the headstay. Once the crew is fulling hiking, you will want to add ¼” of blocks to your “base” to keep the pre-bend and headstay targets. When you are fully de-powered and using heavy vang, you will want to add another ¼” of blocks (having +1/2” total). Your boat may require a different amount of blocking. See the tuning chart below. Use a line to hold the mast forward against the blocks and to keep the blocks from climbing up. This line is absolutely necessary to prevent the mast from inverting when sailing downwind in heavy air. Also remember that as you increase blocks, it may be important to increase the amount of vang tension you carry downwind to avoid mast inversion. The forward most crew has the best vantage point while sailing to look up at the mast and see how much bend is in the mast downwind. We suggest keeping the vang on snug enough to achieve about 1 inch of aft bend in the mast at a minimum while sailing in planing conditions downwind. UPPER SHROUD TENSION Put sufficient tension on the upper shrouds with the lowers completely slack to register 15-20 on the PT1 gauge. Sight up the track of the mast and get the track as straight as possible. Then, center the mast by hanging a decent amount of weight (like a tool kit, or a bucket full of water) on the spinnaker halyard and measuring to the shroud base on each side of the boat. The bucket should meet the rail at the same height on both sides of the boat when the mast is centered. Once the mast is centered, tighten the upper shrouds in equal turns on each side to a tension of 26. Once you have your mast straight and centered, insert enough mast blocks in front of the mast (leaving about ⅛” of play between the mast and the blocks). Your headstay tension should read about 15 on the PT1 gauge. Check pre bend by pulling the main halyard down to the goose neck against the back of the mast. Judge distance between the halyard and the back of the sail track at the max distance. This is usually just above the spreaders. You can use a pre-bend checker pulled up on the spinnaker halyard. Picture example shows how it works. The yellow line is the main halyard pulled straight to the gooseneck. For a base setting you would like to attain 2 ¼” of pre bend with headstay 15 and uppers 26 on the PT1 Loos gauge. This is a good base setting for 7 to 10 knots. How much and how soon you need to increase rig tension to de-power and control headstay sag is dependent largely on crew weight and to some degree on sailing style and wave conditions. The chart below represents a guide for roughly 575 lbs of crew weight and the spreader sweep as outlined above. The number of turns will likely vary from boat to boat: Wind (TWS) Inches of Blocks Turns from Base Uppers Turns from Base Lowers Shroud Tension Headstay Tension 0-4 - 1/4” - 2 - 1.5 20 10 5-7 - 1/8” - 1 - 1 23 12 7-10 BASE (1/8” wiggle) BASE - BASE 26 15 10-13 + 1/8” + 2 + 1 31 19 12-14 + 1/4” + 4 + 2 34.5 24 14-16 + 1/4” + 6 + 3 37 27 15-18 + 1/2” + 8 + 4 39 30.5 18-20 + 1/2” + 10 + 5 40 32.5 20+ + 1/2” + 12 + 6 41.5 33.5 LOWER SHROUDS TENSION To find “base” for your lowers, put a mark on each lower shroud and each upper shroud that measures 4ft up from the deck on each shroud. Now pull the lower shroud towards the upper shroud just barely finger tight and measure the distance between the two marks. This measurement should be about 5 ½”. This technique gets you in the ballpark, but the tension on the lowers need to be adjusted precisely under load while sailing. For this reason we recommend putting turnbuckles on the lowers. In under 8 knots, your lowers should be set such that when you sight up the mast while sailing, you notice about ¼” of leeward “sag” at the spreaders. Once your crew is on the rail, you want to tension your lowers until the mast looks very straight with little to no leeward sag in the middle of the mast when sighting up from the bottom. As you go through the rig tune as the breeze comes up, adjust the lowers to maintain a straight mast. If you are over-powered and trying to execute a “bow down” mode in big breeze, you might tension the lowers enough to see about ¼” of mast “poke” (poking to windward) at the spreaders. Note: It is critical to not over tension the lower shrouds in heavy air. If the lower shrouds are too tight, it could contribute to inverting the mast while sailing downwind and causing breakage. The more tension you carry on the lowers, the more vang tension you should carry downwind. SAIL TRIM JIB LEAD POSITION *** For a jib tack shackle height of 2 ¾” *** The standard shackle on a Viper is 2 inches. We suggest adding a ¾ inch twist shackle to the 2 inch shackle provided with the boat to achieve the optimum 2 ¾” jib tack height. Generally the jib lead should be set more forward in light air to allow the foot to have 6” of round in it. This will have 7 or 8 holes showing behind the jib lead. As soon as the breeze is strong enough to justify hiking, the lead should come aft as much as needed to flatten the foot nearly to a straight line when the leech is properly trimmed. This setting typically has 5 holes showing behind the jib lead. JIB SHEET TENSION Your North jib has a leech telltale ¾ of the way up he leech. This telltale can be observed by the jib trimmer from the leeward side in light air. In any hiking breeze it can be observed through the luff window in the main. This is to use in judging sheet tension. In most conditions trim the jib in until this telltale no longer streams aft, then ease it out until it just streams aft. Generally the middle batten in the jib will point straight aft when it is properly trimmed. The top jib batten is full length. In under 6 knots, use the soft batten provided. As soon as the breeze is over 6 knots it is important to change to the stiffer top batten. This helps keep the leech open as the wind increases. Once you are fully de- powered, go to the stiffest batten you have, and you might consider putting the light air batten AND the heavy air batten in at the same time! WEATHER SHEETING Many teams have found that weather sheeting can be quite effective sailing upwind in winds from 5-15 knots, or until your team is fully overpowered. A general base setting while weather sheeting puts the clew of the jib directly over the top of the inboard fiberglass combing that the jib track is recessed into. This is about 2 inches of clew movement to weather, and about 4 inches of weather jib sheet pulled through the cleat (because the jib sheets are a 2:1 purchase). The further aft you move the jib car, the more effective weather sheeting becomes. JIB SHEET TENSION Your North jib has a leech telltale ¾ of the way up the leech, and another one off the leech at the top batten. This telltale can be observed by the jib trimmer from the leeward side in light air. In any hiking breeze it can be observed through the luff window in the main, or leaning forward and looking in front of the mast from the rail. This is used to judge sheet tension. In most conditions, trim the jib in until this no longer streams aft, then ease it out until it just streams aft. Generally the middle batten in the jib will point straight aft when it is properly trimmed. TOP JIB BATTEN The top jib batten is full length. In under 6 knots, use the soft batten provided. As soon as the breeze is over 6 knots it is important to change to the stiffer, standard top batten. This helps keep the leech open as the wind increases. Once you are fully de-powered, go to the stiffest batten you have, and you might consider putting the light air batten AND the heavy air batten in at the same time! MAINSAIL OUTHAUL Easing the outhaul in light air powers up the main. Judge the outhaul tension at the mid-point of the boom. Look at the distance between the side of the boom and the foot of the sail. In rough water light air conditions easing the outhaul to open the foot as much as 3-5” can be fast. In smoother water generally keep it tighter. As soon as there is enough wind to hike, tighten so the sail lays against the side of the boom. MAINSHEET TENSION In light and moderate conditions when heeling can be controlled with hiking, the aft end of the upper battens (on either side of the Viper insignia) should be parallel to the boom. This may require quite a lot of sheet tension. In stronger breeze, applying vang tension and a couple of inches of sheet ease will allow you to keep the jib pressed, and the bow down with the boat moving forward. The goal here is to find the angle of heel that allows the boat to sail with as little helm as possible. Use vang adjustments, mainsheet adjustments, and feathering to keep that angle of heel as consistent as possible. Remember that the mainsheet is the biggest controller of your head stay tension. If you need to ease your main sheet to keep the boat flat, be sure you have adequate mast blocks and lower shroud tension. If the head stay still looks too “saggy,” ease the jib sheet an inch or two to de-power the jib and straighten the head stay. GNAV (Reckik in Britain, or Vang) Under 10 knots make sure the gnav isn’t applying any downward pressure on the boom. This applies for both upwind and downwind. As the wind becomes stronger, apply progressively more tension to keep the boom down as the mainsheet is eased in the puffs. Not only does the Gnav help keep leech tension when easing the main, it bends the middle and bottom of the mast which flattens the main and de-powers it. It is only necessary to pull max vang tension on if it is choppy enough that you need to use the “bow down” mode to power through the chop. It is essential to have the appropriate amount of blocks in front of the mast to ensure the headstay stays tight. GNAV & CUNNINGHAM RELATIONSHIP As you will notice, when you progressively apply more vang tension, the mast will bend progressively more, therefore the luff of the mainsail will develop progressively more wrinkles. As you pull on the vang to depower, ideally you will pull the cunningham on as well to help smooth out the luff of the sail. If you ease the vang (i.e. you sail into a lull), make sure to ease the cunningham too. The two controls (vang and cunningham) should be adjusted together appropriately. READ MORE

REVIEW YOUR EQUIPMENT Take the time to check all your pins and stays for wear. Clean your mast and spreaders with soap and water or acetone. Also, please check your wire halyard for any frayed wires and or cracked swages. Clean and lubricate your turnbuckles. Tape your turnbuckles so that they stay in the selected position you choose. SETTING UP YOUR MAST – MEASURING YOUR MAST RAKE: Please install your sidestay turnbuckles in the forward hole of your chainplates. Tighten the bolts with 7/16th wrenches. Have the bottom of the spar held down on the mast step ball while you walk the spar up. Hook up your forestay. Once you mast is up and in place take a 50ft. steel tape measure and attach it to the shackle on the wire main halyard. Pull your rope halyard so that the tape goes all the way to the top of the spar. Be sure you latch the halyard ball into the halyard latch at the top of the spar just like when you hoist and lock your sail in place. Pull down on the halyard to make sure the ball is locked in place. MAST RAKE MEASUREMENT For Melges Boats Up to 2012: When measuring, measure the tape to the center of the boat where the deck and stern meet. The starting point for your set up should be 31’10.5”. After you get to this measurement you are ready to adjust your sidestays. For Melges Boats 2013 and Newer: Follow the same mast rake measurement procedure as noted above. On the 2013 and newer Melges Boats the forestay is fixed at the bow. There is not any internal adjustment. This will change the starting point for your mast rake measurement. Mast Rake 0-10 mph – 31’ 9.5” Mast Rake 11-25 mph – 31’ 9” SIDESTAY TENSION With your mast rake at the forward measurement your sidestays need to be taught. If you tighten the sidestays as tight as you can without a tool, by hand, your tension will be correct. Do not over-tighten. JACKSTAY SETTINGS Measure your jackstays either on your trailer or on your boa lift. With tow fingers, lightly move up the stays until the stay touches the mast. Have your mast marked with the below dimensions for reference. If you need to measure and adjust your jackstays on the water makes sure you put the boat head to wind, release your mainsheet tension and the measure your jackstays with the above method. Ideally you have reference numbers from your Sta-Master turnbuckle so you can quickly adjust. We keep the settings for our jackstays very simple. If you set your jackstays to the following you will be fast and you will achieve maximum pointing with your North Sail. Please keep in mind that when you sail with 3 people your desired combined crew weight is below 475lbs. Whether you are using the I-1 Gold or the Harecut – the tension does not vary. Two People Racing Jackstays: 36” Three People Racing Jackstays: 28” To measure your Jackstays, take a tape measure from the deck of the boat next to the mast, and measure up the mast. It is best to start at 28” and put a mark on your mast every 2” until you get to 36” . This will allow for a quick reference on where your Jackstays are when you are on the water. Measure your jackstays either on your trailer or lift. I-1 GOLD Mainsail Set Up The I-1 Gold Mainsail will excel in all conditions however it is ultra quick in the 0-15 mph. This sail also excels in lumpy, choppy conditions as there is not a more powerful sail in the C boat class. The I-1 Gold Mainsail has won race after race and championship after championship. This sail is fast and easy to tune. Here are some helpful hints. Please run through the following checklist so that your boat is in tune for your new I-1 Gold Mainsail. 0-10 KNOTS MAST RAKE: 31’11. This is your maximum forward mast rake measurement. Used only in the light air. The spar can be pulled this far forward for downwind sailing too. New boats 2013 or newer you would go to 31’9.5” as your forward mast rake. BOARD HEIGHT The head of your board should be just 2” above the board box slot. CUNNINGHAM No tension. Leave the horizontal wrinkles in the luff of the mainsail – this gives you maximum fullness. OUTHAUL Be sure to have the foot of the sail tight. Remove all wrinkles and pull hard enough to begin to develop a “shelf” in the foot of the sail. VANG No tension upwind or downwind. A small amount of tension may be applied if bouncing through powerboat chop. Be quick to ease though once back in smooth water. TRAVELER 4” down from the centerline is where you should have your traveler car in this condition. Keep a soft sheet so that you promote twist in the sail. DOWNWIND SET UP Tension your leech cord and ease your outhaul 2”. Your leeward board should be down ¼ of the way. The helmsman needs to sit on the leeward side as far forward as possible. The crew needs to stand and hold the boom out. Have your crew look back to help with downwind boat position (clear air) and have him watch for wind. 11-15 KNOTS MAST RAKE This needs to go back to 31’10” but no further. On new boats 2013 or newer your mast rake would move to 31’9”. BOARD HEIGHT As the breeze builds to 12 mph (nearing White Caps) you need to slide your board up so that the head is 3-4” above deck. This will allow the boat to steer easier as the helm increases in the building breeze. As the breeze builds you will be looking to de-power your boat. Remember, you never want the boat to heel so much that your leeward rail or gunnel gets wet. If the boat begins to over heel you need to follow this sequence. OUTHAUL Pull your outhaul control hard enough to make a firm shelf in your sail along the foot. This is important in relation to your pointing and upwind performance. DEPOWERING SEQUENCE Traveler – drop the traveler down as the breeze builds. All the way if necessary. Cunningham – pull this hard so that the horizontal wrinkles are removed from the luff of your sail. Vang – apply this in order to bend the boom and lower portion of the spar. This will flatten the sail and open the leech of your sail. Anytime you are in need of easing your sail in the breeze you need to have a fair amount of tension on your vang. When racing in heavy air, do not be afraid to pull the vang on very tight as it allows the boat to get into an extra gear. In order to power the boat back up you can follow the sequence in reverse. Be quick to power your boat back up through the lulls. Anticipate the changing wind velocity so that the boat stays on an even heel all the time. DOWNWIND TECHNIQUE With the building breeze you and your crew will want to reverse heel the boat – sitting on the high side and leaning out to weather. You have to pull on the straps in order to get the boat to heel. If you want to go fast you have to do this. You and your crew should sit in your normal upwind positions. There is no need to slide your weight back. Your windward board should be down ¼ of the way and your leech cord will be tensioned again. Ease your outhaul 3”. Harecut Mainsail Set Up This sail is FAST. The Harecut mainsail will perform best in the breeze. The sail is designed for lighter crew weights and for boats that want to go ultra fast upwind and downwind in these conditions. The Harecut is the sail to have as the breeze builds! 12-25 KNOTS MAST RAKE 31’10” is your max aft rake unless it gets above 25 then you can drop back to 31’9”. With the promotion of mast bend for top speeds you do not want to go back any further than the above number. 2013 or newer boats you would want to put your mast rake at 31’9”. BOARD HEIGHT The head of your board should move up to 4-6” above the board slot. This is critical to the overall speed of your boat upwind. OUTHAUL Pull this control to the maximum out position on your boom which is the inside position of the black band on outboard end of your boom. DEPOWERING TECHNIQUE The same process applies to the Harecut Mainsail in these conditions. You must pull much harder however as the breeze builds. The Cunningham must be pulled very hard. The vang needs to be pulled to its max. and the traveler needs to be all the way out. The most critical control in this condition is your mainsail trim. As the boat overheels you have to throw your sheet out 6-20” so that the boat remains “on its feet” (meaning not overheeled). For maximum speed you cannot cleat your mainsail in these conditions. You must be prepared to trim and ease according to the wind. DOWNWIND TECHNIQUE Ease your outhaul 3” and tension your leech cord. If you are sailing with 3 people in the breeze all of you must be leaning out in order to get the boat to heel to weather. This is one way to prevent nose diving in the larger waves. The other way is for your helmsman to steer around the waves. The board should be down ¼ of the way still. As the breeze increases have your crew increase vang tension. This will allow the boat to be more stable downwind in the increased velocity. Rev. R04 READ MORE

Dear Snipe sailor: Thank you for choosing North Sails for your Snipe. As Snipe sailors ourselves we truly share your enthusiasm for this great boat and the worldwide camaraderie that Snipe sailors share. We wish you many happy seasons of racing your boat and hope that whenever you have any questions about making your boat go fast that you will give us a call. We are always pushing to make our sails faster, longer lasting and easier to use and we always welcome your comments. In this tuning guide we have tried to introduce a healthy dose of “why” we do certain things and what we are looking to accomplish with certain settings.You will find that the settings on your particular boat will vary a bit from the numbers given here. The important thing is to keep an open mind and a sensitive touch on the tiller. With a bit of practice and by following the principles outlined on the next few pages you should find yourself going faster and getting the best performance out of your boat. Good Luck and Good Snipe Sailing!! Equipment Sailing is a very equipment intensive sport. To achieve the best possible results we must optimize our equipment to extent that the Snipe class rules allow. This involves taking a top to bottom look at all our equipment and taking a “no compromise” approach. THE HULLMake sure that your hull is minimum weight (381 lbs.) and that it is as smooth as possible. Fill and fair all imperfections in the hull. Pay special attention to the area around the bailer. Most top sailors sharpen the last 4-5’ of the chines and the intersection of the transom and hull in the back of the boat. This allows the water to clear away from the hull more smoothly and promotes planing quicker when the breeze is up. THE MASTThe mast and its tuning are probably the single most important thing, to good consistent boat speed in a Snipe. Presently there are four “popular” masts in use,Sidewinder Gold, Sidewinder, Proctor and Persson. The Sidewinder Gold is the stiffest followed by the Sidewinder, Proctor and Persson. It is important to know that no two masts are exactly the same and each boat will need a little bit of fine tuning to get it set up right. It is preferable to have adjustable spreaders (both length and angle) as you will generally want to make some adjustments as you get your boat up to speed. On many masts especially the stiffer models, you may want to file down the forward part of the mast butt. This will help to induce pre-bend in the mast especially for light air. CENTERBOARDThe class rules allow you to taper the edge of the boat to within 1” off the edge of the board. You should make sure your board is tapered on the front, bottomand aft edges. We suggest a “bullet” type shape for the leading edge and more of a “V” shape for the after edge of the board. Be sure to rinse your board after sailing in saltwater and dry it completely. This will save it from becoming pitted with corrosion. You want to always wet sand the centerboard before sailing unless it is anodized. You may want to consider cutting out some of the board in the top of the board where it stays inside the boat when down all the way. This makes the board lighter and less work for the crew to lift. Overweight boats can shave off a few pounds here by cutting away some of the top of the board. Check the SCIRA rulebook for limitations on how much board can be cut out. LAYOUT OF CONTROLSThe layout of control lines is wide open on the Snipe. We suggest running most of the controls to the crew with the exception being the traveler. This allows the skipper to concentrate on driving especially at crowded mark roundings. THE CREWCompetitive crew weights range from 275 lbs. to 325lbs. Generally you can sail lighter in flat water than in rough water. Heavier crews will want to set their boats up for more power (see below) where lighter crews can set up with somewhat flatter sails. Basic Rig Set Up With the mast down, we want to adjust our spreader length and angle. These two things determine how much the mast will bend and how much power will be in the sails, and how easy the boat will be to power up in light air and depower in heavy air. Before stepping the mast check the following items: SPREADER LENGTHThis dimension, measured from the side of the mast to where the shroud intersects the spreader. For most boats this length is 16 ¾” (42.5 cm). The length of the spreader affects the side-to-side bend of the mast primarily. After stepping the mast and going sailing you will want to sight up the front side of the mast and make sureit is straight side to side from the deck to the hounds. This is very important: if the mast is bending to leeward in the middle, shorten the spreaders until it is straight. If the mast bows to windward in the middle make the spreaders longer until the mast is straight. SPREADER ANGLEThe angle of the spreaders (tip to tip measurement) affects how much the maximum mast bend will be. Heavier crews will want a larger tip-to-tip measurement (stiffer mast) and lighter crews will want a smaller measurement (softer mast). The starting point for the adjustment on this setting is 29 1/4” (74 cm) measured from shroud to shroud with the spreaders pulled all the way back. In heavy air or with a heavier crew we move the spreaders forward so this measurement is 29 3/4” (76 cm). Check to make sure that the sweep aft on each spreader is the same so that the mast bends consistently from side to side. FORESTAYCheck your forestay so that it is maximum allowable length (mast not touching back of partners). You will want to attacheda piece of lightweight shockcord 15” up the forestay and tie it to the bow or stem fitting to keep the forestay snug when the jib is up. This will keep the whisker pole from catching during jibes downwind. MAST BUTT ANGLECheck the bottom of the mast and make sure it is cut off perfectly square. Any deviance from this can cause the mast to not develop pre-bend or develop too much. If you later find the mast does not develop enough pre-bend, file the front of the mast step casting to allow the mast to rock forward and bend more. SHROUD ATTACHMENT LOCATIONSFor most boats position the shrouds at the maximum forward location of 70” aft of the stem. This will help the main go out further downwind and increase projected sail area. If you are having trouble developing enough power, move the shrouds back slightly which will make the mast somewhat stiffer. See figure 1. JIB TACK LOCATIONPosition the jib tack at its maximum forward position 11” back from stem. This helps make the sail plan longer and opens up the slot between the main and jib. See figure 2. To start attach a 25’ tape measure to your main halyard and pull all the way to the top and lock the halyard in position. Download the PDF for a chart of the three different settings we use. All measure to the top of the transom. This is based on the Persson deck crown. Note that it is very important to use a Holt Allen staggered hole style shroud adjuster or Sta-Masters to have fine enough increments on your shroud tensions. Mast Rake Settings Now sight up the backside of the mast and make sure the mast is perfectly straight side to side. If it is not you will need to remove shims from one side and add to the other to make the mast straight. The mast should be shimmed snugly side to side at the deck (yet still able to move freely fore and aft). As a last step, we want to mark the “neutral” position of the mast. With the pusher/puller off and the mast taking its natural position make a mark on the side of the mast at the deck and a corresponding mark on the deck of the boat. Mark both sides of the mast so you can see it on both tacks. Now make marks on the deck 3/8”, 3/4” and 1” in front of neutral. If you feel you have an extra bendy mast (Sidewinder Jr.) make the aft mark 3/8” behind the neutral position. Now you are set up to go sailing in moderate breeze. The first thing to do when you go sailing is to check the mast bend side to side. Sight up the front of the mast on both tacks and make sure the mast is straight from the deck to the hounds. If it sags to leeward shorten thespreaders. If it pops to windward lengthen them. This is critical to good boat speed. Main Trim With the boat hiked flat you want to have an absolutely neutral helm in the boat. You should just need finger tip pressure to hold the tiller. If the boat has lee helm rake the mast back. If it has weather helm rake the mast further forward. Your North Snipe Main comes set up for a tack line to hold it in place at the mast. Using a low stretch small diameter line tie the tack of the sail so the edge of the sail is about 3/8” aft of the backside of the mast. Do not tie the tack right to the mast as this will keep the tack from rotating downwind and make the sail full in the bottom. MAINSHEETThe mainsheet is the throttle on a Snipe and must be adjusted regularly to keep the boat going at top speed. The idea is to keep the top batten on the main parallel to the boom at all time and in under 7 knots of wind have the top telltale flying 70% of the time. If the telltale flies constantly the main is too loose. If it stalls all the time it is too tight. Trimming the main is a constant exercise in easing and trimming as the wind increases and eases. In above 7-10 knots of wind the top telltale will fly all the time and the top batten should be trimmed parallel to the boom. CUNNINGHAMThe main cunningham controls the fore and aft position of the draft in the sail. Keep it loose until you begin to be overpowered and then tighten it to open the leech of the main by moving the draft forward in the sail. OUTHAULIn all but the very lightest conditions the outhaul should be tight when sailing upwind. Downwind let it off about 2-3” to make the bottom of the main more powerful and to open up the shelf foot in the bottom of the sail. BOOM VANGThe boom vang is used to hold the boom down when the mainsheet is eased and to bend the mast and depower the main in a breeze. We leave the vang completely slack until we are hiking hard. Then we take the slack out of it so that when a puff hits we can ease the boom slightly without losing leech tension. As the breeze picks up more we will pull the mast back to the aft mark at the deck and trim the vang harder. This bends the mast and flattens the main and lets us play the mainsheet in the puffs without losing main leech or jib luff tension. Downwind, you want to use the vang to keep the top batten parallel to the boom. Ease the vang substantially before reaching the weather mark to make sure you don’t break your mast in a breeze. In some conditions, mostly light air and flat water, the vang can be quite loose with the top batten outside of parallel, which allows you to sail a bit by the lee. In heavy air this makes the boat unstable and can result in the dreaded “death roll”. TRAVELERIn most conditions, even heavy air, the trend lately is to keep the traveler in the middle of the boat. Make sure your mainsheet bridle is set up so the “y” of it goes slightly inside the boom. This will keep the boom centered in light air without putting too much tension on the leech of the main. As the breeze builds and the boat gets overpowered you may find it helpful to drop traveler until the helm of the boat is neutral and the boat is flat. Others will find vang sheeting preferable. With vang sheeting you tighten the vang to keep the boon down and the tension on the leech when the mainsheet is eased. Make sure to have the mast back at the aft mark when vang sheeting to keep the jib’s luff tight. PUSHER/PULLER The mast pusher/puller controls the bend in the lower part of the mast and has big effect on rig tension. In light air (crew inside the boat) we push the mast forward to the forward deck mark. This bends the mast and opens the leech of the main. It also sags the jib luff giving you more power for light air. As soon as the crew and skipper are sitting on the windward side of the boat we move the mast back to the neutral mark to power up the sails. As the breeze builds, we will pull the mast back more at the deck to counteract the forces of the vang. A note on soft vs. stiff masts: As the breeze really builds (15+ knots) softer mast owners will want to keep the mast back at the aft mark. This is because the forces of the vang cause the softer masts to really bend down low and the mast must be held back at the deck to keep the softer masts from over bending. Stiffer mast owners will want to let the mast go back forward to the neutral mark when the breeze builds. The stiffer masts do not bend as much down low and need to be let back forward as the breeze builds to help depower the main. Jib Trim SHEETTo help judge the trim of the jib your North Snipe jib has a leech telltale sewn on it 1/3 of the way down the leech. The sail also comes with a trim stripe on the clew. To start set the jib lead so that the sheet is lined up with the trim lime on the clew of the jib. From there you will want to fine-tune the lead so that the telltales on the luff of the jib break evenly (watch through spreader window). Move the lead forward if the top luffs first. Move the lead back if the bottom luffs first. After getting the lead position correct, we want to trim the jib in so that the telltale on the leech is just on the verge of stalling. You will need to adjust the tension on the jib sheet constantly as the wind builds and eases to keep the telltale just on the edge of stalling. You may also want to make a mark on each side of the splash rail 15” out from the centerline of the boat. The foot of the jib will fall in this vicinity upwind and this mark can be used as a reference point for jib trim. JIB CLOTHThe jib cloth tension should be tightened just enough so that there are always very slight wrinkles in the luff of the sail. In very heavy wind you will want to add tension and make the luff of the jib smooth to open the leech of the sail. JIB HALYARDBe sure your jib halyard has at least 10-12” of throw in it. You will also want to make sure that the halyard is clearly marked at the up position so you can easily get the halyard set in the correct position at mark roundings. Dead downwind let the halyard all the way off to project the jib as far to windward as possible. When reaching with the pole up you will find it fast to tighten the jib halyard 1/3 to 1/2 the way to tighten the luff of the sail and make the sail more powerful and easier to steer to. Contact Us Thank you for purchasing North Sails. This tuning guide was compiled with the help many National, North American and World Champion’s assistance and represents the latest thinking on sailing a Snipe fast. Please give any member of the North Snipe team a call if you have any questions. We look forward to helping you get the most from your boat. Good luck! READ MORE

This guide for the VX One has been developed through extensive testing, tuning, and practical racing experience by some of the top sailors in the country. New changes in the class and developments in sailcloth and sail design technology continue to bring about improvements in the VX One’s performance, and North Sails is an important part of these innovations. While we can’t guarantee you immediate victory on the race course by following this guide, we can assure you that you’ll be taking a big step in the right direction! BOAT SETUP Step Position The mast butt should be in the pin the 3rd hole from the aft end. Make sure you are in compliance with class rule: C.9.3 Mast Centering To aid in centering the mast laterally in the boat, place a pencil mark just in front of the shrouds on one side of the shear line. Measure from that mark to the front of the boat and make a mark the same distance from the bow on the opposite side of the boat. Then hoist a tape measure on the jib halyard and measure to these pencil marks. Adjust the upper shroud lengths correspondingly on each side of the boat until the mast is centered. Be sure to adjust the intermediate shrouds as well, maintaining a straight mast (sighted up the back of the mast). Base Mast Tune Setup To set the base rig tune, use a PT-1 Loos Tension Gauge to check tensions on the cap shrouds and intermediates. First adjust the uppers to 28 on the tension gauge. (The check stay should be slack throughout the cap and intermediate shroud setup process.) Then set the intermediate shrouds to 11. (Be sure to go back and double check the uppers and then the intermediates in the process because they will both change when you tension or de-tension one of them.) Finally, once the uppers and intermediates are set, tension the check stays with the tension gauge on the intermediate shroud. You are looking to tension the check stays until they start to affect the tension gauge reading on the intermediate shroud. If you measure the check stays with the tension gauge once they are set, they should register about a 6. Check that you have developed the proper pre-bend in the mast (positive bend) by pulling the main halyard taut to the gooseneck. The distance between the back of the mast and the main halyard at the spreaders should be close to 2.25”. Adjusting the Rig For lighter winds, you need to loosen your rig tension to allow for more headstay sag, which will create a more powerful jib. The lightest wind settings should be 2 steps down on the tuning chart at the end of this tuning guide. This chart generally follows a 2:1 ratio of turns for the caps: intermediates. In heavier winds (above 19 knots), much more tension is needed to maintain proper forestay sag and mast bend. In the 19-20 knot breeze range, the upper shrouds should be tensioned to 3-4 steps up on the chart. Note that the 2:1 ratio shifts here to a 1:1 ratio. ON THE WATER Tuning References The visual method given here is our suggested way to set your shroud tension for all crew weights and in all wave and breeze conditions. We feel that it is not only a relatively simple technique to use, but also the most accurate way to achieve proper and consistent rig setup in the VX One. Set your rig tension so that the leeward upper shroud just starts to appear slack – not sloppy, but just not taut. Start out close to the upper shroud tension suggested in the chart below for your best guess of the present wind velocity. When sailing upwind under proper sail trim, watch the leeward upper shroud, and if it has a great deal of “wiggle” (more than a ½” back and forth), tighten both sides equally until the leeward upper is again just starting to go slack. If the breeze lightens, or you start out too tight (no wiggle at all), back off both uppers equally until a slight wiggle just appears. The intermediate shroud tension is checked by trimming the main and jib to the proper position upwind and looking up at the main. Sheet the main about a 3-5 clicks of the mainsheet block tighter than what your normal sailing position should be. If the intermediate shrouds and the check stays are correct, you should see overbend wrinkles in the main that start just below the spreaders and go towards the clew. If the wrinkles start above the spreaders, your intermediates are too loose. If they start well below the spreaders, your intermediates are too tight. The wrinkles should extend from the luff of the sail just above the check stays about 50% of the way back towards the clew. If they extend farther than that, your check stays and intermediates are too loose. If they extend only 30-40% of the way back, your check stays and intermediates are too tight. In full cunningham conditions, it may be hard to see the overbend wrinkles, so try letting the cunningham off a little to get an idea of where the wrinkles are. MAIN TRIM Mainsheet Trim the mainsheet hard enough to make the top batten parallel to the boom. You can check this by sighting from underneath the boom on a lateral plane. Once you’ve accelerated and you want to point higher, trim harder to cock the top batten slightly to windward. We generally recommend sailing with the top leech telltale stalling 75% of the time. In flat water, you can trim harder, but in light air and choppy water, you’ll need to ease the mainsheet ( there should be no vang) to twist off the top of the main so that the top batten is eased open about 5-7 degrees from parallel. In heavy air, the mainsheet is the gas pedal. It isn’t important to keep it in tight and stall the telltale; it is more important to use it to control the boat’s heel angle. If you are heeling more than 5 degrees, ease the main, flatten the boat, and then trim back in. At times, you might find that the main is over the leeward corner of the boat. That’s OK if the boat is flat. Downwind, you are looking to once again be using the main to keep the heel of the boat correct. In light air, you want to have the main eased enough so that with any more ease it would be luffing because of the spinnaker. When in doubt, tighter is better than looser, and you should always feel pressure in the mainsheet. Outhaul You can use the outhaul for power in the bottom of the mainsail because outhaul tension primarily adjusts the shape in the main’s intermediate third. A looser outhaul increases lower leech “hook” and adds fullness. This can aid pointing ability as well as increasing power. A tighter outhaul flattens the lower sections of the main, which helps to minimize windward helm and reduce drag. Remember that in flat water and light winds a flatter sail is fast, whereas in chop, a slightly fuller sail is needed to give the necessary punch. A good guide for tensioning the outhaul is the distance between the side of the boom and the middle of the foot of the main. In heavy winds, the outhaul should be tensioned tightly so that there are about 1-2 finger widths between the boom and the middle of the foot of the main. In choppy conditions or when power is needed, ease the outhaul so that there is about a 3-finger gap. Never have the outhaul any looser except while sailing downwind, at which time it can be eased so that there is about a 4-4.5 finger gap. Cunningham The main cunningham is used to position the draft of the sail. Aim to keep the maximum draft point close to 40-50% back in the sail (sighting from luff to leech). In up to 10 knots of breeze, you need very little cunningham. In 11-12 knots, use just enough cunningham to remove many of the wrinkles in the main. And as winds rise above 12 knots, progressively tighten the cunningham to remove all the sail’s wrinkles (a smooth luff) and maintain proper draft position in the top of the sail. Downwind, the cunningham should be off completely. Vang The boom vang is a critical control in heavy air because it helps to hold the boom down and maintain leech tension when the main needs to be eased. This helps the boat point upwind. In light air, the vang should be just snug until the boat is consistently heeling more than 5-7 degrees. As soon as you start having to ease the main, the vang should be pulled tighter and tighter the farther out the boom is off centerline. Max vang occurs when you can’t pull it any farther and the boat is heeling more than 5-7 degrees with the boom over the boat’s leeward corner. Downwind, the vang should be eased so that the top of the sail is twisted and the leech telltales are flying 100% of the time. The windier it is, the more vang you should be easing downwind. JIB TRIM Jib Sheet Proper jib trim upwind has one of the greatest effects on speed and pointing. Usually, the biggest mistake most VX One sailors make is over trimming the jib sheet. This sheet is normally trimmed so that the middle batten is straight aft parallel to the boat’s centerline. In light wind and/or sloppy conditions, ease the jib sheet so that the middle batten is angled outboard 5-7 degrees. Also, in breezy conditions, ease the sheet for more twist in the leech. Generally speaking, the jib leech telltale should be flying but just about to start stalling. In the bigger breeze, however, this telltale will be less likely to stall because the jib is eased. Note that trimming the jib harder for short periods of time (where the middle batten is slightly hooked to windward of parallel to the centerline) is only effective in “ideal” boat-speed conditions (medium winds and flat water) because it narrows your steering “groove.” In heavier air, if the main is luffing in order to keep the boat flat, the cause generally isn’t from the wind coming across the boat, it is from the wind coming off the jib. If the solution of dropping the jib car to leeward in the puff isn’t effective at stopping the main from luffing because the car is consistently more than 75% of the way down the track, the jib sheet might have to be eased slightly to twist the top of the jib open. Once the main is trimmed back in, the jib sheet can be trimmed in as well. Downwind, the jib should be furled in only the lightest of breeze. As soon as you are moving well, the jib can be out with the sheet eased. A good rule of thumb is to trim the jib sheet so that the middle telltales on the luff of the jib are trimmed correctly. This means that the bottom ones might be too tight, and the top might be luffing, but the trim is optimal. Halyard The jib halyard tension is key in the VX One and should be played constantly, especially in puffy conditions. For light and medium breeze conditions, the jib halyard should be set so that slight wrinkles emanate from the luff, extending back no farther than the first radial panel in the sail. As the breeze increases, these wrinkles will become less and less visible as the halyard tension is increased, and they should disappear at about the same time you are halfway into the vang. As the wind continues to increase, use more and more jib halyard tension. To get maximum tension for survival conditions, turn the boat downwind, and the middle crew should then pull the jib halyard as hard as possible. Clewboard The starting jib clew position (called the “standard position”) should be the 4th hole from the bottom of the clewboard. In lighter air, you might use the 5th hole from the bottom, and in heavier wind, you might use the 3rd hole. The clewboard position is not the main driver of jib shape as much as the sheet tension is. Car The jib car should be high enough on the track that in normal sailing conditions, with the jib trimmed correctly, you just start to see a little bit of backwind on the luff of the main. This is about 5-7 degrees from centerline for light-air conditions. In heavier wind conditions, you should move the car down 2-3 degrees more to stop the backwind, but you should also rely on easing the jib sheet. Sailing with the jib car all the way down for prolonged periods of time to stop backwind in the front of the main is not fast, but it can be dropped to leeward for 1-2 seconds to stop the main from luffing and recover from major puffs. SPINNAKER TRIM The general rule of spinnaker sheet trim is to allow 3-4” of curl in the luff of the spinnaker. In light air, the sheet should be being played constantly. In heavier air, you will find that the sheet is more constant, and the curl is dictated by the driver turning the boat up and down to make the heel angle correct. The most important trimming technique in light air is to concentrate on good communication between the helmsman and the spinnaker trimmer. The goal is to sail as low as possible while still maintaining good pressure on the kite and good boat speed. When the puff hits and the boat accelerates, use that speed to head further downwind. Once the puff subsides, you will have to turn back up to power the boat back up. An easy way to monitor this is to assess the tension on the sheet. It’s important not to sail too high, which translates into longer distances, but also don’t sail too low, or you’ll sacrifice boat speed. It is important to remember that the fastest way to sail downwind in a VX One is with a constant apparent wind angle. This means that when the boat is going faster, the true wind can be further behind the boat, and when the boat is going slower, the true wind must be further forward on the boat. GENERAL BOAT TRIM Upwind The fastest way to sail the VX One upwind is with 5-7 degrees of leeward heel and with the windward jib luff telltale at 45 degrees up while the leeward luff one is streaming straight back. In light air, you might have both telltales streaming, while in heavy air, you might have the windward one lifting straight up, but no more than that. Keeping the boat moving fast is critical because that makes the foils work more efficiently and translates into height. The harder you hike, the faster you go, but at some point you just can’t hike any harder. That’s the time when you will have to start easing the sails to keep the boat flat. Once again, the temptation may be to pinch to keep the boat flat, but that’s simply not fast! Even at the same point as the boats around you, you can still be slower than they are. Match their speed before you match their angle. With increased boat speed will come more lift from the foils and therefore more point. Downwind Downwind, you should sail the boat with 5-10 degrees of heel. Be very conscious of crew weight placement fore and aft. In light air, you should try to sit far enough forward that there is smooth water coming out from behind the boat, not gurgling water. In heavy air, you should sit farther back once you’re on a plane to keep the bow out of the water. You are looking for the bow to be consistently 4-6” out of the water in heavy breeze. The VX One is a blast to sail. So as always, don’t forget to have a blast out on the water! WIND SPEEDKnots CAP SHROUDS(# of turns from base) INTERMEDIATE SHROUDS(# of turns from base) CHECK STAYS(# of turns from base) 0-8 -2 -1 -0.5 8-10 (BASE) BASE (28 on PT-1) BASE (18 on PT-1) BASE (11 on PT-1) 10-12 2 1 0.5 12-14 4 2 1 14-16 6 3 1.5 16-18 8 4 2 18-20 10 5 2.5 20-22 12 6 3 22+ 14 7 3.5 Note: This tuning is for the boats with Southern Spars masts. For the boats with CST masts, the base tune for the cap shrouds is 30 on the PT-1. Everything else remains the same. CREW WEIGHT: 430 lbs ANGLE CAR POSITION SHEETING ANGLEKnots DISTANCE FRM CENTERLINE(# of turns from base) 5 degrees 193 SWEET SPOT 260 7.5 degrees 290 10 degrees 386 READ MORE

Finn tuning is very much a preference of each individual’s sailing style. Are you a pincher or a footer, a hiker of do you just perch on the side? Everyone has their own unique style, therefore, this is more about having a system that allows you to accurately reproduce your settings. The numbers we recommend are there to give you a good start point to launch for the day in any given condition. STEP 1 – How to Measure Your Leech Tension Rather than measuring a mast rake in a straight line “tip of mast to transom” we measure what tension would be put through the leech of the sail. This allows you to get more accurate settings and go afloat with a good idea of how open your leech will fly. It also allows you to interchange different masts and set the leech profile to the same setting no matter how different your masts may be. You can use any of the different spring/ digital gauges currently on the market: Persola Spring Balance, Devoti digital strain gauge work equally well. Attach gauge and long tape measure to mainsail halyard. Hoist halyard until it locates in the lock. Attach hook of gauge onto the outhaul. Tie the traveller to a traveller down position. With the mainsheet, sheet the boom to the deck. (NOTE: Always use the same side of the boat for measuring tensions. Always measure with boom end on side of boat.) Take measuring tape and measure to the inner edge of the boom black band. Adjust the outhaul until the tape reads 6020mm Read the numbers on the gauge to get what the mast is set up at To adjust the tension you can either move chocks at deck level or the screw at the base of the mast. Approximately 1mm chock is 1lb (1cm rake) Always re-check after changes. STEP 2 – Deck Chocks Moving the mast around at deck level whilst controlling the leech tension allows you to balance the feel of the boat (helm). The simple rule is when it goes light and you want to increase helm move the mast back and as the wind increases and you want to reduce helm move the mast forward. This exercise goes hand in hand with the leech tension and if big changes are made you may have to change the heel of the mast position to maintain the same leech tension. It’s always good to have at least five 1mm chocks available for fine-tuning on the water. STEP 3 – Centerboard The board is another great tool to increase and decrease the helm (feel) on the boat. In light air move the board to max forward bringing it closer to the mast, and as the wind increases move the board back in the boat to reduce the helm. SETTINGS The matrix above gives you a rough guide to what settings we recommend throughout the different wind ranges. Again, this is just a guide and it may vary from sailor to sailor. If you go out with these and you have a selection of 1mm chocks then you will be in a strong position to fine tune on the water. If the sea state is lumpy then drop a chock out. If flat water then you can add a chock. Always trying to balance the helm, and maintain good pointing. READ MORE

This guide has been written to get the most out of your new Melges 32. North Sails has been the pioneer in sail development in the class and will strive to give you any new information that arises. Please keep in mind that this information is partial. Sailing venues and conditions vary; you may find slightly different settings that work better for you. Tuning the Rig Prior to stepping the mast: Headstay length This length is measured from the center of the pins at the hounds and the stem fitting and should equal 42’7” or 12980. The headstays are set at the factory to this length. The other measurement to double check mast rake is to pull a 100’ tape measure up the main halyard, latch the ball at the highest setting and measure 52’10” to the bottom corner of the transom at the hull. Mast butt placement The base of the mast should be positioned 7” measuring from the aft shiny molded surface of the main bulkhead to the center of the socket in the mast step plate (Typically this is close to max. forward). Once the mast butt is in position tighten it down to secure it. Check the hydraulic ram for any dirt, or foreign objects before connecting the hose. Make sure the fluid level is at least ¾ full. You will have to open the valve on the hydraulic pump to connect the hose, and the silver safety valve. After stepping mast: STEP ONE: With slack lowers and intermediates, tighten the upper shrouds to #6 on the Model PT-3 Loos tension gauge (be sure to place the tension gauge below the chafe guard on the shrouds, slide the chafe guard up out of the way). It is a class rule that the upper shrouds be set up at the light air setting with the mast jack all the way down. That way you can simply go all the way down for light air, or if there is a jack failure, you are closer to the correct settings and can safely continue racing without risk of mast failure. Center the rig. Using a bucket at least ½ full of water with a lanyard tied on the handle, attach the jib halyard to the end of the lanyard and suspend the bucket off the side of the boat at the chainplate area. With a marker, hold the marker flat on the deck just in front of the chainplates and place a mark on the lanyard. Transfer the bucket to the other side of the boat and repeat to see if the mast is centered. If the mast is in centered, the marks will line up, if not adjust the rig until you have matching marks. This method insures even tension on the jib halyard from side to side. STEP TWO: Now that the mast is in centered and the upper shrouds are tensioned to 6, it is time to tune the intermediate shrouds. Tighten the intermediates so the slack is taken out and they are hand tight plus 1.5 to 2 turns. Site up the aft side of the mast to insure the tunnel is straight side to side. Next, Pump up the jack until you are at 4,000psi, or most importantly #14 on the uppers using the PT-3 Loos tension gauge. Now, tighten the intermediates so they read #17 using a PT-2 tension gauge and tighten the lowers so they read #5 on the PT-3. This is a good set up if you are sailing in predominantly light air venues as it sets the mast up with a bit of sag at base. If you are sailing in venues with a bit more breeze you should set up to these numbers: 4,000psi on the jack, and #12 on the uppers using the PT-3 gauge, 19 on the Intermediates using the PT-2 gauge and 6 on the Lowers using the PT-3 gauge. This set up will produce a straighter rig at base and is better in more breeze. Final tuning of the intermediates and lowers needs to be done on the water going to windward, but this should get you in the ball park. STEP THREE: Check the rig for overall straightness both at the dock and again while sailing by sighting up the mainsail track. Adjust the shrouds appropriately to get the mast straight. Secure the turnbuckles with the Velcro wrap provided. Note: This is a starting point for the Lowers and Intermediates, you must go sailing to fine tune the set up on the lowers and Intermediates. The basic guideline is to set up the mast with approximately ½” of leeward sag from the boom to the uppers with the jack pressure off if you use version #1 above. As you jack up the rig the sag will come out and make the mast stiffer allowing more backstay to be applied. Version #2 above produces a straighter mast side to side and tighter diagonals as soon as you go on the jack which stiffens the mast. The hydraulic jack can be relied on for tension but it is a good idea to have some secondary reference checks in case of a jack gauge failure. If you attach a batten on the deck tie wire and place marks on the back of the mast with corresponding marks on the batten for given jack pressures and rig tensions this will give you the proper secondary checks to make sure your rig is set correctly in the varying conditions. Another method is to use a caliper and measure the gap between the bottom of the mast and the top of the mast step plate. On the Water CHANGING BREEZES Tuning is now complete for 0-6 kts. See the Tuning Matrix below for detailed ram tension instructions. The simplicity of the ram allows you to do most of the tuning with the ram. Now all you will do is adjust the Jack in increments of 500 PSI on the ram. There are times in heavy air with big waves that it may be beneficial to take up 2 turns on each Lower to help stiffen the bottom of the mast and achieve better headstay tension. Also, we have experienced better speed and headstay tension in a breeze with 5 turns on the headstay when we jack up to 2500psi. Note that the jack will immediately start at 1000 PSI if the upper shrouds are set at 6 on the Loos gauge. Traveler Notes: : In waves it is better to work with the traveler higher and a softer mainsheet to achieve twist in the mainsail than what the chart says. Jib Lead Notes: This is a good starting point, in very light air you could experiment with 9 factory holes showing aft of the car and in very windy conditions you could experiment with the car further aft. We have found that in most conditions 8 holes showing is very fast. Bottom line is in flat water you can sometimes get away with the car slightly further aft, and vica versa in waves. Once you find the sweet spot you will find that you rarely move the jib lead. It also will not hurt to drill some additional holes in between the factory holes for fine tuning of the lead position. Backstay Notes: The Melges 32 likes to have backstay put on early to flatten the mainsail and achieve headstay tension. As soon as you are hiking, the backstay should be coming on. MELGES 32 TUNING MATRIX Wind Speed 0-6 6-10 10-14 15-20 20+ Ram Base, 6 on Loos Base in flat water to 1500 on Jack in waves Base in flat water up to 2000 on Jack in waves 2000-2500 in waves, generally more tension in waves 2500-3000 Headstay Base Base Base +5 turns from base +5 to 10 turns from base D1’s Base to 1/2” sag Base Base sight straight Base sight straight Base straight D2’s Base to 1/2” sag Base Base sight straight Base sight straight Sight straight Vang Slack Slack Taught Taught Try Tight cunningham Loose Loose 50% on Tight Tight Main sheet 5° twist if possible 5º+ twist, top telltale flying 5º to 15º twist as needed to boat seed 15º + twist 15-25º twist Jib sheet Soft, upper TT flowing Harder, but always keep top TT flowing Same Same Softer in big stuff, more twist, try lead aft and hard sheet and lead for soft sheet Traveler 100% to weather 50-100% weather Middle to up50% Middle to 25% Down Middle to 25% Down Jib Lead Forward, luff break evenly, Generally 8 factory holes showing aft of car Same Same 1 aft of light in flat water, same in lump 1-2 aft depending on waves, sometimes lead forward soft sheet Jib Halyard Slight wrinkle in luff or just pull out Slight wrinkle in luff No wrinkles No wrinkles No wrinkles Main Outhaul off 1/2” 1/2” eased to max Pull to max Pull to max Pull to max Backstay None to 25% on 25% to 75% on 50% to max on when overpowered Max on Max on Sail Trim UPWIND MAINSAIL TRIM Without getting overly detailed, because everybody sails to their own style, the following are basic tips for trimming the 3DL main. “ Twist is fast “. By this we mean that it is necessary to open up the top of the leech and maintain flow over the top of the sail. A good rule of thumb is to trim until the top leech telltale is just stalling and then ease out two to three inches of sheet so that the telltale is flowing again. This is unlike many other one designs that like to have the top batten parallel to the boom in most conditions. In light air the traveler should be pulled to weather. As the breeze builds we need to maintain a balanced helm. Begin by pulling on the backstay to flatten the top of the main. Adjust the traveler, mainsheet and backstay to find the sweet combination for the given condition. Generally, in flat water the traveler is better in the center with more main sheet tension and in the waves a looser mainsheet with the traveler above center is good. In big breeze, the top of the main is twisted well off and the bottom 1/3 of the main is doing most of the work. If the main is back winding from the jib you can keep the main traveler closer to the center. If the waves are big it tends to work better to keep the traveler centered or above center line and work the main sheet and fine tune the back stay. Be sure to pull the vang on in these conditions to help keep the bottom of the main working. JIB SHEET Three things control the jib shape: sheet tension, car placement, and halyard control. The sheet tension has the most obvious effect, so we’ll talk about that first. The sheet controls the leech twist and how far the sail is pulled in. If you look at the overall sail as it relates to the sheet it does two things. Picture the boat on a close hauled course and the jib luffing, as you pull in the sheet, first the angle of the sail changes, then as the last few inches are tensioned the leech gets tighter. In short, it pulls it in and then down. It is important to try to match the leech profile of the jib to the profile of the lee side of the main. Try to envision how the sails would look from a motorboat trailing behind you. Place marks on the sheet to duplicate settings if necessary. Keep an eye on the leech tell tale on the top batten of the jib. The Melges 32 jib is a high aspect sail and likes to have the jib car forward enough to keep the top of the jib working and the jib trimmed fairly tight. To achieve maximum jib trim, trim the jib until the top telltale stalls and then ease it until it starts flowing, this is your maximum in position. Marks are a good idea for the mainsheet, jib sheet, backstay, jib leads and jib halyard. Make sure you can duplicate fast settings. Our rule of thumb for jib luff tension is just pull the wrinkles out in all conditions except flat water and 4 to 9 knots where a slightly softer jib entry is OK for better pointing. SAIL SELECTION The recommended sail wind ranges are as follows: Light jib 0-8 knots Medium jib 6-22 knots Heavy Jib 20-27 knots Small Reacher 1A Asymmetrical or VMG 0-5 knots, and again over 23 when the waves are big. AP Runner/Reacher Code 2A Asymmetrical 5-8 and 13-27 knots Max Runner Code 3A Asymmetrical 7-14 knots CREW POSITION When sailing upwind in light air you need to move the crew forward and out of the transom of the boat. This reduces wetted surface and helps with the boat attitude through the water. As the breeze builds this is less critical and weight outboard and centered around the widest part of the boat is best and aft. A body behind the driver upwind in a breeze seems to be good. DOWNWIND Be sure to power up the mainsail when sailing downwind, except when it is windy! Ease off the cunningham, outhaul, and backstay. Adjust the vang so the top batten is open and the tell tale is flowing. A softer vang is fast, especially when you can reach. Remember to let off the vang while rounding the weather mark, as well as any cunningham. This will allow the helm to get around the mark with more ease. KEEP THE CREW ON THE RAIL TILL THE BOAT FLATTENS OUT! Have a forward crew sight up the mast to check the mast bend and backstay tension. In light air keep the crew weight low and forward until you are planing downwind. As you begin to plane you need to start moving the weight aft in the boat. The windier it gets the more you need to move the weight aft to get the bow up and free up the rudder. Above 11 we leave the jib up off the wind and trim it to a soft trim as to not effect the trim of the spinnaker. When you can plane keep the backstay on at least to 75%, keep the vang soft, ease the outhaul, let the traveler all the way down and get everyone to the back of the boat except the bow and the trimmer forward of the traveler, everyone else behind the traveler. SPINNAKER SETUP When setting up the spinnaker gear, be sure that the tack line goes over the lazy sheet (the sheet going to the opposite side of the boat). This ensures that the spinnaker will gybe to the inside, between the head stay and the luff of the spinnaker as opposed to around the outside of the luff of the spinnaker and in front of the boat. We have found that hoisting out of the forward hatch is the most efficient method. We have also found that a retrieval line can be helpful with the speed of the douse, especially a leeward drop but requires some extra house keeping. SPINNAKER TRIM Like all spinnakers, the spinnaker sheet should be eased until the luff carries a slight curl. The real trick to flying the sail and having the best downwind performance is to maintain constant dialogue between the skipper and trimmer to keep pressure in the sail without sailing too high and losing sight of VMG (velocity made good to the mark). As a general rule the boat sails downwind at 125 degrees to the true wind, jibing through 90 degrees. As the breeze builds, it is possible to sail deeper angles while maintaining good speed. In planing conditions, keep the boat powered up. Planing and loosing 10 degrees of depth far exceeds displacement sailing. Remember, when sailing in the deep mode, to heel the boat to windward and ease the sheet out. This rotates the chute out from behind the main’s wind shadow, exposing maximum sail area to clear air. Keep the vang soft generally downwind. Any time you can plane, do so. Be aggressive on crew placement aft. Have any non-essential people aft of the helm. Experiment with this a bit and you will quickly get the “Feel” for how you can steer without having trouble with sight and fouling the rudder. SETTING THE ASYMMETRICAL We have found the safest and fastest method to set the kite is to pull the tack line out to a mark which would represent the position of the tack when the pole is fully extended and flying. Cleat the tack line, bow person puts the tack just over the bow pulpit and goes to feed the kite out of the hole. Then, on the hoist someone pulls out the bow sprit as quickly as possible. Make sure the tack is just over the bow pulpit and not further and make sure the bow person maintains control of the kite to leeward of the jib. Also, make sure the bow sprit does not get pulled out too early. The bowsprit can not legally get pulled out until you are in the process of hoisting the spinnaker. GYBING THE ASYMMETRICAL There are two different styles of gybes that we utilize. The first one and by far the most popular is called the “pre gybe”. This gybe works best in lighter winds, breeze under 14 knots or so. This gybe is performed by bearing away to dead down wind and holding course while the crew pulls the new sheet around and once the clew of the kite reaches the windward shroud the helm turns through the gybe. The kite will fill before the boom goes across, this is a good VMG gybe. In heavier air, when you are planing and you have the jib up we found it is best to do a “mexican gybe” To do this gybe you have a trimmer on each spinnaker sheet, the helm turns right into the gybe fairly aggressively, the trimmer over trims the kite to strap the foot, the kite loads up on the new windward side of the boat once you turn through the wind, the trimmer blows off the sheet and the new sheet is trimmed rapidly. The helm has to come out of the gybe slightly low of the proper angle and then as soon as the kite fills heads up to accelerate. The jib must be up to perform this gybe and you need to have someone gybing the jib to prevent spinnaker tears. When you do this gybe correctly you go from planing on one gybe to planing on the other gybe much quicker than with the pre gybe. DOUSING THE ASYMMETRICAL The three take downs you need to master are the windward, leeward and Mexican take down. With the windward take down, the helm heads straight down wind, the pit eases the take line off at least 10’ to unload the kite, the trimmer and foredeck pull the kite around to the port side, one person goes down the leech, one person pulls in the foot keeping it inside the bow pulpit, and then the sewer sucks the kite through the hatch. With the leeward drop the helm bears away, the retrieval line is pull in to gather the foot inside the lifelines, halyard eased off 15’, then tack off when the bow calls for it, and another person controlling the aft section of the sail. It is important for the pit to be aware of the kite at all times so they do not drop the sail in the water. Try to avoid this drop as it is the hardest to do safely. With a Mexican take down, you set up at least 3 boat lengths above the layline, preferable 4, you come in and when you do your final gybe to round the mark, you over trim the foot of the kite as the back of the boat gybes, do not gybe the kite, blow the halyard off as the kite is backing into the rig and suck the kite through the hatch. On all take downs it is best to have the bow person control the foot and tack, another person at the mast controlling the leech, the sewer sucking the sail through the hatch and the pit controlling the halyard, tack line and bow sprit. With all sailing and maneuvers, do what feels good to you. “Tune” with any other 32’s you can find, keep notes on all days you feel fast and also the opposite. If the boat feels slow or you feel “ out of the groove” revert back to notes and what felt good last time you went sailing. READ MORE

This guide for the J/22 has been developed through extensive testing, tuning, and practical racing experience by some of the top sailors in the country. New changes in the class and developments in sailcloth and sail design technology continue to bring about improvements in the J/22’s performance, and North Sails is an important part of these innovations. While we can’t guarantee you immediate victory on the race course by following this guide, we can assure you that you’ll be taking a big step in the right direction! BOAT PREPARATION The suggestions below are for our latest M-7 mainsail, which performs best with the angled step. If you have the SC-2 main or a flat step (the NB-1 main), please contact us and we’ll gladly help you with your tuning. In preparing your boat for sailing, first step the mast and connect the forestay. Then: 1. Pull your jib halyard down alongside the mast and tension it so the halyard shackle is just even with the top of the gooseneck band. Cleat the halyard at this point.Next, swing the jib halyard out to the forestay and pull it snug alongside the forestay. Place a mark (either with a piece of tape or a permanent marker) on the forestay at the very bottom of the halyard shackle. Measure from this point (which represents the top of your band) down to the junction of your template and bow plate. For the angled step, hull numbers prior to 1460, and the M-7 main, this measurement should be 4’ 11”. For the angled step, hull numbers 1460 or after, and the M-7 main, this measurement should be 5’ 1/8”.   2. To aid in centering the mast laterally in the boat, place a pencil mark 8’ back from the stem fitting at the shear (the hull-deck intersection) on each side. Then hoist a tape measure on the jib halyard and measure to these pencil marks. Adjust the upper shroud lengths correspondingly on each side of the boat until the mast is centered. Be sure to adjust the lower shrouds as well, maintaining a straight mast (sighted up the back of the mast). 3. Tension the uppers to 250 lbs for the M-7 and angled step. This setting (for 10- 12 knots of breeze) is your uppers tension “base” number. 4. Tension the lowers so the mast is straight laterally when sighting up the slot at the back of the mast. The lowers “base” number should be at or close to 5 on the newer black PT-1 Loos Pro Model gauge. 5. Re-measure the side to side position of the mast to ensure that it is still centered. If you have calibrated turnbuckles, record the respective numbers. 6. Check that you have developed the proper pre-bend in the mast (positive bend) by pulling the main halyard taught to the gooseneck. The distance between the back of the mast and the main halyard at the spreaders for the M-7/angled step should be close to 1”. 7. Check your forestay tension without any tension on the backstay and with the rig still tensioned to your base settings. The forestay tension should be close to 6-7 on the PT-1 gauge. 8. Check that your backstay is the proper length. Sometimes on older boats, and especially with the increased rake of the M-7/angled step, the backstay may be too long and “bottom out” too early, not allowing enough backstay tension to be applied in heavier winds. If this problem exists, the backstay may need to be shortened a few inches at the top. RIG ADJUSTMENT ON SHORE We suggest you start each day by setting your rig close to the base numbers (or do this at the end of the previous day’s sailing). UPPERS: 250 lbs LOWERS: 5 PT-1 For lighter winds, you need to loosen your rig tension to allow for more headstay sag, which will create a more powerful jib. The lightest wind settings should be 145 lbs on the uppers and very loose on the lowers (the PT-1 will not register). In these extremely light conditions, the forestay should be loose as well, just barely registering on the PT-1 gauge. In heavier winds (above 19 knots), much more tension is needed to maintain proper forestay sag and mast bend. In the 19-20 knot breeze range, the upper shrouds should be tensioned to 450 lbs and the lowers to 14 on the PT-1. The headstay should be nearly 16 on the PT-1. RIG ADJUSTMENT ON THE WATER ADJUSTING SHROUD TENSION: THE VISUAL METHOD This visual method is our suggested way to set your shroud tension for all crew weights and in all wave and breeze conditions. We feel that it is not only a relatively simple technique to use, but also the most accurate way to achieve proper and consistent rig setup in the J/22. Set your rig tension so that the leeward upper shroud just starts to appear slack – not sloppy, but just not taught. Start out close to the upper shroud tension suggested in the chart below for your best guess of the present wind velocity. When sailing upwind under proper sail trim, watch the leeward upper shroud, and if it has a great deal of “wiggle” (more than a ½” back and forth), tighten both sides equally until the leeward upper is again just starting to go slack. If the breeze lightens, or you start out too tight (no wiggle at all), back off both uppers equally until a slight wiggle just appears. The lower shroud tension is checked by sighting up the slot in the back of the mast (lay your head on the windward side of the mainsail facing forward and looking up the mast groove). There should be a slight sag (approximately ½” to 1 ½”) to leeward at the spreaders in all conditions except very breezy ones (20 knots and above) when heavy boom vang tension is used. Only in these very breezy conditions will the mast become almost straight. Never, in any condition, should the mast bow to windward at the spreaders! You’ll have the most sag in very light air and the least sag (almost straight) in 20 knots and up.   Sight the sag in the mast by sighting up the back of the mast when sailing upwind.   1”-3/4” of sag to leeward indicated proper lower shroud tension   ADJUSTING FORESTAY LENGTH Although the forestay length set on shore for your boat’s hull number is generally correct, you can also check to make sure on the water that it’s as accurate as possible. Doing this is easiest in 6-8 knots of breeze with a crew of maximum J/22 class weight. In this wind strength, the crew should be all just hiking and the boat should be “awkwardly flat,” with about 3-4 degrees of heel. Make sure your shroud tension is right and your sails are set up and trimmed correctly for the wind speed. The backstay and other sail-depowering controls should not be needed in these conditions. Once the boat is sailing comfortably, begin the forestay length check by gently letting go of the helm and allowing the boat to go where it likes. If the forestay length is correct, the boat should drive straight for 3-5 seconds and then turn down. Repeat this test several times to confirm the results. If, after performing this check several times, you find that the boat consistently turns up instead of down, you should shorten your forestay two full turns and then perform the check again. If the boat now goes straight but doesn’t ever turn down, you’re very close to the right length, so shorten the forestay another full turn and perform the check again. If the boat starts turning down sooner than 3-5 seconds after you let go of the tiller, lengthen the forestay by one or two turns and perform the test again. Through trial and error, you’ll be able to get the correct forestay length. So using this method, you can either verify that your forestay length set on land is correct or make adjustments to it based on how the boat drives when you let go of the helm. Once the boat drives as described above, pin the forestay and tape it. You will not need to change it again for any conditions that you sail in. UPWIND SAIL TRIM Once you have the rig set up properly, you can now concentrate on trimming your North J/22 sails for maximum boat speed. At this point, it’s critical to mark your shrouds, sheets, tracks, halyards, outhaul, and backstay. Keep accurate records of these settings (fast or slow), the conditions you’re sailing in, and what the other boats are doing differently. It’s essential to be able to duplicate settings from race to race and to know how your boat was set up when you were going fast. THE MAINSAIL MAINSHEETTrim the mainsheet hard enough to make the top batten parallel to the boom. You can check this by sighting from underneath the boom on a lateral plane. Once you’ve accelerated and you want to point higher, trim harder to cock the top batten slightly to windward. We generally recommend sailing with the top leech telltale stalling 75% of the time. In flat water, you can trim harder, but in light air and choppy water, you’ll need to ease the mainsheet ( there should be no vang) to twist off the top of the main so that the top batten is eased open about 10 degrees from parallel. Trim your mainsheet so that the upper batten is parallel to the boom for 75% of your sailing TRAVELERIn light to moderate air, keep the traveler car to windward so the boom is close to centerline. When you have the traveler to weather, be sure to ease the mainsheet until the top batten is twisted off considerably (15 degrees past parallel). This can be most effectively achieved by pulling the traveler to windward until the car is within 2” of the windward cockpit seat. As the breeze increases, gradually drop the traveler to reduce helm while at the same time trimming the mainsheet. In heavy winds (above 15 knots), leave the traveler on centerline and play the mainsheet constantly to maintain helm balance. Also, tension the vang quite hard to control leech tension. Position the traveler just below the weather seat in light winds to help keep the boom close to centerline OUTHAULYou can use the outhaul for power in the bottom of the mainsail because outhaul tension primarily adjusts the shape in the main’s lower third. A looser outhaul increases lower leech “hook” and adds fullness. This can aid pointing ability as well as increasing power. A tighter outhaul flattens the lower sections of the main, which helps to minimize windward helm and reduce drag. Remember that in flat water and light winds a flatter sail is fast, whereas in chop a slightly fuller sail is needed to give the necessary punch. A good guide for tensioning the outhaul is the distance between the side of the boom and the middle of the shelf foot seam (a seam that runs from the tack to the clew of the main). In heavy winds, the outhaul should be tensioned tightly so that the shelf is completely closed and this seam is right alongside the boom. In medium winds, the outhaul should be tight enough so that this seam is about 1” off the side of the boom. In choppy conditions or when power is needed, ease the outhaul so that this seam is 1 3/4” off the boom’s side. Never have the outhaul any looser, except while sailing downwind, when it can be eased so that the shelf is nearly all the way open. The shelf foot seam will then be about 3” off the side of the boom. Determine outhaul tension based on the distance BACKSTAYThe backstay affects several different areas of sail trim and should never be overlooked as a power control. Pulling on the backstay does two things to the sail plan. First, it bends the mast by pulling on the tip, which opens the main leech and flattens the upper two-thirds of the sail. Second, it makes the headstay tighter, which flattens the upper entry of the jib and eases its leech, thus increasing pointing ability and reducing heel. Because pulling on the backstay has a large effect on main leech tension, whenever you adjust the backstay you should check your mainsheet trim and vang tension. Assume minimum tension when the backstay blocks are at rest and maximum tension when the blocks are about 1’ above the deck. BACKSTAY TENSION 0-6 knots Min 7-10 knots 1/4 11-14 knots 1/2 15-18 knots 3/4 19+ knots Max   The backstay turnbuckles should be adjusted according to conditions. Ease the turnbuckles in light air so the backstay has no tension and the backstay blocks ride just below the connector plate. A small piece of shock cord can be used to help hold the blocks up closer to the connector. This cord is attached from the deck through a block on the connector plate and then back to backstay bridle blocks. As the breeze increases, tighten the backstay turnbuckles in relation to the uppers and lowers to allow for maximum adjustment. Remember that, just like shroud tension, the backstay turnbuckles cannot be changed after the preparatory signal.  Maintain an eased luff tension in light winds. CUNNINGHAMThe main cunningham is used to position the draft of the sail. Aim to keep the maximum draft point close to 50% back in the sail (sighting from luff to leech). In up to 10 knots of breeze, you need very little cunningham. In 11-12 knots, use just enough cunningham to remove many of the wrinkles in the main. And as winds rise above 12 knots, progressively tighten the cunningham to remove all the sail’s wrinkles (a smooth luff) and maintain proper draft position in the top of the sail. The boom vang should be slack until about 12 knots of breeze when you have to start depowering. From there, it should be pulled on snug until you want to start easing the mainsheet because the boat is overpowered. In that case, pull the vang hard (you should see the boom bending). More on boom vang tension is given in the Heavy Air Techniques section below. THE JIB Proper jib trim upwind has one of the greatest effects on speed and pointing. Usually, the biggest mistake most J/22 sailors make is over trimming the jib sheet. This sheet is normally trimmed so that the middle batten is straight aft parallel to the boat’s centerline. In light wind and/or sloppy conditions, ease the jib sheet so that the middle batten is angled outboard 10-15 degrees. Also, in breezy conditions, ease the sheet for more twist in the leech. Generally speaking, the jib leech telltale should be flying but just about to start stalling. In the bigger breeze, however, this telltale will be less likely to stall because the jib is eased. Note that trimming the jib harder for short periods of time (where the middle batten is slightly hooked to windward of parallel to the centerline) is only effective in “ideal” boat-speed conditions (medium winds and flat water) because it narrows your steering “groove.” Like the main, be conscious of not over tensioning the jib halyard. However, never allow the jib halyard to be eased enough that there are scallops between the snaps. There should be slight wrinkles off each snap but they should not be extreme. To maximize pointing ability, we suggest cross-sheeting to the weather winch and using the larger Harken 009 ratchet blocks if possible. These blocks will allow maximum inboard positioning for the jib sheet lead. The J/22 is very sensitive to jib halyard tension. For light and medium breeze conditions, the jib halyard should be set so that slight “crow’s feet” wrinkles emanate from the snaps, with no scallops between the snaps. As the breeze increases, these wrinkles will become less and less visible as the halyard tension is increased, and they should disappear at about the same time you are halfway into the backstay. As the wind continues to increase, use more and more jib halyard tension. To get maximum tension for survival conditions, turn the boat downwind and let the backstay off. The middle crew should then pull the jib halyard as hard as possible. The starting jib lead position (called the “standard position”) for the M-7 main/ angled step and rake of 4’ 11” should be where the block on the car (not the pin, but the actual block sheave attachment point) is directly in line with the mast and the shroud chainplates. In heavier breezes (above 15 knots), move the lead aft to help depower the boat and widen the steering groove. The farthest aft the lead should ever be moved is three holes aft of the standard position. A good way to check your jib lead position is to trim the jib in so that the mid-leech batten is sheeted correctly and the halyard is properly set for the breeze condition. In that case, the foot of the jib near where the “Big Foot” sticker is (about 18” back from the tack) should be just inside the toe rail. You should either be able to see the shadow of the toe rail through the jib foot or the jib foot should actually be pressed against the rail. If the shadow of the toe rail isn’t visible through the jib foot, the car is too far back and should be moved forward a hole. If the jib is on top of or outside the toe rail, the car is too far forward and should be moved back a hole. We suggest drilling extra holes in your lead tracks so that finer tuning on the leads is possible.   Like the main, be conscious of not over tensioning the jib halyard. However, never allow the jib halyard to be eased enough that there are scallops between the snaps. There should be slight wrinkles off each snap but they should not be extreme. DOWNWIND SAIL TRIM THE SPINNAKER  Maintain an eased luff tension in light winds The general rule of spinnaker sheet trim is to allow 8-10” of curl in the luff of the spinnaker. The outboard end of the pole should be even vertically with the free-floating clew, and the guy (windward clew) should be continuously adjusted so that the pole remains perpendicular to the apparent wind. Pole height has a big effect on spinnaker performance. An effective and easily visible guide is to position your pole so that the center seam of the spinnaker (the vertical seam running from the head to the middle of the foot) is parallel to the mast. This generally occurs when the clews of the spinnaker are at the same height. Also be careful not to pull the pole too far aft, which over-flattens the spinnaker. The most important trimming technique in light air is to concentrate on good communication between the helmsman and the spinnaker trimmer. The goal is to sail as low as possible while still maintaining good pressure on the kite. An easy way to monitor this is to assess the tension on the sheet. It’s important not to sail too high, which translates into longer distances, but also don’t sail too low or you’ll sacrifice boat speed. The windward twing should always be all the way down. When sailing downwind in light air, the leeward twing is completely released. In very heavy air, pull the leeward twing on about 2’ away from the deck (so the sheet is just clearing the boom) to help keep the spinnaker under control. It is critical to make sure that the leeward twing is off during the set. If it isn’t, the spinnaker will fill prematurely and can cause the boat to create weather helm and round up. THE MAINSAIL Ease the mainsheet until a luff appears, and then trim slightly to create more apparent wind. Dead downwind the boom will be out to the shrouds. Set the vang in light to moderate air so the top batten is just open (pointed outboard) from parallel to the boom. The cunningham, backstay, and outhaul should all be eased for maximum power downwind. THE JIB The jib should be down on a downwind leg except in survival conditions when the concern is that you won’t be able to get enough tension back on the halyard at the leeward mark. If this is the case, leaving the jib up and very eased, almost luffing, is not going to slow the boat. CREW PLACEMENT UPWIND In light air going upwind, the crew should be as far forward as possible, with the farthest-forward person just behind the shrouds. An aft weight shift by the crew of almost a foot will help the boat steer through waves and big puffs. The skipper should sit forward of the traveler bar and as close to the jib trimmer as possible. In big breeze, the crew will be shoulder to shoulder with the farthest-forward person about a foot back from the shroud base. DOWNWIND Downwind in light air, the crew should again be as far forward as possible, with the farthest-forward person just behind the shroud base. In large waves and in big breeze, everyone should be behind the companionway in order to keep the bow out of the water. It’s also important downwind in heavy air to position the crew to the edges of the boat so as to keep it from rocking side to side. SAIL CARE Your North Sails are constructed out of the best materials on the market today. Before we made your sails we tested many different fabrics from the best suppliers in the world. MAINSAIL It is not necessary to remove the battens from the main when storing it. Be sure to roll the sail up parallel to the battens to avoid putting a permanent twist in the battens. Be sure to wash the sail off with fresh water when it gets salty and dry thoroughly before storing. JIB When rolling the jib keep the battens perpendicular to the leech. Pay special attention to the battens and batten pockets for wear and tear. Since this sail is manufactured from firm finished Dacron, problems can arise due to mishandling. Like the main, wash the sail off with fresh water when it gets wet with sail water. SPINNAKER The best thing you can do to prolong the life of your spinnaker is to always store it clean and dry. When the sail gets wet in salt water, wash the sail off and dry it thoroughly. Fold your spinnaker to store it if possible. Rev. R02a READ MORE

Download: Quick Tuning Chart for the M-11 Mainsail Quick Tuning Chart for the M-7 and M-9 Mainsails Bolt Rope Instructions BOAT TUNING Prebend Less Pre-bend More Pre-bend Heavy Crew Weight Light Softer Mast Stiffness Stiffer   You can see the above chart to search for proper pre-bend by checking your weight and mast stiffness. If you can’t find it, you can test to sail with every 5mm different pre-bend in the range provided in the tuning table to evaluate how the boat performs and you feel the boat.You may try pre-bend out of this range, if necessary.*In case it is difficult to bring enough pre-bend, you may move the mast step position back by 1-3cm. Spreader Deflection Due to the base helm characteristics of 420, you need to put the mast step almost max forward in the rule which is 2830mm. From this position, you then adjust the deflection (D) to create the desired pre-bend. Spreader Length 480mm is the standard length.The length affects sideways bend. That makes a difference in stability of the mainsail leech and its response when a puff hits the boat. One suggestion is set longer spreader lengths for heavy crews and shorter for light weight crews. This can cover the weak area of each team’s weight. You can control it in range of 465-495mm, which is effective. TUNING TIPS In the breeze you need to chock quite hard as you need to use a lot of vang tension in the wind. Jib Cunningham  – Do not use any until you are overpowered, then start to use gradually, you have to take it very hard on when strong wind.To archieve it,it is good to have a bowline tied at the end of the rope so crew could get their foot in the loop to get more cunningham tension on. Windward Sheet – Windward sheeting is important to hold the jib leech position at the proper inside position to create the best performance, even though it is not easy to use it properly. Use to put mark on the jib sheet at the cleat. performance, even though it is not easy to use it properly. Jib Height– The peak rope fixed at the head of jib controls the jib height.Normally it must be fixed by having a proper deck sweeping effect. However, for the 420 class it is important to know the height should be adjusted to provide the optimum jib lead angle. As the sheeting point is fixed, you should adjust the peak rope to move the jib clew up or down to achieve the desired sheeting angle. So you can use it for this sake.Clear understanding about the relationship between jib lead angle, jib height and mast rake will let you set upthe jib to suit the conditions. Spinnaker Pole Height When using the spinnaker in choppy waves on a flat run, it is best to set up the spinnaker pole height so the tack (corner of spinnaker the pole is closet to) is slightly lower than the clew. Centreboard You needed to have a good action to play the centerboard as it is hard to adjust the other controls readily. The centreboard slot needs to be packed well with the centreboard to allow the centreboard to be changed easily. You needed to have a good action to play the centerboard as it is hard to adjust the other controls readily. The centreboard slot needs to be packed well with the centreboard to allow the centreboard to be changed easily. READ MORE

The following tuning guide is meant to be a good starting point when setting up your Melges 24. Depending on total crew weight, wind and sea condition and sailing style you may have to alter your set up slightly from what is given here. As you read this tuning guide, write down any questions you might have and we will be happy to discuss them in detail with you. The goal of this tuning guide is to achieve a rig set up that is fast in all conditions upwind and down. Your new North sails are designed with this “all around” philosophy in mind. CLASS RULES We have a great set of rules that many of the Melges 24 owners along with the International Sailing Federation have developed over the years since the introduction of the Melges 24. The current class rules can be downloaded from melges24.com. If you have any specific questions about class rules please feel free to ask any of our Melges 24 class experts to help you with clarification. PRE-RACE PREPARATION One of the most important items you and your team can do in preparing for high performance racing is to have your Melges 24 ready to race. Listed in this section are just a few items we feel are critical for success on the racecourse. TRAILER AND BOAT Make sure when transporting your Melges 24 that the keel bulb always sits perfectly in the keel bed of the trailer. If the boat is sitting where she belongs on the trailer you will find the bulb resting perfectly in the keel bed with space in the keel box both in front and in back of the keel. Also packing pre-cut foam between the keel edges / sides and the keel box will help prevent any movement of the keel when trailing. Many teams seal the top of the keel bulb and the top of the keel box with plastic so that dirt and other debris cannot scratch or damage any part of the keel when traveling. Hull, Rudder and Keel Class rules do not allow re-shaping of these items. Hull For trailing the investment of our 3-piece bottom cover and 1 piece top cover is well worth the protection it affords. Rudder The rudder should always be removed when not in use and kept in its padded rudder bag. Keel We just talked about taking care of your keel when the boat is on the trailer. When lowering the keel either with the keel crane or by picking the boat up with an electric hoist make sure you have rinsed out the keel box along with the delrins. Because of the tight fit between keel and the delrins even small bits of debris can harm the finish of the keel. Launching and Retrieving The Boat Believe it or not this is when most damage occurs to Melges 24s. When trailer launching make sure keel box is well packed, as the keel wants to shift as soon as the transom starts floating. When using an electric hoist be sure to keep the boat level or maybe a few inches down in the bow. Again we are trying to protect the keel. Also by holding the bow down just a few inches we are protecting the spreaders from possibly hanging up on the hoist arm as the spreaders pass the arm. Deck Preparation The factory Melges 24 comes ready to race. There are a few small class legal modifications that really help with sailing the boat. With your spinnaker up at maximum hoist mark the halyard with a black permanent marker. With your bow sprit fully extended also mark the bow sprit extender line. With the bow sprit retracted (to class maximum extension when sailing upwind) we want to put a knot on the bow sprit retraction line.By having the pole extended that few extra inches we prevent water from coming in the gasket area of the pole when sailing upwind in larger waves. Also, add an additional rubber gasket to the pole so that when the pole is retracted the second gasket retracts over the one on the hull.Most now do not use the retraction line at all and use the tack line to pull in the bow sprit. Lubricate your bow sprit with a Teflon based jelly like compound. Super Lube, Vaseline are some examples.Do not use a dry Teflon spray because this will not lubricate and protect your gasket seal. The addition of a small batten (soft 6”) to the end of your bow sprit will help prevent the tack line from dropping over the end of the pole on a take down Mount a Wichard hook or Carabiner on the bottom of the boom at the outhaul turning block.We will place the spinnaker halyard tail in this hook for spinnaker douses.You will find that by placing the tail through this hook that the halyard will not re-cleat itself when the spinnaker is on the way down. On older boats it is only necessary to drill extra holes in the jib track next to the third bolt head (from the back of the track). Drill one of these holes just in front of the third bolt head, between the factory hole and the bolt head. Also, drill the third bolt head out a little for extra lead adjustment position and drill three extra holes aft of the third bolt head in between the factory holes for finer adjustment. PRACTICE - PRACTICE - PRACTICE! It has been said that each mark rounding can be worth a minute on the course. Now that is a reference between the first group and the last group of boats. That is a lot of time and a majority of it comes at the corners and the first few minutes of a race. Knowing how your Melges 24 accelerates off the starting line is something you need to practice. Sets at the windward mark are critical, especially if you want to gybe right away. Having the ability to pass between two leeward gate marks absolutely requires that you and your crew understand all three spinnaker takedowns, the Mexican, the windward and the leeward. You do not have to have rock star crews in the Melges 24 class to be successful; you do need to have a regular steady crew who are willing to practice. If we had “Time On The Boat Meters” you would find the top finishing boats in our class had the most accumulated time together sailing the Melges 24. RIG SETUP MAST DOWN As the Melges 24 comes almost completely ready to race straight from the factory there is very little to do to prepare your boat and mast to be competitive. With the mast down, be sure to mount your masthead backstay batten and wind indicator to the top of the mast. We like to put a dark colored piece of tape around each spreader 12” in from each tip. Our jibs are designed with relatively straight leeches and tighter sheeting angles, thus the 12”(305mm) mark. This will be used later for judging how tight or loose the jib is trimmed. Another thing we like to do is tie some light weight shock cord between the two lower shrouds around the front of the mast 6”- 8” down from their attachment points. This keeps the head of the spinnaker from getting jammed between the shrouds and mast on hoists. MAST UP With mast stepped and the jib halyard hyfield lever locked down attach a 50’ tape measure to the main halyard and hoist to the top (two blocked). Be sure to remove the factory main halyard shackle and run the halyard straight through the end of the tape, tie a overhand or figure eight knot in the end of the tape. Check to see that the mast is close to centered by measuring to the chainplates on both sides of the boat. At this point the upper shrouds should be snug (16 on a Loos Model B tension gauge) and the lowers should be loose. Tighten/loosen the upper shrouds on each side so that the mast is centered side to side. Now measure from the top of the mast to the intersection of the transom and the bottom of the hull. This measurement should be 36’6+1/2”(11.140). Tighten or loosen the turnbuckle above the hyfield lever to achieve this measurement. Make sure that you achieve this measurement with 16 on the uppers. Tension the lower shrouds so when using the Model B Loos gauge and pulled to the line, you measure 68mm from the the shroud to the end of the gauge. Now tighten the uppers 18 turns and the lowers 15 turns to load up the rig. Measure the side to side as per below and check for the mast column to be straight at this point. Finally, with the upper shrouds back at 16 on the Loos tension gauge, recheck to be sure the mast tip is centered side to side and that the mast rake is 36’6+1/2”. To check the rake it is best to use the tape measure on the main halyard by taking a 3/16”(5mm) short piece of line and tying a knot in each end maybe 4” (100mm) apart. Put one knot in the mast tunnel and put the other end of the line through the end of the tape measure or the knot in the halyard then put the other knot in the mast tunnel and raise the halyard to where the upper sidestays intersect the mast. Measure down to the deck on each side of the boat at the upper sidestay position and center the mast side to side. RIG TENSION The tension on the upper shrouds is critical to the upwind shape of primarily the jib and to a smaller degree the mainsail. For maximum speed it is important to adjust the tension on the upper and lower shrouds depending on wind and sea conditions. For the uppers, which get quite tight, we use a Loos Model B tension gauge to measure shroud tension and adjust the tension depending on the wind strength using the following chart. The lower shrouds control the side-to-side sag or bend of the mast and to a smaller degree how much the mast can bend forward in the middle. The lowers have a lot of control over the shape of the main because of this and it is very important to be sure they are adjusted correctly. Because the tension on the lowers is so light, we prefer to set their tension by sighting up the backside of the mast to see how much sag the mast has to set the lower tension. It is not fast except in very windy conditions to have the middle of the mast bending to windward. When it becomes so windy that the mainsail turns inside out and begins to luff or flog in the puffs, then it is fast to tighten the lowers so that the mast falls off to leeward above the spreaders. This keeps the bottom section of the mast from over bending fore and aft and thus keeps the bottom section of the mainsail working while twisting open the top half to depower. SPECIAL NOTE When sailing with lowers this tight it is extremely important to keep some backstay on going downwind. If the backstay is not on, the mast will invert and most likely break!! Always have the forward crew sight up the mast to insure that there is enough backstay on! Below is a chart of the settings on the upper and lower shrouds that we have found fast: This chart was formulated for the Ronstan turnbuckles and the internal wire jib halyard system. For the open body turnbuckles use ½ turn to equate to this chart of 1 full turn for the Ronstan turnbuckles. As you can see from the chart we have a very detailed adjustment schedule. The goal is to be within a 1 step range of the correct setting for the given wind range. The chart you build for your boat may vary slightly on the number of full turns on or off to achieve maximum performance. After you have set up the uppers to the correct wind speed, sail the boat on both tacks checking the mast sag side to side and adjusting the lowers according to the wind speed. After you have sailed the boat a while you can create a chart of the shroud tensions and the number of turns needed to be put on or taken off the shrouds for each significant change in wind speed. Also, create a chart for turnbuckle numbers for each side of the boat. This will enable you to exactly duplicate settings without counting turns. If you have the open body turnbuckles it is best to measure the gap between the ends of the threaded studs with a micrometer and record those numbers when the rig is at base so you have a starting point to return to. Note that in heavy seas you will want to err a little bit on the tight side to allow for a softer backstay and loose mainsheet and in flat water you can err a little bit in the light side to allow for more backstay and a bendier mast. While class rules allow you to adjust your shrouds anytime during a race we like to set the boat up for the lightest wind speed we expect to see on the first beat. Then if the wind speed changes significantly during a leg we adjust our shrouds according to our chart. Having a base setting using your light medium numbers is a good way to leave the dock each day for the races. It is easy to spin up and down from there. Develop this habit and you will find tuning the rig is not such a mystery but actually rather simple. WIND UPPER TENSION LOWER SAG 0-6 - Light Loosen 2 turns from base ¾” leeward sag, loosen 1 turn from base 6-8 Loos 16 -- Base Setting ¾” leeward sag -- Base Setting 7-10 Plus 3 Plus 2 10-11 6 4 11-12 9 6 12-13 12 8 13-15 15 11 15-17 18 14 17-19 20 17 19-21 23 20 21-23 25 24 23+ Loosen forestay 5 turns - Go to 29 27 The chart below is for the FIXED FORESTAY set up with the Vectran jib halyard: WIND UPPER TENSION LOWER SAG 0-6 - Light Loosen 2 turns from base ¾” leeward sag, loosen 1 turn from base 6-8 Loos 16 -- Base Setting ¾” leeward sag – Base Setting 7-10 Loosen Forestay turnbuckle 6 full turns from base Plus 2 on uppers from base Plus 1.5 10-11 5 3.5 11-12 8 5.5 12-13 Loosen Forestay turnbuckle 12 full turns from base Plus 10 on uppers from base 7.5 13-15 12 9 15-18 Loosen forestay 18 full turns from base Plus 15 on uppers from base 12 17-20 18 14 19-21 21 16 SAIL TRIM MAINSAIL Like other boats main trim on the Melges 24 in keyed off the end of the top batten. In light to moderate air we trim the main so that the telltale on the top batten is stalled about 25% of the time (the second telltale from the top -at the second batten, is flying 100% of the time). As the wind increases both telltales will fly all the time. In light to moderate air the back end of the top batten should be parallel to the centerline on the boat, in heavy air it will be pointed out about 5 degrees. Don’t forget that mainsheet tension is how you tension your forestay, which directly effects on your pointing ability. There is a fine line on having enough tension for good pointing ability and over-trimming the main. Usually most over-trimming of mainsails occurs in light air. Following is an overview of each main control and how it should be adjusted. BACKSTAY The backstay controls the overall power in the sail plan, particularly the main. Generally we do not use any backstay upwind until about 12 knots true. Then we will start putting the backstay on to depower the boat and keep it on its feet. It is vital that every time you adjust the backstay you adjust the mainsheet as well. When you tighten the backstay tighten the mainsheet to keep the top batten angle the same. In reverse when you loosen the backstay be sure to ease the main as well. This is not the case in heavy air, as you can leave the mainsheet more constant and work the backstay to change power. In puffy conditions we find it better to play the backstay rather than the mainsheet. The mainsheet also effects how the jib luff sags so it is faster to keep the main trimmed and initially play the backstay in a puff. The jib will not get fuller in the puffs and the boat will accelerate faster this way. When it is really windy, you can switch back to working the mainsail and keeping the backstay on really hard. OUTHAUL Because the slot on the Melges 24 is quite narrow, the bottom of the main generally needs to be on the flat side. Keep the outhaul tight (clew at black band) in conditions when the crew is on the rail. When the crew is in the boat you can ease the clew in 1” from the black band. Clew should be 2-3” in from band downwind except in heavy air tight reaching when it should be tight. VANG We use the vang upwind as soon as the boat is overpowered. At the early stages of being overpowered we simply snug the vang with the mainsheet trimmed while going upwind. We do this so that when easing the mainsheet in the puffs we do not lose control of main leech. As you become more overpowered we pull the vang harder to flatten the bottom 1/3rd of the mainsail. Downwind adjust the vang so the top batten is parallel to the boom. Generally the vang with the slack taken out of it upwind will be too tight for downwind sailing. We like to make a mark on the vang itself for an approximate downwind setting and then ease the vang to that mark just before rounding the weather mark. CUNNINGHAM We do not use the main Cunningham until the wind gets to over 16 knots. Then we pull on just enough to remove any horizontal wrinkles in the sail. Under 16 knots be sure the Cunningham is loose enough to allow for some slight horizontal wrinkles in the luff of the main. Downwind the Cunningham should be off. TRAVELER As a rule of thumb, keep the traveler car between the skipper foot rests when sailing upwind. Never sail with the car above the windward one nor to leeward of the leeward one. In light air (crew in boat) the car will be at the windward foot push. As the crew comes up on the rail we find it very fast to center the car or pull it above centerline if it is choppy conditions. As the breeze continues to build, keep the car centered or up depending on chop. If it is choppy then you want to err on the traveler higher with a looser mainsheet to allow the top of the main to twist. In really heavy air when the mainsail tends to “turn inside out” keep the traveler centered or raised to stop the main from luffing and put some power in the bottom of the sail. In moderately heavy air, with lots of chop, you can experiment with keeping the backstay on hard to keep the headstay straight, and pulling the main traveler to windward with a soft mainsheet to keep twist in the main. JIB TRIM Because the jib on the Melges 24 is a high aspect sail (tall and skinny) it is very sensitive to small adjustments in jib sheet tension. Tightening or easing the jib sheet 1/2” can have a big effect on boat speed and pointing. With the 36’ 6 1/2” mast rake setting you should use the third bolt head from the back of the jib track for a base setting, the next special drilled hole just forward of that third bolt for ligther wind and the holes just after the third bolt for conditions above base conditions. The jib lead should be moved aft to flatten the jib as the wind increases ending up 3 holes aft of base in heavy conditions. In choppier conditions you will want to err on keeping the lead further forward. We have placed a telltale on the upper leech (near the spreaders) of the jib to help you judge how tight or loose the sheet should be. The general rule of thumb is to trim the sheet hard enough so that the upper leech telltale is just on the edge of stalling. Just as with the mainsail it will be easy to stall the telltale in light air and very hard to stall in heavy air even with the sheet trimmed very hard. JIB CLOTH TENSION Adjust the small line at the tack of the jib so the luff of the sail has some slight horizontal wrinkles coming off it. It will be necessary to change the tension depending on the wind speed to achieve some slight wrinkles at all times. In very heavy air, tension the luff so that the sail is smooth and you are pulling out all the wrinkles. LEECH CORD Be sure that your leech cord is not too tight. It is very easy to put a lot of tension on the cord in heavy air and have it too tight in light air. SPINNAKER TRIM Spinnaker trim on the Melges is much easier than that of a conventional poled boat. There are a few tricks that can make you faster downwind and make your sail handling easier. Tack height on the sail is important. Generally, we keep the tack down tight to the pole end when reaching (broad or beam). Letting the tack up on reach will just move the sail to leeward and increase heeling. When we can let the tack line off when the tack will ride straight up or just slightly to leeward. We have found this setup to be faster in these conditions. We will generally let the tack off in these conditions 12-18”. Two other topics that always come up are whether to take the spinnaker down between the shrouds and the mast or behind them. The other topic is whether to gybe the spinnaker inside it’s luff or outside. We’ve found that it almost always seems easier to take the spinnaker down behind the shrouds. This makes setting the spinnaker easier as it does not have to fit between the shrouds, the vang, the jib and the boom. When setting the spinnaker, it is best to take the whole sail out of the bag prior to setting. This makes it much easier to hoist the sail. Normally, we’ve found that it is just as fast and a lot safer to gybe the spinnaker inside its luff. This eliminates any chance that the lazy sheet could fall in the water, it makes for a less sheet for the spinnaker trimmer to pull in, and it allows you to perform any of the three takedowns at the leeward mark. GYBING THE ASYMMETRIC There are two types of gybes. The inside gybe and the outside gybe. How you hook up your tack line to your spinnaker tack dictates whether you will gybe inside or outside. By placing your tack line on top of the spinnaker sheet when hooking the tack line up to the spinnaker you are setting up for an inside gybe, where the spinnaker passes between the luff of the spinnaker and the furled up jib on the headstay. Hooking up the tack line underneath the spinnaker sheet sets you up for an outside gybe. Most of the time though, you will see teams gybing inside. On the gybe, the fastest method is to have the trimmer ease the kite as the boat heads down, another crew starts to trim the new sheet and the forward crew overhauls the new sheet just behind the shrouds. The forward crew then pulls down on the clew to untwist the head as the kite comes around. Almost everyone is now gybing inside and not using the outside gybes. SPINNAKER SETS We have found that it is best to always set the spinnaker from behind the shrouds. This does mandate taking the spinnaker down behind the shrouds, which is the easiest way for all three takedowns. SPINNAKER DOUSES There are three types of takedowns: the windward, the leeward, and the “Mexican”.The windward douse is used when doing a port rounding and you are app READ MORE

Congratulations on your purchase of North CFJ sails. We are confident you will find superior speed over all conditions. Our new CFJ sails are designed to be fast, easy to trim as well as quite durable. The following measurements are those we have found to be the fastest for your new North sails. We urge you to set your boat to these specifications when tuning your boat. This will help you achieve consistency in boat speed, and will serve as a basis for future tuning. If you have any questions or problems or are not able to get your boat to match up these specs, please feel free to contact our CFJ experts. Good luck and good sailing! Onshore Adjustments STEP 1 Before stepping the mast, check the length of the spreaders. Measure your spreaders from the point where the shroud runs through the tip to where the spreader butts up against the side of the mast. This measurement should be 16 1/2 – 171/2 inches. STEP 2 Check the butt position of the mast. This is measured from the centerboard pin to the back of the mast extrusion itself and should be 18 – 18 1/2 inches. STEP 3 Step the mast and attach the forestay to the stem plate in the 2nds hole back. STEP 4 Attach the shrouds in their respective chainplates so the rig is just snug. STEP 5 Hoist a tape measure on the main halyard and measure back to the top of the transom at the back of the boat. With the rig leaning back on the forestay and the shrouds snug, this measurement should be approximately 19’4″ to 19’6″. STEP 6 With the tape measure still attached to the main halyard and the shrouds taught, check the lateral straightness of the mast by measuring down to the rails on opposite sides directly across from the chainplate. If the difference is more that 5/8″, readjust your shrouds accordingly. STEP 7 Hoist your jib and tension the halyard until the measurement at the transom becomes 19’11”. Basically, we are inducing 6-7 inches of “rig-tension” into the boat. The rig should be quite tight and tight enough so that when you are sailing in winds up to 12 mph the leeward shroud remain snug. Only in winds above 12 mph should the leeward shroud begin to go slack. This rake measurement and rig tension are important for boat balance, mastbend, and jib luff sag. The rig tension helps control the mast bend correctly as well as minimize luff sag in the jib. These two functions will effectively control the shape of the sails so there will be very few adjustments needed to trim your North sails for top speed. The rake measurement and mast butt position have been selected for proper helm balance and jib lead position. Sail Adjustments MAIN CUNNINGhAM For the main halyard/cunningham it is best to leave a hint of horizontal wrinkles from the luff of your main nearly all times. In a breeze when the boat is overpowered, you may tension the main halyard and/or the cunningham to just barely remove all wrinkles and have the luff be quite smooth. OUTHAUL In light winds it is best to pull the outhaul tight enough so there is a hint of a horizontal crease in the foot of the main parallel to the boom. In medium winds (above 5 mph), pull the outhaul tighter so that the crease is apparent. In heavier winds (above 12 mph), pull the outhaul very tight so that there is a hard crease in the main just above the boom. JIB SHEET TRIM Unfortunately, there is no easy guide for jib trim. We are looking for a parallel slot between the exit of the jib and the entry of he main. A guide that has been used is to imagine a batten on the jib at mid leech. The “batten” is usually set parallel to the center line of the boat, making the upper batten of the jib twist outboard slightly and the lower batten twist inboard slightly. It seem that 90% of the time boatspeed problems are due to a faulty jib sheet trim. Much of the faulty trim is caused by an undertrimmed jib. JIB HEAD PLACEMENT Your North CFJ jib is designed so that the lead should be placed close to the center of the track when the boat is tuned with proper rake. To fine tune this position, luff the boat slowly into the wind with the jib properly trimmed, as above, and note how the jib luff breaks. If the jib luff breaks higher first, move the jib lead forward until the break is nearly even. If the jib breaks lower first, move the jib lead aft, again until the break is even. The “break even” luff position for your jib is proper for all wind and sea conditions until it is blowing over 10-12 mph. At this point, or when the boat is overpowered, move the jib lead progressively aft until a maximum aft position of 2″ aft of the “break even” position is achieved. At this point the jib will be breaking earlier, higher as the boat is luffed up into the wind. MAINSHEET TRIM AND BOOMVANG The mainsheet should be pulled tight enough so that the last 18″ of the upper batten becomes parallel to the boom on a lateral plane. This is sighted from underneath the boom looking up the sail and lining up the batten and the boom an that plane. In light winds it is impossible to keep the upper batten from hooking slightly to windward because of the weight of the boom hanging on the leech of the sail. In choppy conditions, or after a tack, ease the mainsheet approximately 6 inches to help open the upper batten slightly past parallel to the boom. When the boat becomes overpowered, the boomvang is used hold the boom down and keep the upper batten parallel to the boom. It also induces a great amount of mast bend and will help to flatten out the sail. At this point, the mainsheet can be eased so that the boom will move to leeward and depower the boat. The heavier the winds, the heavier the boomvang tension. Downwind the vang should be trimmed enough to keep the boom down and the leech set with the upper batten parallel to the boom. There is a telltale placed on the upper batten on your North mainsail which should flow straight off the leech when the boomvang is set properly downwind. Your North CFJ spinnaker should be set so that there is 5-8 inches of curl in the luff of the spinnaker at all times. Try to avoid over trimming the spinnaker and closing the slot between the main and the chute. The halyard should be off the mast approximately 5 inches at all times, and the pole set so that the two ends are parallel to the deck. If the spinnaker breaks high first, check that the pole is not too high, and if the spinnaker breaks low first, be sure that the pole is not too low. We wish you good luck and fast sailing! Sail Care Your North Sails are constructed out of the best materials on the market today. We make sure of this by testing every roll of cloth we use. Through proper care and maintenance your sails will give you the performance you have come to expect from a North sail. The most important factor for a long life for your sails is to watch them for signs of wear and tear in high load and chafe areas. Be sure to wash the sails off with fresh water and dry the sails thoroughly before storing. A dry, mild climate is best. Excessive heat can cause problems with the sails due to the possibility of shrinkage. It is best to roll the mainsail and jib. MAINSAIL When hoisting and lowering the sail try to minimize the amount of creasing or wrinkling of the sail. Every time the sail gains a crease the cloth breaks down that much faster. Always have someone contain the leech and luff during these procedures. The battens can be left in the sail without any problems. Be sure to roll the sail down the leech so that the battens will not twist. This could cause damage to the battens. JIB When rolling the jib keep the battens perpendicular to the leech. Pay special attention to the battens and batten pockets for wear and tear. SPINNAKER The spinnaker is fairly straight forward. Be sure to repair all tears and pulled stitches. Folding the sail when storing is best. At North Sails we are constantly striving to make our products better. If you have any comments on this tuning guide and how it could be improved for your purposes we’d love to hear from you. Please give us a call or drop us a line. READ MORE

This tuning guide applies to the DSD design, VS design and the Proctor design Thistle sails. These designs are the result of hours of boat on boat sail testing and racing experience. VS (Fisher) Quick Tuning Guide DSD Quick Tuning Guide Proctor Quick Tuning Guide Northwest Quick Tuning Guide The following tuning guide is meant to be a comprehensive guide for setting and trimming your North Sails. Please read it thoroughly before using your sails for the first time. We urge you to read the section on sail care in order to prolong the life of your sails. Boat Preparation and Rig Tuning LOOS TENSION GAUGE The Loos tension gauge is a relatively accurate instrument that will help measure the tension of your standing rigging. The newer Loos Pro gauge is spring loaded and some sailors have found it to be slightly more accurate and reliable than the Loos Model A. Following is a comparison of the numbers between the Model A and the Pro gauges. We have broken down the numbers for both 1/8” forestay tension and 1/16” diamond tension. 1/8” Cable Forestay Tension TENSION LOOS MODEL A LOOS PRO GAUGE 240 28 21 260 30 22 280 31 23 300 32 24 320 33 25 340 34 26 360 35 27   1/16” Wire Diamond Tension With North Proctor model sails DIAMOND MODEL A PRO Top 12-13 9-10 Middle 15 11 Bottom 15-16 11-12   1/16” Wire Diamond Tension With North Fisher model sails DIAMOND MODEL A PRO Top 4-8 2-4 Middle 9-13 5-10 Bottom 4-8 2-4   DIAMOND TENSION Before you step the mast, set the diamond tension to achieve proper mast bend. Diamond tension, not only has an effect on the sideways bend in the mast, but also on fore and aft bend. The suggested numbers that we offer here will, again, get you very close so that your mast and North mainsail will work well together. Due to the nature of the aluminum extrusion and in some cases the way the masts are rigged, some masts are stiffer and some masts are softer than others. This is not a problem; it just requires slight adjustments to your diamonds. Always be sure to check your diamond tension and straightness of the mast while it is supported at both ends with the sail track upwards. If while sailing in marginal hiking conditions (10 – 12 mph breeze) you notice slight diagonal overbend wrinkles in the upper part of your mainsail, your upper diamonds are most likely too loose which is allowing the upper part of your mast to bend too much. On the other hand, if your mainsail in the upper third appears fairly round and is difficult to flatten out in a breeze, your upper diamonds are most likely too tight. For Proctor’s main when sailing above 490 pounds of total crew weight, set the diamonds close to 18 (number scale on the Loos gauge—the numbers do not correspond to pounds) top to bottom. Set them progressively looser for lighter crew weights to a minimum of 10 on the Loos gauge, e.g. top crew weight of 490 pounds, scale 18; to crew weights less than 430 pounds, scale 10. For Fisher’s main, set your diamonds at approximately 6 – 14 – 9 (not pounds and measuring from bottom to top). The lighter the crew weights, the lighter the tension on the top diamonds. Set the top diamond at 4 or less when sailing below 430 pounds in crew weight. On wood masts, the diamond tension should be slightly less than the standard aluminum mast because of possible compression problems that could develop from excessive tension. Never tension any of the diamonds on a wood mast to more than 16. On the older, stiffer, gold aluminum masts the diamond tension should be considerably looser to allow the mast to bend as easily as possible. You should drop the tension on all the diamonds approximately 4 numbers from top to bottom. While the Thistle mast looks fairly complicated with three sets of diamonds, these adjustments listed above will make it fairly easy to properly tune your mast to your mainsail for all crew weights and all wind velocities. If you have any questions about the proper bend in your mast, please don’t hesitate to call us. (Note: The numbers above relate to the Model A gauge. Refer to the conversion chart under Loos Gauge section for new Pro Gauge.) MAST STEP/MAST BUTT Position your mast butt casting so that the mast will be positioned at the minimum “J” —or 4′ 9″ measured from the forestay to the front of the mast on an aluminum mast or 4′ 8 1/2” measured from the forestay to the front of the wood mast. Position the mast on the step so that it is even fore and aft. In other words, the mast butt does not protrude out over the front or back of the mast step. We have found that it works well to have the step positioned at minimum “J” dimension when the mast is set squarely on the step. The mast should rest on the mast step in such a way that it has nearly 1/2” of positive prebend will develop when the rig is properly tensioned (we’ll discuss this later). Measure prebend by pulling the main halyard down all the way to the gooseneck so that the wire is up against the back of the mast. You will notice the prebend as the gap between your main halyard wire and the mast as it bends forward. There should be a slight gap (nearly 1/8”- see picture) between the casting on the mast and the casting on the grating at the forward edge. The gap at the front will help the mast bend easier because it rocks slightly aft of the central axis of the mast. If the mast prebends more than 1″ (forward at the middle, aft at the head) shim the front of the step between the step and the grating. This is better than putting thickness (coins, stainless tangs, etc.) between the casting on the mast and the casting on the grating because it still allows the mast to remain flexible. It is important that the mast butt casting be securely fastened to the bottom of the mast. Any slop whatsoever can greatly affect the mast’s ability to bend properly. A quick check to verify if the mast is set up properly is to push the mast forward from behind, halfway between the spinnaker pole eye and the lower diamonds. If the mast feels stiff or it’s bend restricted, most likely the mast butt is not set up well. A telltale sign that the mast is bending correctly is that when all the crew weight is positioned on the weather rail (about 8 mph breeze), there will be evidence of overbend wrinkles developing in the mainsail running from the area of the lower diamond diagonally down towards the clew of the main. In heavy winds (over 15 to 18 mph) or in flat water, these overbend wrinkles could be quite pronounced and should actually run back to the near the aft edge of the windows. If not, check your mast butt and diamond tension as there is most likely not enough mast bend developing. On the other hand, if the overbend goes past the aft end of the window, then you have too much pre- bend and should add another shim under the front of the mast step. RAKE Mast rake is measured by hooking a tape measure on the main halyard and hoisting it all the way to the top of the mast until the shackle just hits the sheave. The measurement point on the boat is located at the back edge of the bottom of the tiller hole (not the traveler). For those boats still rigged with the smaller 3/32″ forestay the reading should be 5 numbers lower. Too much rig tension will tend to increase prebend. Too little tension will tend to reduce it. (Note: Refer to conversion chart under Loos Gauge section for new Pro Gauge.) Rigging the Sails and Sail Trim your shrouds and forestay so that your rake measurement (with the rig properly tensioned and the correct amount of pre- bend) is: 26′ 11 1/2” to 27′ 1/2” for both Proctor’s and Fisher’s mains. The major consideration with both design mainsails is to maximize rake and still be able to get sufficient mainsheet tension for all conditions. The rake mentioned above positions the rig for proper boat balance. On some boats, however, because the traveler or boom block arrangement is not set as low as ideal it may not be possible to develop enough mainsheet tension in heavy air. To check this, hold your boom up so that the mainsheet is block to block and measure to the 11′ 11″ point at the back of your boom. On most boats this should be just in front of your outhaul sheave. Again, with the halyard pulled to the top of the mast, the measurement to the top of your boom should be 26′ 2″ minimum. If you have difficulty achieving this number, check to see if you can arrange your traveler or mainsheet blocks. Note: In order to allow sufficient sheeting with a long leech and rake, the mainsheet needs to be properly arranged at the end of the boom. Do not dead end the sheet on the becket on the bottom of the boom block; oftentimes this can reduce available main sheeting by nearly 6″. Instead, run the mainsheet from the boom block through the block on the traveler from front to back and dead end it on the boom, behind the block. You can either tie the mainsheet to the same slider that the block is attached to, or preferably a whole separate slider or boom bail. You can even drill a hole in the bottom of the boom and tie a knot inside the boom. RIG TENSION For a 1/8″, 1×19 wire forestay (which we suggest), tension your rig to the point where your Loos tension gauge reads: 30 to 35 (260 – 360 lbs) for Proctor’s main and 28 to 32 (240 – 300 lbs) for Fisher’s main. (Important: Measure the forestay, not the sidestays). Mainsail MAIN HALYARD The halyard should be pulled all the way up to allow for correct leech and luff tension. When hoisted, the top of the sail must pass the bottom of the sheave box. You may check your main halyard lock position with the mast down to be sure the shackle is tight against the sheave when fully hoisted. Stretch in the wire will allow it to come to the proper position when the sail is pulled up. In lighter winds, using the lower ball will help reduce the tension and allow wrinkles to develop from head to tack. An aid in hoisting the sail to the top, it helps to let the tack out of the tack pin and leave the outhaul looser. After the halyard is locked, pull the sail down with the Cunningham to help make in the tack pin (the boltrope is attached into the luff of your main sail into the luff of your mainsail under considerable tension which will help make the Cunningham snap up when released). Some Thistlers like to feed the rope back into the groove below the sail entry slot on your mast. To do this you must put the rope in the lower groove before putting the boom on the gooseneck. Then, with the outhaul, mainsheet, and vang eased all the way and the mainsail tack attached, you can get the boom onto the gooseneck fitting. This will help the Cunningham work better but can do harm to the sail if not treated properly. If you do feed the rope into the groove below the entry, be sure you release your outhaul before you drop the mainsail. If the outhaul is on tight, you can easily tear the bolt rope away from the sail above the Cunningham. CUNNINGHAM The Cunningham flattens the sail and moves the draft forward as it is tensioned. When under-powered, ease the Cunningham and when over-powered pull it tighter. Generally it is better to leave the Cunningham too loose than too tight. In light winds, if your main halyard is positioned properly, there will be wrinkles all the way head to tack. Little or no Cunningham will be required. In marginal hiking conditions the Cunningham would be tensioned slightly so that the wrinkles will be limited to the lower half of the main. In heavier winds, pull the Cunningham harder so that wrinkles are just barely showing in the lower one-third of the luff of your mainsail. OUTHAUL The outhaul adjusts the depth in the lower part of your mainsail. As the outhaul is eased, the shelf on the bottom of the sail opens and the seam that attaches it to the sail moves away from the boom. To gauge outhaul tension, judge the distance from the seam to the side of the boom at roughly the center of the mainsail foot. Proctor’s main upwind In 4 to 8 knots of wind and medium chop the seam should be 4″ to 5″ from the boom. In smooth water 3″; when fully hiked 1″. When overpowered and you’re dropping the traveler to leeward, pull the outhaul as hard as possible—until the clew slug hits the stop at the end of the boom. Fisher’s main upwind The outhaul will be pulled tight enough so that there is no more than a 2″ gap between the side of the boom and the shelf foot seam in the middle of the foot. In breezes above 10 – 12 mph when the boat becomes overpowered the outhaul will be pulled tighter until the seam is pulled up snug against the side of the boom (maximum outhaul). When reaching, to find the most eased position, ease off the outhaul so the shelf is open 4-5” from the side of the boom. When overpowered on a reach, with the spinnaker, leave the outhaul set as you had it upwind. For downwind sailing, also leave your outhaul in the upwind tensioned position for maximum projected area. MAINSHEET The mainsheet controls the powerful upper leech of your mainsail. It is the single most important adjustment. Therefore you must judge proper mainsheet trim by two factors: angle of the top two battens and feel. In ideal pointing and boat speed conditions, the top batten will be angled considerably to windward of parallel to the boom (nearly 15 degrees). It is not unusual that the upper batten telltale will be stalled most of the time when the sail is trimmed properly when sailing upwind. In most sailing conditions the mainsheet (and/or the traveler) should be played all the time in order to gain top speed and pointing ability. A good rule is that as long as the boat feels good and is going fast, keep pulling the sheet harder! More mainsheet tension usually relates to higher speed and higher pointing but the sail becomes easier to stall. When the boat starts to feel slow, it’s correct to ease the sheet, but for things like waves, you should try to anticipate and ease the sheet before you hit them. In heavy wind be careful not to overtrim. If the mainsheet is trimmed too tight the boat will develop a great deal of weather helm and become more critical to steer. In very light winds, where the weight of the boom hangs on the leech and hooks the top batten greatly to windward of parallel to the boom, ease the mainsheet so that the end of the boom is nearly over the corner of the transom. You may experiment with pulling the traveler to weather (but not farther than the windward edge of the tiller hole) which will help allow the boom to rise slightly easier and the upper leech to open up quicker when the velocity increases. TRAVELER As mentioned above, in light winds and when you will not be tacking a great deal, some Thistlers have experimented with pulling the traveler to windward. If you have the proper rake, 6″ is the absolute maximum; 2″ to 3″ is normal. Never pull the traveler to weather where the boom is actually positioned to windward of centerline. In moderate conditions (8 – 10 knots), and especially with the Proctor main you can keep the boat in the groove with the crew hiking with a little help from playing the traveler. The goal is that your helm should always be balanced (nearly neutral). In heavy winds (above 15 mph) the Proctor Thistle main will perform best with the traveler nearly completely to leeward and the mainsheet trimmed quite hard. Your mainsheet will control mast bend. As the sheet is eased the mast will straighten up and the main will, therefore, become fuller. In extremely heavy winds (above 20 mph) you may experiment with positioning the traveler only slightly below centerline and easing the sheet to allow the top of the main to angle outboard more. With the Fisher main, pulling the boom vang on quite hard (see below) helps in these breezy, puffy conditions upwind. Just be sure to ease it before you round the weather mark! BOOM VANG The vang is primarily used downwind to help keep the upper batten parallel to the boom (telltale flowing off the top batten). A common mistake in light to medium conditions is to over-vang and tighten the leech too much. In puffy conditions when reaching, the vang is often “dumped” to help keep the end of the boom from hitting the water and creating a disaster! In the middle of your groove, the windward telltales should lift indicating a stall. At the “top end” of your groove (when in a high pointing mode) both telltales will lift and oftentimes the luff of your jib will actually break. LEAD POSITION To properly set the jib lead, use the trim line that is drawn on the clew of the jib. This pen line runs from the clew grommet directly out into the body of the sail. When your lead is set properly, your jib sheet should be a direct extension of this line. You should find that on most Great Midwest boats the lead would be nearly at the forward edge of the thwart. In heavy winds, move your lead aft 1″ of the sheet extension to the trim line position. Be sure, though, to ease the vang in the lulls! Jib On both jibs, at the lower end of your steering groove (when you are looking to accelerate) the windward and leeward telltales should both stream straight aft. On the Fisher jib, the lead should be set laterally so that the sheet runs through the jib lead block and intersects the thwart at 15-16” from Centerline. The Proctor jib trims best at 16″ to 17″ from centerline. JIB SHEET TRIM For Proctor’s jib trim the jib sheet so that the leeward side of the jib at the bottom is just barely touching the rail about 2’ aft of the bow. With the foot set this way and the distance between the end of the spreader and the leech of the sail should be 1 1/2 ” to 2″ (depending on the length of the spreaders). If while the bottom of the jib is just barely touching the rail, the distance of your jib from the spreader is more than 2″ then move your jib lead slightly forward. If the leech of the jib is closer to the spreader, then move the lead aft. For Fisher’s jib in medium winds and flat seas, we suggest trimming so that the leech of your jib is 1″ off the spreader, at the middle diamond. In very heavy winds and very light winds, ease the sheet so that the leech of the jib is nearly 2″ to 3″ off the spreader. Do not be surprised to find that the leeward side of the jib at the bottom lays inside the rail approximately 2″ to 3″ at its middle. Fisher’s jib is flatter down low at the very bottom so that the sail will lay inside the rail when trimmed properly it will just touch the rail when eased for power to accelerate. For both jibs remember to quickly ease the sheet if the boat needs power, after tacking, before hitting a series of waves, or after a large header. Ease the jib out to nearly 3″ to 4″ off the spreader. Note: We have found that in many cases there are wide variances in spreader lengths. Of course, this would make it very difficult to use the spreader as a guide in trimming your jib. We are assuming 9 1/2″ spreaders (positioning Fisher’s jib at 10 1/2 ” and Proctor’s jib at 11″ – 11 1/2″). Some Thistlers have put a mark that is the same distance inside the spreader tip that you want to trim outside. Some even use a straw taped to the spreader to provide a reference! JIB HALYARD On both jibs, tension the halyard so that there are always slight horizontal wrinkles off of each snap tab. This is especially important in light to medium winds, while in heavier breezes the halyard is pulled tight enough so that the wrinkles are nearly removed. The wire in the jib luff is usually slack unless it is blowing very, very hard. In fact, the only reason to have the wire in jib is that the class specifications require it. Spinnaker Sailing your North spinnaker is fairly easy as long as you follow a few basic guides. First, always fly your spinnaker so that there is a 5″ – 6″ curl in the luff. It is much better to sail your spinnaker slightly eased and slightly under trimmed so that the slot between the spinnaker and the main will not be choked. It is important that the sheet be constantly played for maximum performance. Constant and smooth 1′ trims and eases work better than rapid 3′ jerks. Work smoothly with both the sheet and the guy to try to keep the pole basically perpendicular to the wind. Adjust your pole height with the topping lift so that the clews are roughly equal. When you can’t view the leeward clew (because it is behind the main), set the pole height so that the center seam of your spinnaker is parallel to the mast. At this point the lower luff of your spinnaker above the pole should be nearly vertical. We recommend a pole ring height of 32″ – 33″ from the butt of the mast (this is the standard Great Midwest position). We also suggest tying your halyard to your spinnaker with a long bowline so that the head of the spinnaker will always be 4″ away from the mast. This will also help open up the slot between the spinnaker and the main.   Sail Care Your North Sails are constructed out of the best materials on the market today. We make sure of this by testing every roll of cloth we use. Through proper care and maintenance your sails will give you the performance you have come to expect from a North Sail. The most important factor for a long life for your sails is to watch them for signs of wear and tear in high load and chafe areas. Be sure to wash the sails off with fresh water and dry the sails thoroughly before storing. A dry, mild climate is best. Excessive heat can cause problems with the sails due to the possibility of shrinkage. It is best to roll the mainsail and jib. When hoisting and lowering the sail try to minimize the amount of creasing or wrinkling of the sail. Every time the sail gains a crease the cloth breaks down that much faster. Always have someone contain the leech and luff during these procedures. The battens can be left in the sail without any problems. Be sure to roll the sail down the leech so that the battens will not twist. This could cause damage to the battens. SPINNAKER The spinnaker is fairly straightforward. Be sure to repair all tears and pulled stitches. Folding the sail when storing is best. READ MORE

BOAT SETUP Take the time to check all of your pins, shrouds and spreaders for wear. Clean your mast and spreaders with soap and water or Acetone. Also, please check your wire halyard. Most wire halyards fail near the shackle so please review. Clean and lubricate your sta-master turnbuckles. Also, be sure to tape all pins and spreader ends to prevent tearing the sail. With the mast on some stands or sawhorses, compare the length of the two side stays. If they are not identical in length the mast will not be in the center of the boat. Lay the shrouds along the side of the mast and adjust the stay masters so that they are the same length down to the bottom bolt. Check your spreader length and sweep. To measure the sweep, tie a thin piece of shock cord to each side stay and measure to the back of the mast. Less sweep stiffens the middle of the mast, more sweep allows more bend and as a result a flatter sail. Standard Spreaders we recommend 4” of sweep. Max length spreaders (18 inches) we recommend 4.5″ of sweep. Be sure to install shroud tell tales! SETTING UP YOUR MAST Items you will need: Sharpie Tape Measure P-1 Loos Gauge Tape Install your sidestay turnbuckles in the forward hole of your chainplates. Ensure the numbers of the sta-master are facing inboard to see them. Tighten the bolts with a 7/16” wrench. Have the bottom of the spar held down on the mast step plate while you walk the spar up. Before you hook up the forestay, lay it along the front of the mast and put a mark where it intersects the top of the black band. Hook it up on the aft hole in the forward chainplate. Measure up from the deck to this mark and adjust the sta master so that the measurement is 742mm or 29 7/32”. Another way to double-check the rake is to take a 50ft. steel tape measure and attach it to the shackle on the wire main halyard. Pull your rope halyard so that the tape goes all the way to the top of the spar and latch the ball into the halyard lock. Pull down on your halyard so that you know it is locked in place. Measure down to the center portion of the deck at the stern. This measurement must be taken from the point where the hull and deck meet. The fast measurement for your Z Max, Magnum, and Rocket mainsail is 28’ 3”. Now you are ready to set your side stays. SIDESTAY ADJUSTMENT After you have set your mast rake at 28’ 3” the shrouds will need to be set. Put a P-2 tension gauge on the side stay and tighten each side evenly until the gauge reads 15 units. Then take two full turns off of each side. This is a good base tension setting. MATRIX: ZMAX | MAGNUM | ZAP | ROCKET DOCKSIDE TUNING MAST RAKE With a 50’ tape, have your AP mast rake set a 28’ 3” SIDESTAY TENSION 15 on Loos gauge minus 2 full turns (Base setting) SIDESTAY PLACEMENT Place sidestay in forward hole on chainplate ON-THE-WATER TUNING   Sitting on Leeward Full time on deck, not hiking Just starting to hike Max hike, overpewered MAST RAKE 28’ 3” 28’ 3” 28’ 3” 28’ 3” UPPER SHROUD TENSION Base lets a 1/2 turn BASE Base plus 1/2 to 1 full turn Base plus 1 to 2 full turn OUTHAUL Remove wrinkles,slight shelf on foot No wrinkles,more shelf on foot Pull to black band,defined shelf on foot Max outhaul CUNNINGHAM None None Full cunningham tension None OUTHAUL / CUNNINGHAM DOWNWIND Cunningham off / Outhaul eased Cunningham off / Outhaul eased Cunningham off / Outhaul eased Cunningham off / Outhaul eased VANG TENSION UPWIND No vang tension Vang tension in puffs 75% vang Full vang tension. Pull hard! VANG TENSION DOWNWIND No vang tension Just enough tensionto straighten leech of sail Play vang downwind w/ waves. Eased when by the lee, pull on when higher Play vang downwind w/ waves. Eased when by the lee, pull on when higher TRAVELER Centered Centered 0-6″ below center 6-9″ below center BOARD HEIGHT All the way down, 103 degreesflush with deck All the way down, 103 degreesflush with deck 1″ above deck 2″ above deck BOARD HEIGH DOWNWIND 1/4 way down 1/4 way down 1/4 way down 1/4 way down RACING WITH YOUR NEW NORTH SAILS Your new North Mainsail is the fastest around the track. By following the guidelines noted below you will optimize your chances for a distinct speed advantage over your competition. You can make the sail full and powerful or you can flatten the sail so that your MC is easy to handle in the breeze. Please practice the following techniques and watch your MC sailing improve! One thing to mention is that the driver will want to always sit forward in the boat (right next to your mainsheet cleat) in all conditions, upwind or downwind. Only move aft when the bow tends to submarine in big waves. The order in which to adjust your sail controls will be in the order described below. Please follow this sequence in order to achieve the ultimate speed with North MC Mainsail. FULL POWER (0-8 mph) Your North Mainsail will be fast in this condition.  You are trying to get the boat to maximum heel to where you start having to use the hiking straps to hike the boat down. Boards Before sailing it is best at some point to turn the boat on its side to measure and mark the board angle. First, check to make sure the board cannot hit the front of the case by pushing forward on the board and adjusting the line in the cleat accordingly. Then take a protractor and measure the angle. We suggest 103 degrees is a full down angle for the boards in light air. Mark each side on the deck so that you can easily repeat this angle while racing. Also, take time to mark the boards for downwind. Pull the board up so that the aft knuckle is just tucked into the hull. Having these marks will ensure that the board is even from tack to tack and allow for optimum sailing. Heel You want to heel the boat to reduce wet surface area and also to get the boards basically vertical. Use the leeward rail as your guideline in all wind conditions. Maximum 15 degrees of heel is what you are aiming towards.  Never allow water to run over the edge of the leeward side rail.  When you over heel the boat develops too much weather helm and you go slow.  CONSTANT ANGLE OF HEEL IS KEY FOR SPEED! Techninque In the light air, most MC racers choose to trim and head up the moment they get new pressure. The exact opposite is the case if you want to go fast. When you get hit with a puff you want to ease a bit, keep the bow down, go for speed and then trim the main. After this, you can head up and point a little higher. The #1 goal is to achieve boat speed in this light air condition. Mainsheet Trim The mainsheet is your accelerator. Never cleat your mainsail. Always have the mainsheet in your hand so that you can trim in the pressure and ease in the light spots. Constant mainsheet trim / working is key to ultimate boat speed. Put a good mark on the sheet where you can see it so that you can easily repeat fast trim settings. In the very light air (when sitting on the low side) a great reference for mainsheet trim is to have the back of the boom over the back leeward corner of the boat. As you get more wind trim from there and feel the sail and boat respond. If the boat does not respond then ease your sail back out. You will see a response in the boat from the angle of heel. TIP – Install the 5:1 mainsheet system. It allows you to hold the sheet easier and also allows for finer adjustment! Outhaul Your outhaul should be fairly tight along the boom. You should have a shelf in the sail even in these light conditions, especially if the water is very flat. Pull the sail to the inboard edge of the white band on your boom end. This creates a small wrinkle-free shelf foot and is very fast. This will help you with speed and pointing. In very choppy conditions you might experiment with a little less outhaul tension to help power up the boat. Vang Do not have any vang tension on at all. In fact, be sure your vang is un-cleated so that when you ease your mainsail your vang does not tension up. This is very important while working your mainsail upwind. Vang should never be applied in such light conditions. Cunningham Be sure this sail control is off so that there are horizontal wrinkles in the luff of the sail. You want these wrinkles in this type of wind condition. Traveler Keep your traveler on centerline at all times. The only time you drop the traveler down is when you are fully hiked out and you cannot hold the boat down. Downwind Sailing Once you have rounded your weather mark be sure to pull your leeward board up 75% of the way up. Begin to look for wind behind you. Speed is king downwind and the only way to have speed is to be in the breeze. Set yourself up so that you have clear air and that you are in line for more breeze moving down the lake. This is very important. Technique You must heel your boat to leeward in order to reduce the wetted surface area in these conditions. The end of the boom should be kissing the water. If this is not happening you are not maximizing your speed. Your mainsheet trim is critical as well. Just like upwind, you absolutely must work your mainsheet downwind. Grab your mainsheet directly from the aft block on the boom. This eliminates the ratchet and it gives you quick and direct pull. In the very light air you must reach the boat more so that the boat picks up speed. Heel and head up to generate speed while trimming in your main. As the boat builds speed begin to head down, continue to heel the boat and begin to ease your main back out. The second the boat feels like it is going to slow down, repeat the process. In order to go fast downwind in the MC you must work just as hard downwind as you do upwind. Stay prepared to keep the boat moving and always be looking for fresh wind. Traveler is centered, vang off, Cunningham off for maximum power. Outhaul must be eased so that the shelf is gone. Do not ease to the point that the foot of the sail has vertical wrinkles. Powerboat waves: Always trim in and build up speed so that you can blast through waves. If they are very large you can pull on some boom vang so that the rig stays snug and so that the boom stays in place. Be sure to uncleat the vang after the waves have passed. ULTIMATE SPEED (8-15 mph) The MC can be overpowering (difficult to hold down upwind) for some sailors. By following the set up described below you will begin to see major speed improvements in your MC sailing. Practice these things so that you are smooth and prepared for the change in velocity. Boards Be sure that the head of your boards is flush with your deck or 1” up as the wind increases. Pulling the boards up helps reduce weather helm. Some sailors have success pulling them up as much as 2 inches when it’s really windy. Heel Again, the benchmark is your leeward rail. Never allow this to get wet while sailing upwind. As the wind begins to build, you must hike harder, use your sail controls to flatten the main and then feather the boat lightly into the wind with your steering technique. Technique For maximum speed you need to really work the boat. Hike in the puffs in order to hold the boat down. However, always keep your back vertical to the water or just aft of vertical so that you can see your horizon line. The horizon tells you just how much heel is indeed on your MC. Also, by being vertical you can trim and ease your mainsheet helping you to balance your boat. Mainsheet Trim You can trim harder in these conditions so long as you can hold your boat down. Once you become overpowered in this wind range you must begin to ease your mainsheet in the puffs. You never want the boat to overheel. When the boat does heel up you must have boom vang on so that the sail remains flat as you ease the sail. In this condition, you should sail off the angle of heel. Meaning, if you have to ease your mainsheet a foot in order to help hold the boat down then do this. The worst thing you can do is trim hard, overheel and then stuff the boat into the wind. By easing the mainsail you are able to sail at a ‘fast angle’ –not stuffed into the breeze. The boat will accelerate and begin to build speed. Never cleat your mainsail. Constant angle of heel translates into constant fast speed. Outhaul The foot of your sail should have a shelf in it which you achieve by pulling your outhaul maximum outboard. This helps to flatten the bottom portion of the main, which is quite full. Make sure you pull on this hard taking the sail to the inboard edge of the black band on your boom end. Do this before your leeward buoy rounding. Vang Due to different weight ranges we will all become overpowered at different times. Overpowered again meaning that it is difficult to hold the boat down. So, someone weighing 150 pounds will become overpowered in 10 m.p.h. of wind where someone weighing 200 pounds will become overpowered in 15 m.p.h. of wind. As soon as you become overpowered you need to apply your vang so that the mast will bend and the sail will flatten. Also, now you can ease your mainsheet so that you can keep the boat from over-healing in the puffs. The more wind the more vang you will need to apply going upwind. Cunningahm With the North designed mainsails you can apply much more Cunningham in order to flatten the sail. By applying the Cunningham you will move the draft of the sail forward and the sail will become much flatter overall. This too will bend the mast when pulled on hard – helping you to point. When it becomes very windy you must pull the vang on very hard. Traveler As the wind builds you can drop your mainsheet traveler as much as 6”. Mark your traveler track so that you know the distance. Once you have dropped the traveler, pulled on your vang and Cunningham then you need to work your mainsheet in the puffs, easing when the boat wants to heal too much. Downwind Sailing With the breeze up now it is time to sit on the high side going downwind. You do this to eliminate helm on the rudder. When sailing downwind in these conditions you want the weather board to be down ¼ of the way. The leeward board is all the way up. Upon rounding your weather mark or offset you will want to adjust the board first and then ease your outhaul so that the shelf in the foot is gone. When sailing straight downwind be sure to ease your mainsail so that it is all the way out. Your boom will actually rub against the sidestay. As the wind builds, apply more and more vang. Downwind this becomes the stabilizer for the boat. When the boat feels very jumpy or tippy, apply more vang in order to stabilize your boat. Vang is crucial to downwind speed and acceleration. Please work your vang in the puffs. Applying more as the wind hits and the boat speeds up. In the lulls, ease the vang. Always keep your weight forward and outboard. Lean out as much as possible so that the boat rocks up downwind. This helps to reduce the wetted surface area and it prevents you from ever nose-diving in large waves or chop. Even lean out when adjusting your boards after a gybe. The board lines are tied together so that you can sit on the high side, lean out and pull the leeward board up. Doing these types of things make a big difference over a long race. Most important, always look behind you for the next available wind. Staying in the wind makes all the difference. However, being in the breeze will help even more. Be aware of the new wind coming down the lake. CONTROL & DE-POWER (15-25 mph) The Z Max, Magnum and Rocket mainsails are truly the best all-around sails because they can be flattened in these conditions. You can bend your mast and flatten your sail for great upwind speed and control. With the custom material we have chosen for the body of this sail, you really can have 2 sails in one. You can flatten this sail to be just like a heavy air sail. Follow along and see what you can do to reach better performance and have more control in this type of wind condition. One of the very best things that you can do, of course, is to go out and practice in this wind range so that you feel comfortable in the boat. Your boat handling will improve for all conditions as well. Boards Raising the board in this breeze can be advantageous. Especially if you are sailing alone. Please try moving the head of the board 2” above the board box. Or on the new boats watch the line move 2 inches forward as you pull up. We feel that you will experience less helm and more maneuverability. This is a good thing to try and to practice. Heel Over-heeling is the biggest mistake made when it is very windy. When you have all your sail controls on hard you must “feather” the boat into the wind. Do not stuff the boat – you must keep the boat moving fast through the water. Easing your mainsheet as much as 2 feet may be needed in order to keep your boat on the proper angle of heel. Do not be afraid to ease the sail this much when it is windy. Technique The mainsheet is your accelerator in light air and the controller of your angle of heel in the heavy air. Practice not cleating your mainsheet. Have the mainsheet in your hand and be able to ease the sail in the puffs and trim back in as the puff leaves. This will de-power your boat. The Z designed mainsails are a flat sail when all of your sail controls are pulled on so now it is up to your mainsheet tension and steering to keep the boat on its lines. Hiking out is important as well. If you have a crew in these conditions make sure to call out the puffs early so that the crew is fully hiked before the breeze is on. Mainsheet Trim There is no set trim guideline in this much breeze. You do not need to trim hard that is for sure. With a lot of vang on you can ease the sail as much as 2 feet and not loose any speed at all. The mainsheet just controls your heel in this much wind. So, if you are over-heeled then ease until the boat settles down. While easing keep the boat on its lines – a normal course. Do not stuff the boat into the wind because then you will stop. Sail the boat fast by easing the main. Always feather the boat into the wind. Outhaul Pull hard out to the black band on the boom. Never ease in from this point with this much velocity. Vang When you are trimmed in going upwind you need to pull the vang hard. This will bend the mast, flatten the sail, and then open the leech. The boat will become very controllable. You may need to ease this a bit on the tacks and always be sure to ease the vang at least an arms length before rounding the weather mark. Otherwise you could bend your mast. Vang tension is very critical in heavy conditions like this. Apply plenty when racing upwind. At the start, it does hurt your pointing ability so you may want it eased a bit, but not completely off. Cunnigham Pull this as hard as you can. The sail will flatten right out, especially along the front of the spar. You could never pull too hard on this control in this much wind. Traveler You can drop this up to 9” if it is this windy and you do not have the weight on the boat to hold it down. If you have a crew do not drop the traveler more than 6”. When sailing alone you could go 3” further. Set this control, leave it, and then work your mainsheet. Downwind Sailing Certainly, in this much wind you must reverse heel the boat. Your board should be dropped just ¼ of the way down. Do not sail downwind with both boards down. It is slow and it could cause you to tip over upon maneuvering. Apply vang downwind so that the boat is more stable. However, be sure to not over- steer on your gybes. The boom could catch the water and take you for a swim. To be safe, ease the vang a bit before a gybe in big air. Leaving the outhaul on when it is windy will not hurt your downwind speed. So, do not worry about this control. Worry about being in the wind, sailing safe and going fast. When you are sailing in waves keep your weight in your normal position. To avoid nose-diving just lean out so the boat is heeled. This will help to prevent nose- diving. If you see a big set of waves do not be afraid to trim in and head up 10-15 degrees to reach around them. Trim your sail, accelerate and then head down with your extra speed after the set of waves. READ MORE

The following tuning guide is meant to be a good starting point when setting up your Melges 20. Depending on total crew weight, wind and sea condition and sailing style you may have to alter your set up slightly from what is given here. As you read this tuning guide, write down any questions you might have and we will be happy to discuss them in detail with you. The goal of this tuning guide is to achieve a rig set up that is fast in all conditions upwind and down. Your new North sails are designed with this “all around” philosophy in mind. PRE-RACE PREPARATION One of the most important items you and your team can do in preparing for high performance racing is to have your Melges 20 ready to race. Listed in this section are just a few items we feel are critical for success on the racecourse. TRAILER AND BOAT Make sure when transporting your Melges 20 that the keel bulb always sits perfectly in the keel bed of the trailer. If the boat is sitting where she belongs on the trailer you will find the bulb resting perfectly in the keel bed with space in the keel box both in front and in back of the keel. Also packing pre-cut foam between the keel edges / sides and the keel box will help prevent any movement of the keel when trailing. It is important to ensure that the keel fin is not touching the hull fairing plate prior to trailing. It is also important to ensure that the boat stays forward against the bow guide when trailering. HULL, RUDDER AND KEEL Class rules do not allow re-shaping of these items. HULL – For traveling to regattas and general care of your new boat the investment of our bottom trailing cover and 1 piece top cover is well worth the protection it affords. RUDDER – The rudder should always be removed when not in use and kept in its padded rudder bag. Remember to always put away dry. KEEL – We just talked about taking care of your keel when the boat is on the trailer. When lowering the keel with the keel crane make sure you have rinsed out the keel box along with the keel guides. Make sure the keel box is free of any lines or padding. Also, make sure you keep the boat level when raising or lowering the keel to ensure the keel fin does not get damaged. LAUNCHING AND RETRIEVING Believe it or not this is when most damage occurs to Melges 20s. When trailer launching make sure the keel box is well packed with padding, as the keel wants to shift as soon as the transom starts floating. To ramp launch you will need to use the keel retractor crane and just lift the keel about ½” to ensure you do not damage the hull fairing plate. Make sure you pad the keel well on the leading and trailing edges and make sure you take great care when using the keel retraction crane. When using an electric hoist be sure to keep the boat level or maybe a few inches down in the bow. Again we are trying to protect the keel. Also by holding the bow down just a few inches we are protecting the spreaders from possibly hanging up on the hoist arm as the spreaders pass the arm. Keep in mind when you lower the bow the keel fin is vulnerable so care must be taken not to damage the keel fin. Make sure you use the aft leg of the lifting bridle attaching it to the transom to help keep the boat in a slight bow down attitude when lifting. When launching on a hoist it is best to use the keel retractor crane. Hook the keel retractor to the lifting ring on the keel, make sure the lift ring is screwed all the way in the top of the keel. Take tension on the keel lift winch and securely tie off the winch handle to the horn cleat. Install the lifting straps to the lifting pins alongside of the keel utilizing a luggage tag type install. Also, install the longer aft lifting strap through the top rudder gudgeon at the transom using a rudder pin. When hooking up the hoist, put one of the lifting straps over the hook, then the aft leg, then the last lifting strap. Now when you lift the boat take care not to hit the spreaders on the hoist arm. It is best to have the boat at 90 degrees or more to the hoist arm and hold the bow slightly down to keep the rig off the hoist. Keep the keel padding in place until the keel is ready to be lowered and be sure to always hold onto the winch handle, keep all body parts away from keel and take great care when lifting the keel or lowering the keel. It is a good idea to put some soap and water on the keel guide blocks and in the keel box to allow the keel to seat more easily. If the keel guide blocks do not line up fore and aft perfectly, put a body on the bow or the stern to help tilt the boat to line up the keel guides. DECK PREPARATION The factory Melges 20 comes ready to race. There are a few small class legal modifications that really help with sailing the boat. With your spinnaker up at maximum hoist mark the halyard with a black permanent marker. With your bow sprit fully extended also mark the tack line/bow sprit extender line. Make sure that you have the proper knot tied in the end of the line to account for it being tied to the tack of the spinnaker. It is best to tie the loop with about a 65mm or 2.5” loop to prevent the tack of the kite from binding on the bow sprit end plug. The bow sprit is shock corded to retract. Ensure that the shock cord is adjusted so that it is just enough to retract the bow sprit and not retract with too much force. Attach shockcord from the top of the forward stanchion to the upper shroud above the turnbuckle to prevent the spinnaker sheet from dropping in and catching on the shroud car. Apply some number scales to the jib track adjustment locations. Place these above where the jib sheet lead comes aft and above the spinnaker bag sock on the port side. Number 1 should align with the traveler car pin when the car is all the way forward on the track. (front of car even with front of track) Practice – Practice – Practice! It has been said that each mark rounding can be worth a minute on the course. Now that is a reference between the first group and the last group of boats. That is a lot of time and a majority of it comes at the corners and the first few minutes of a race. Knowing how your Melges 20 accelerates off the starting line is something you need to practice. Sets at the windward mark are critical, especially if you want to gybe right away. Having the ability to pass between two leeward gate marks absolutely requires that you and your crew understand all three spinnaker takedowns, the Mexican, the windward and the leeward. You do not have to have rock star crews in the Melges 20 class to be successful; you do need to have a regular steady crew who are willing to practice. If we had “Time On The Boat Meters” you would find the top finishing boats in our class had the most accumulated time together sailing the Melges 20. We highly recommend the spinnaker launch system with the retrieval line and spinnaker storage sock in the cockpit. The spinnaker take downs become quick, safe and easy. RIG SETUP MAST DOWN As the Melges 20 comes almost completely ready to race straight from the factory there is very little to do to prepare your boat and mast to be competitive. With the mast down, pull all the halyards down and tie off at the bottom, also make sure the turnbuckles are set evenly with similar amount of threads showing at the top and bottom of the open body. Another thing we like to do is tie some light weight shock cord between the two lower shrouds around the front of the mast 6”- 8” down from their attachment points, also above the lower spreader between the intermediates and the diamond stays, and below the port spreader, also between the Intermediates and around the front side of the forestay about 12” below their attachment points. This keeps the head of the spinnaker from getting jammed between the shrouds and mast on hoists and keeps the kite from getting caught above the lower spreader on a take down. Double check the spreader angle and symmetry: The following process is performed at the factory when doing the final rigging on every mast. Every mast is laser straightened so when adjusting the diamond statys make sure to keep them symmetrical. We are providing the process for future field checks. Using an angle finder, level the mast using the mast base, check the spreader sweep by placing a straight edge from tip to tip on the diamond shroud or use a string pulled tight. For masts built prior do July 2013: The upper spreader should measure from the string to the aft side of the mast track 9.2cm and the lower spreader should measure 31cm. DO NOT ADJUST SPREADER ANGLE FORWARD OF 9 cm AT TOP AND 30 cm AT THE LOWER SPREADERS OR THIS WILL VOID THE MAST WARRANTY. Spreader angles too far forward makes the mast less forgiving and more prone to inversion with the spinnaker up in heavy wind. For masts built after July 1st, 2013 utilizing dyform rigging we use the following spreader angles: The upper spreader should be set to 115 mm, the lower spreader set to 320 mm. To make sure the spreaders are symmetrical, use an angle finder and find zero or level at the mast base, then check the angle on the port spreader and then the starboard spreader. Adjust as needed to make symmetrical and at the same time maintaining the correct sweep. Make sure that the turnbuckle adjuster has at least 4 turns onto the threaded stud. After setting the spreader angle adjust the diamond stays so that you have approximately 75mm (3”) of prebend in the mast and sight up the tunnel and adjust the diamonds to make sure the mast is straight side to side. Once the rig is ready to step you can slide the mast aft, place the diamond stay over the keel and lock in the mast base to the mast step deck plate. Rest the mast in the mast support on the rear mast hold down bunk. Now, attach the Intermediate shrouds to the outer shroud cars, make sure the shroud cars are all the way forward on the tracks. Also, attach the lower shrouds to the inner sidestay cars and insure that they are all the way forward on the tracks. You will want to ease both intermediates and lowers out at least ¾ of the way on the turnbuckles to ease in attaching the forestay for the very first mast stepping. Set the diamond stays so that there is approximately 75mm (3”) of prebend in the mast. By tensioning the diamond stays you put more prebend in the rig. The diamonds accomplish two important tuning tasks. First, they put prebend in the mast to better fit the luff curve in the mainsail and set the rig up to sail in a wide variety of conditions without needing a backstay. The other important aspect of the diamond stays is that they support the top of the mast when you are flying the Asymmetrical spinnaker. So, it is important to have enough tension on the diamonds to support the mast with the gennaker is flying. Refer to tuning matrix chart in PDF. Before stepping the mast it is best to pre furl the jib furler so it is ready to go before stepping the mast. When furling the jib it should furl counter clockwise, so, to wind up the drum turn it clockwise until the drum has filled up with the furling line. It is possible to step the mast alone but will be easier if you have some one pull forward on the forestay as you walk up the mast. Ensure that the mast base stays securely locked in the deck plate and does not come out as you are walking the mast up. Also, place a sail bag, or the provided keel fin cover over the keel to protect the mast and keel from scratching when raising and lowering the mast. The spinnaker sail bag also works well for this or the factory supplied keel fin cover. Once the mast is up, attach the Forestay to the furling tang. MAST UP With mast stepped attach a 15M or 50’ tape measure to the main halyard and hoist to the top and lock off on the halyard latch. Check to see that the mast is close to centered by measuring to the top of the outer shroud track at the same position on both sides of the boat. Tighten/loosen the upper shrouds on each side so that the mast is centered side to side. With the main halyard locked in the up position, measure to the intersection of the transom and the bottom of the hull. The measurement should be 9310mm or 30’6-1/2”. Tighten or loosen the turnbuckle on the forestay to achieve this measurement. Use the follwing setting for masts built prior to July 2013 with 1X19 shrouds.: You will have to adjust the upper tension when adjusting the forestay to maintain a constant tension on the uppers of 250Kg (550lbs) when checking the mast rake. The upper shroud cars should be in the max forward position for tuning at base. The diamonds should read a tension of approximately 95Kg (210lbs) when the uppers are set at 250Kg tension. Now, move the lower shroud car two holes aft and measure the lower shroud tension at 130Kg (285lbs) and sight up the mast on the aft tunnel side to insure that it is straight side to side. Dial in the settings to achieve the desired tensions with the shroud cars in the base positions. Be sure to adjust the diamond stays to this setting with the tension gauge and to set the uppers and the diamonds to this tension to check the final mast rake. Finally, recheck to be sure the mast tip is centered side to side and that the mast rake is 9310mm or 30’6-1/2”. For masts built after July 2013 with dyform shrouds we use the following base settings using the Loos PT-1 gauge to check the tensions. Note that dyform will produce a higher tension reading for the same tension compared to 1X19. Set the uppers at 275kg (#39), lowers at 135kg (#28), diamonds at 175kg (#28). RIG TENSION he tension on the upper shrouds is critical to the upwind shape of primarily the jib and to a smaller degree the mainsail. For maximum speed it is important to adjust the shroud car position on the upper and lower shrouds depending on wind and sea conditions. The Melges 20 is designed with shroud tracks on ramps to facilitate ease of rig tune with minimal turnbuckle adjusting. As the wind increases you can move the upper shroud cars aft to increase rig tension and headstay tension. This in turn helps flatten the jib and depower the rig. So as you start to get overpowered start to move the upper shroud cars aft on the tracks. You will want to be all the way aft by approximately 16knots of wind. The class rules allow for purchase on the sidestay cars to allow the cars to be adjusted more easily. Visit www.melges.com for the latest shroud adjustment system set up. The lower shrouds control the side-to-side sag or bend of the mast, how much the mast can bend forward in the middle, and the headstay sag. We set the lowers so that when both cars are all the way forward in approximately 7 knots of wind there is approximately 10mm of sag in the mast at the lower spreader. After you have set up the uppers to the correct wind speed, sail the boat on both tacks checking the mast sag side to side and adjusting the lowers according to the wind speed. Also, check the mainsail depth. If the main is overbending or showing a wrinkle into the mast below the bottom spreader you either need to ease off the diamond tension a bit if the breeze is lighter or pull the lowers aft on the tracks if it is breezier. This will straighten the lower mast section and increase headstay tension flattening the jib. Generally we like to set up the rig so that the main sets up fairly flat with the lower cars at base when we are sitting on the windward side of the boat. With this set up we can pull the lower cars aft to power up the main when needed and not have to pull too much vang on to flatten the mainsail. Generally, if the mainsail is backwinding with the jib in max trim position,(top leach telltale just on the verge of stalling at times but flowing 100% of the time) then you need to bend the mast more to flatten the sail. You can do this either by tightening the diamonds or moving the lower shroud car forward. You will want to just take out the backwinding in the main and not go too far unless you are overpowered and are looking to depower the mainsail further. Using the North tuning chart in the PDF as a guideline for shroud tensions in the given wind conditions, we then play the cars to fine tune the power in the boat. Generally, if you are all the way aft on the shroud cars and still need to depower the rig further it is time to tighten to the next step in the tuning chart. If you are never moving the cars aft on a beat then generally, you are too tight and should loosen to the next step down on the chart. Note that in heavy wind it is important to move the lower shroud cars forward 2 holes from your upwind setting prior to going downwind to allow the mast to bend forward down low and reduce the tendancy for the mast to inverse bend with the gennaker up. SPEED TARGETS Speed targets are important on any keelboat. If you dial in a good feel for a target speed in all the different conditions you will find that your performance gains will be significant. Upwind targets are more important than downwind but both will be helpful. Upwind we have developed the following target range that we have found to be fast. An important note is that you need to use an accurate through the water speedo and that a GPS based system will not be accurate enough. 5 to 7 knots of wind = 4.7 to 4.9 knots of boat speed 7 to 10 knots of wind = 4.9 to 5.1 knots of boat speed 10 to 13 knots of wind = 5.1 to 5.3 knots of boat speed 13 to 18 knots of wind = 5.3 to 5.7 knots of boat speed 15+ = > 5.7 knots of boat speed Downwind the condition where targets pay off the most is in the low soak mode. This speed changes a lot depending on wave and wind conditions and is best called by the tactician for each given condition based on boat to boat performance. SAIL TRIM MAINSAIL TRIM Because the Melges 20 does not have a backstay or main traveler it is relatively simple to trim the main and steer requiring very little movement by the helmsperson. Like other boats main trim on the Melges 20 is keyed off the end of the top horizontal batten. In light to moderate air we trim the main so that the telltale on the top batten is stalled about 25% of the time (the second telltale from the top -at the second batten, is flying 100% of the time). As the wind increases both telltales will fly all the time. In light to moderate air the back end of the top batten should be parallel to the centerline on the boat, in heavy air it will be pointed out as much as 30 degrees. With the square top mainsail on the Melges 20 it is important to not over trim the mainsail. Twist is your friend, when it doubt, ease it out to get the boat going through the water. Also, keeping the mainsail trim soft and very twisted sometimes in order to sail the boat very flat can be very fast. It is important to experiment with given heel angles and main sheet tension in different conditions to see what is working the best. Following is an overview of each main control and how it should be adjusted. Outhaul The Melges 20 likes to have some power down low in the mainsail so we like to keep the outhaul eased about 10-25mm in from the band In most conditions. In the heavy air setting we tend to pull the outhaul out to the band to flatten the sail, especially in flat water. In rougher seas it may be fast to keep the outhaul a bit looser to make the main fuller down low. Vang We use the vang upwind as soon as the boat is overpowered. At the early stages of being overpowered we simply snug the vang to help induce mast bend and flatten the mainsail. As you become more overpowered we pull the vang harder to flatten the mainsail and vang sheet. Downwind adjust the vang so the top batten telltale is always flowing, twist is generally good. Generally the vang with the slack taken out of it upwind will be too tight for downwind sailing. It is a good idea to put a number scale on the boom next to the vang track to keep track of fast settings and for an approximate downwind setting. A medium vang setting for the offset reach leg and then a loose setting for the run provides the best performance. Cunnigham We use the Cunningham on the Melges 20 as another one of the depowering tools. We pull on just enough to remove any horizontal wrinkles in the sail as soon as we start to get overpowered. As you become overpowered experiment with a very hard Cunningham to flatten the main, pull the draft forward and twist open the head. Again, different wave conditions warrant different settings so you must experiment to find the fast setting. Downwind the Cunningham should be off. JIB TRIM Because the jib on the Melges 20 is a high aspect sail (tall and skinny) it is very sensitive to small adjustments in jib sheet tension. Tightening or easing the jib sheet 1/2” can have a big effect on boat speed and pointing. The Melges 20 jib halyard is set up on a halyard lock system similar to the mainsail. Some adjustment of jib height may be required using an extra shackle on the head of the jib. The standard setting sets the jib so the foot is just off the deck in light air and just touching in more breeze as the shrouds are tightened and is generally a good setting. Generally in light to medium breeze set the jib lead so that when luffing slowly into the wind the luff breaks evenly. As the wind builds you will want to move the lead aft to flatten the foot and twist the head of the jib to depower. It is a good idea to put some numbers and dashes corresponding to the different jib car positions on the track. We like to have a dash and number at each hole that the pull pin plunger will seat into. The first dash and #1 will start at the 4th hole back from the front end of the track, at this position the front of the car will be flush with the front of the track. The Base setting for the jib car is #3. This puts the car in a position where the aft end of the car splits the second bolt from the front of the track. In winds below about 15 knots it is legal to inhaul the windward jib sheet to narrow the sheeting angle on the jib. This is legal to do and is sometimes fast. It only requires a slight tension on the windward sheet to make a noticeable difference. Take care not to over inhaul as this will be slow. In light to medium conditions we inhaul as much as 25mm on the clew of the jib. It is best to mark the jib sheets in a way that you can easily replicate settings from tack to tack. When in doubt, ease it out! Note: On the newer jibs we’re finding that inhauling is rarely required so take care when inhauling. We have placed a telltale on the upper leech (near the spreaders) of the jib to help you judge how tight or loose the sheet should be. The general rule of thumb is to trim the sheet hard enough so that the upper leech telltale is just on the edge of stalling, but never stalled. Just as with the mainsail it will be easy to stall the telltale in light air and very hard to stall in heavy air even with the sheet trimmed very hard. Jib Cloth Tension Adjust the small line at the tack of the jib so the luff of the sail has some slight wrinkles coming off it. It will be necessary to change the tension depending on the wind speed to keep the wrinkles the same in most conditions. In very heavy air, tension the luff so that the sail is smooth. In flat water it will sometimes be fast to carry some horizontal wrinkles off the luff. Leechcord Be sure that your leech cord is not too tight. It is very easy to put a lot of tension on the cord in heavy air and have it too tight in light air. The key is to just stop the flutter in the leach if there is any. SPINNAKER TRIM Spinnaker trim on the Melges 20 is much easier than that of a conventional poled boat. There are a few tricks that can make you faster downwind and make your sail handling easier. You will want to set up the spinnaker sheets to always gybe inside the luff of the kite. So the tack line would be over the top of the spinnaker sheet as it comes aft to the kite. When rigging – “tack over sheet” is your reminder. Always trim the kite so it is on the edge of collapsing on the luff, it is not fast to over trim the kite. Gybing the Asymmetric On the gybe, the fastest method is to have the trimmer ease the kite as the boat heads down, then the forward crew starts to trim the new sheet as quickly as possible to fill the kite on the new gybe. This is called the pre gybe and requires the driver to bear away to almost dead down wind and wait for the clew of the kite to be about half way from the headstay to the side shrouds before turning onto the new gybe. Mexican Gybe In heavier wind the Mexican style gybe works the best. It is also best to sail with the jiboutdownwindinplaningconditions. So, the trimmer will want to trim the jib in so that it is snug, the driver goes into the gybe straight away, the trimmer trims the kite in as the boat heads down, the kite fills and backs into the tight jib once the wind hits the kite and jib on the other tack, trimmer blows off the sheet and trims the new sheet as quickly as possible and releasing the jib sheet as soon as possible. When performed properly the kite will blow across the headstay and fill with a pop on the leeward side. Spinnaker Sets Forward crew pulls the spinnaker halyard up and the second crew pulls the tack/ pole out. Or, vice/verse, either way works well. Spinnaker Douse There are three types of takedowns: the windward, the leeward, and the “Mexican”. The windward douse is used when doing a port rounding and you are approaching the mark on port tack. The “Mexican” is for rounding a mark to port but your approach is relatively shallow on a starboard tack. The leeward douse is for rounding a mark to starboard while on starboard tack or when you approach the mark at a very sharp angle while on starboard tack and you will have to gybe quickly around a mark leaving it to port. For the leeward douse, you can either grab the lazy sheet off of the clew, or grab the sheet just above the anti hiking pad to strap the foot. The helmsperson then must bear off slightly, the clew should be pulled in under the mainsail to prevent the kite from blowing over the leech of the mainsail, and then the tack line must be blown off completely. The halyard should then be fed down as the crew gather the spinnaker. The key here is to maintain the tack and foot of the kite and keep it out of the water, also watch for the kite blowing behind the leach of the mainsail. For the windward douse, the skipper can sail low, while the crew start to trim the windward sheet to pull the kite around to the windward side the forward crew should blow off the tack to unload the pressure off the kite. The clew should be grabbed inside the shrouds and start to stuff the kite in the bag gathering leach first for about 1/3 and then grab both. Steer under the foot to keep the kite on the deck. For the “Mexican”, as you approach the leeward mark on starboard, the helmsperson should bear off into a slow gybe, the trimmer will over-trim the sheet as the boat gybes to port. Just as the boat is headed directly down wind and the mainsail begins to gybe, blow off the halyard. The spinnaker will blow against the rig and fall on the deck. When the sail is 2/3rds the way down release the tack and stuff the spinnaker in its bag. Practice of these three douses is vital to success on the racecourse. Spinnaker Douse with Take Down Line We highly recommend using the take down system on the Melges 20. This system adds greatly to the ease and simplicity of taking the gennaker down. With this system the entire process is simplified. The middle crew typically starts to inhaul the takedown line while counting down 3-2-1 and at zero the forward crew release the gennaker halyard and the tack line guiding the lines out so they do not snag. We always ease the halyard first, even on leeward drops. On a leeward drop after the halyard is eased and the tack released the forward crew should tend to the foot and tack of the kite to keep it out of the water. The driver needs to bear away to flatten the boat. The forward crew can help to stuff the last part of the kite into the sock. On the set, it is helpful to pull the kite forward to the front of the sock to help it come out easier. Also, tending the kite halyard so it runs out freely helps insure a clean set. Crew Positioning Generally in light wind, you want to sit as far forward as possible between the stanchions. Keep in mind that you are not allowed to be in front of the mast. Downwind, you will want to also sit forward and heel the boat to windward as soon as you have enough pressure to sail deep. As the wind builds you want to move the weight aft upwind so the middle crew is centered on the mainsheet swivel. Downwind when planing everyone slide aft as far as possible unless you are in marginal planing conditions. Then it is best to keep the weight more centered and move the weight fore and aft to get the best feel in the boat and keep her planing as long as possible. IMPORTANT TIPS FOR SAILING DOWNWIND IN HEAVY AIR CONDITIONS Make sure the rig is set up for the wind and see conditions Keep the outer shroud cars max aft Big ease on the kite or blow off the sheet in extreme puffs and waves with bow bury Mainsail sheeted in with vang off or if main is eased have some vang on CONCLUSION The Melges 20 is one of the most exciting new boats available today with rapidly growing fleets and excellent one design racing. We hope all of the tips we mentioned are helpful to your Melges 20 sailing program. Let us remind you that these are the most important and obvious helpful hints that we have provided. Our experts will be happy to go further in detail with you anytime. Rev R12 READ MORE

Download Australian Setup Quick Tuning Chart Congratulation on your purchase of North One Design Etchells sails. The following tuning guide is meant to be a good starting point in setting your Etchells rig and sails. (Download the PDF for tables and images.) We recognize that each Etchells vary slightly from boat to boat and rig to rig. Following are 4 easy steps to set your Etchells up to establish your “BASE” positions for your mast step, rake, upper and lower tensions. You will see on the last page our Quick Tuning Chart with the base position setup for 6 to 9 knots TWS (True Wind Speed). Set your boat up to the “BASE”, and then apply our average wind range settings (yellow). From here we recommend that if necessary you customize and develop your own settings in the boxes provided (orange). We recommend that you return your boat to “BASE” settings after each days sailing, reducing the chance of losing track of your fast rig settings. Write down the upper and lower turnbuckle calibrations to aid you with returning to BASE setting after each day. RIG SETUP SPREADERS Before stepping your mast, make sure your spreaders are the same length by measuring from the shrouds perpendicular to the side of the mast. The spreaders should be fixed in place straight out, without any sweep forward or aft. Place two tape marks on the spreaders, 1’ 6 ¼” and 1’ 9 ¾” from the side of the mast. These will be used as a reference for jib sheet tension. MAST STEP The mast step position controls the pre- bend. Setting up with the correct amount of pre-bend is the platform to control both mainsail and jib shape. Pre-bend relates to forestay sag, being the principle control over the jib sectional shape and your steering groove. The pre-bend is governed by the relationship between the offset position on your mast partner, the alignment of the mast step and your spreader angles, a variable you cannot tune on the water. By working back from the mast partners we eliminate building variables reproducing a consistent pre- bend in your mast to marry the mainsail luff curve. Moving the mast step changes the amount the spreader engages or disengages with the uppers. By moving the mast step aft the pre-bend is increased and conversely moving the mast step forward reduces the pre-bend. This is an important step in matching your mainsail luff curve with your mast bend. This can be customized in the orange mast step box. Measuring from the aft edge of the mast partner, measure aft along the centerline of the deck 12’ and make a mark. From this mark on the aft deck measure 12’ 6 ½” to the intersection of the aft face of the mast section and mark the mast step “I” beam. This is now your “BASE” mast step position, for winds between 6 to 12 knots. MAST RAKE BASE Rake Setting – Disconnect the forestay above deck and swing it into the mast and mark the top of the gooseneck black bands onto the forestay. Reconnect the forestay and set the rake up at a distance of 48” measured from the black band mark down to the deck following the forestay. From BASE, in light airs we increase the forestay length by up to ¼” being 48 ¼”, subject to your boat helm balance. MAST RAKE DEVELOPMENTS In recent times we have seen a trend towards adjusting rake for conditions. The basic rule is longer forestay in light winds to induce weather helm/ feel, and carry a shorter forestay as the wind increases, which will reduce weather helm. If you wish to experiment with this variable we suggest trying base plus ¼” in light and base minus ¼” in fresh conditions. IMPORTANT: Mast step should be left at BASE position if MAST RAKE is adjusted around wind speed.   UPPER SHROUDS POSITION AND TENSION Check mast if it is square in boat, by measuring from chain plate to chain plate with the jib halyard (or tape measure) from hounds. Place the upper in chain plate hole # 2 (from the bow). Set the upper tension up using the following steps to achieve “BASE” being 6 to 12 knots TWS. Remove chocks, set backstay so forestay is tensioned to # 10 on the PT-2 ( Loos Gauge). Forestay and mast step must be on BASE. LOWER SHROUDS POSITION AND TENSION To establish the 6 to 12 kts TWS “BASE” lower tension place the lower in 4th hole from the front of chain plates. Adjust each lower to read ten on the Loos gauge sighting the mast track is straight. Then take four turns off to establish the 9 to 12 kts TWS “BASE” measurement. Four turns are for one end type turnbuckle (Brolga and Ronstan). If you have a double end turnbuckle, please divide the number by two. The lowers affect the amount of mid mast sag (side bend). Controlling sag is crucial to setting up mainsail shape and affects helm/balance. Think of the mid sag being similar to how the head stay sag affects the jib. More middle mast sag in light air powers up the mainsail, and less sag in heavy air helps de-power the mainsail. Final adjustment of the lowers should be made while sailing by eyeing up the mast and judging the amount of mid mast sag in fractions. Please note that in fresh conditions the mid mast shall be straight or slightly to windward of a straight line when sighting up the mast track. MAST BLOCKS The function of the mast blocks is to adjust the bend in the mast for the conditions. Combined with the backstay and mainsheet tension, the mast blocks will control the bend of the mast and sag of the headstay, which helps the main and jib achieve a fast sail shape for the wind strength. When blocks are added in front of the mast, (step block raised) the bend is taken out, stiffening the mast for heavier air. This will have a great influence in decreasing your headstay sag. As the blocks are taken out from the front of the mast, (step block lowered) the mast is allowed to bend which moves the draft aft in the main, and adds to headstay sag. If the mainsail looks too flat, or the headstay looks too loose, producing lee-helm, the mast should be moved back at the partners. If not possible, because mast is already against back of partners, then the mast step should be moved forward. If the mainsail looks full (round in the lower front area) and the headstay is too tight, move the mast forward at the partners or move the step aft. MAIN CUNNINGHAM Cunningham should not be used until 15 knots and more. JIB SETTINGS JIB LEAD The measurement for an average lead position is 8’ 6 ½” from headstay at the deck to the middle of the jib car. To add power to the jib the lead can be moved forward as much as ¾”. Remember though, the lead position will have to be adjusted with any jib halyard changes. We have found that when the jib lead is set properly, the foot sets very flat. Jib Twist and Sheet Tension – We sail with two black bands on the spreaders as described in the “Rig set up” section. Measuring from the side of the mast along the spreader to the inside band should be 1’ 6 ¼”. The outside band measures 1’ 9 ¾” from the mast to the band. Using these bands allows the leech of the jib to be adjusted while looking through the spreader window of the mainsail, and increases sheet tension accuracy for different conditions. In light air, the leech of the jib should fall just inside the outside band. As the breeze builds the sheet tension will get tighter, up to the point where the leech of the jib is at the inside band. As the breeze and sea conditions build, the sheet will be adjusted to keep the leech between the bands. In 18+ knots the leech will line up with the middle of the outside band. In huge puffs you may want to be even further out to help keep the boat in control. On all our jibs we have placed a leech tell tale between the two top battens. This leech tell tale, will help determine the correct sheet tension. For best performance, the leech tale should be on the verge of stalling at all times. Jib Halyard Tension – We have a jib halyard with 2 balls at 1” increments. Together with the jib halyard fine tune we get plenty of adjustability as the breeze increases and decreases. As a starting point the jib halyard should be adjusted with the tack of the jib about 3” from the deck. In light to medium winds adjust the halyard so wrinkles are barely visible at each tab. We recommend adjusting the tack, for fine-tuning of the jib luff tension. Completely releasing the tack control will quickly add power to the sail for acceleration out of tacks. In light to medium conditions, for maximum power, the jib luff should have very little tension and some scallops should be noticed. In breezy conditions, tension the luff quite hard to depower and hold the draft forward. The LM-2H and GM-6.5 jibs are made standard with “dual set of tabs” for added wind range and versatility. Using the long tabs will add fullness and allow for a tighter headstay in choppy conditions. Generally we use the long tabs in winds below 12-15 knots. As a general rule, if you are not pulling on the backstay to depower, it is probably faster to use the long tabs. Special note on the top batten pocket for your North Sails Etchells jib: Your jib comes standard with both a full length and short top batten. Using the full length top batten can increase the effective wind range of your jib. We suggest always using the short top batten in your jib in winds up to 8 Kts. When winds pick up above 8 Kts, remove the short batten and install the full length top batten. Also use the full length top batten when sail gets older. Any questions, please give us a call. SPINNAKER SETTINGS RIG SETUP WHILE RUNNING Getting the mast raked as far forward as possible is critical to downwind speed. Take out all the blocks in front of the mast (completely lower the step block) after you get the spinnaker up. Ease the backstay off until the mast just rest on the front of the partners. The tip of the mast has moved through several feet, and the entire mast is now angling forward in the boat. To keep the mast from jumping around, it is common to have a separate piece of line attached to your jib tack shackle with a clip at the other end. Lower the jib to the deck, and attach the clip to the jib halyard shackle on the jib head. Pull the jib halyard tight. Keep the inboard end of the pole approximately 30” above the gooseneck band. Under 8 knots of wind, the pole angle should be about 2 – 4” lower at the outboard end. In 8 – 13 knots of breeze the pole should be about parallel to the water. In over 13 knots, the pole should be raised as much as 6 additional inches at the outboard end. SAIL CARE Always store your sails away from the sun and make sure they are clean and completely dry. Be sure that you always “roll “ your upwind sails. This will help then last longer and remain wrinkle free. 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BOAT PREPARATION MAST AND SHROUD TENSION The Loose Rig To measure the aft rake of your mast, hoist a tape measure on the main halyard and hold it tight at the intersection of the transom and the rear deck. This measurement (without your jib up), should be 28’ 4” to 28’ 5 1/2”. On our boat we have placed a channel adjuster above the deck at the joint of the forestay and the wire attached to the toggle. This allows us to quickly adjust the rake and lengthen the forestay if necessary. To measure the “slop” of the rig, you need to measure the forward rake of the mast. With the tape still hoisted, push the mast forward until the shrouds restrict it. The difference between this forward measurement and the aft measurement should be approximately 2-3”. The Tight Rig The tight rig tuning is only functional with the jib cut for this tuning. A Loose Rig, or even a Snug jib put on a tight rig will be too flat, especially in medium winds. First, drop your shrouds as low as possible in your channel adjusters. This should put the very bottom of the swage fork on your shrouds just barely above the actual chain plate that exits the hull. Raise the mast; hook your jib halyard to your bow plate (and perhaps tie your spinnaker halyard on the bow plate as well as a safety). Tighten the jib halyard until tensioned close to the suggested tension of 240lbs. We use a 3/8” socket wrench in the halyard box to crank the rig up tight enough. The standard aluminum cranks will break if used. It may be a trial and error process until you’ve reached the proper rig and tension. However, once achieved, you will not have to readjust the rig again! We suggest setting your rig up with the rig tension between 220 and 250 pounds. If less than 220, too much headstay sag will develop in medium winds, if more than 250; the mast may be pushed out of column in heavier winds. The rake measurement, measured with a tape hooked on the main halyard to the joint of the transom on the back deck, should be very close to 28’4”- 28’5”. Farther forward than 28’5 1/2” will result in too “light” of a helm and the need to heel the boat more to keep in balanced. More rake than 28’3” will create too much weather helm. Snug Rig Jib The Snug Rig jib will tune very similar to the Tight Rig, using the same methods and tools above. The rake measurement should still set very close to the 28’ 4”-28’ 5”. The rig tension will be considerably less then the tight rig, however. Set the rig to 80-110 lbs measured on the forestay. NO MORE TOGGLE It is no longer necessary to use the toggle to set your rake, jib luff tension or slop in the rig. In fact, you will never ever need to look at it again; your forestay will take the entire rig load while your jib halyard will simply adjust cloth tension. RUDDER BLADE In the past we have indicated in our Tuning Guides that the angle of the rudder blade to the rudder head should be set so the blade is much closer to parallel to the rudder head than comes stock from the factory. This has meant moving the blade and redrilling the rudder blade hole. We have found that this change is not necessary and in some cases has perhaps contributed to rudder blade bending due to increased leverage on the blade. Instead we feel confidant that setting the rudder blade angle similar to what come stock from the factory (the forward lower tip is approximately 5” aft of a straight line tangent to the forward edge of the rudder blade and parallel to the forward edge of the rudder head) increases the strength of the rudder blade without compromising speed or pointing ability. SAIL TRIM MAIN SHEET TRIM The main should be trimmed so that the upper batten is parallel to the boom (sighted from under the boom looking up the sail). In lighter winds, or when sailing in a great deal of chop, it is helpful to ease the mainsheet slightly so the upper batten is angled out approximately 5º. In drifting conditions, when the boom is hanging on the leech and hooking the upper batten, set the upper batten parallel to centerline of the boat. Only in drifting conditions should the main be trimmed this way, as this will place the boom approximately 2’ (61 cm) off from centerline. In very heavy winds, with the help of the boom vang, set the mainsheet tension so the upper batten is again angled outboard approximately 5º from parallel to the boom. It is important, in winds above 15 mph, to apply heavy boom vang tension so the mast and boom will bend correctly to sufficiently flatten the sail. When proper vang tension is applied it is not unusual that the boom be deflected from the straight line nearly 3 to 4” (7.6 to 10.2 cm) in heavy breezes. This heavy boom vang tension will help make playing the main much easier, as the sheet will not have quite as much strain as it does in even moderate winds. Note: Make sure when rounding the windward mark that the boom vang is eased off so more strain is not applied to the mast and boom! MAINSAIL STEERS THE FLYING SCOT The mainsail is very important in steering the Scot. The skipper should always hold his mainsheet and be ready to ease it quickly when he feels an increase in his weather helm (i.e. load on the helm acts as a brake). When the boat is tracking well again, and the helm is balanced, he should slowly trim the mainsail back in. Note: Double check that your mainsheet swivel cleat is angled properly for easy release in a puff. It is dangerous, and slow, to have to use your foot to kick the sheet free from the cleat to release it! CUNNINGHAM/MAIN HALYARD TENSION Pull the Cunningham just tight enough to leave a hint of horizontal wrinkles off the lower one-third luff of the sail. With the North Flying Scot main, it is better to err towards being too loose than being too tight. Of course, in a breeze it will require much more Cunningham tension to smooth the sail, but there should still be a hint of horizontal wrinkles. It is important to start with the proper main halyard tension at the dock. There is a definite tendency to over-tension the halyard and pull all the wrinkles from the luff before any Cunningham is applied. This is especially important to avoid in lighter winds. BOOM VANG Downwind, trim the vang just hard enough to keep the boom down and the leech supported on the main. Still use the guide of setting the upper batten being set slightly out from parallel to the boom. When the boom vang is trimmed correctly on a beam to broad reach, the telltale should fly straight off the leech at the upper batten. There is a tendency for the boom vang to be pulled on too hard when sailing downwind, especially in light winds. This will over- tighten the upper leech and, due to the side bend of the mast, over flatten the mainsail. However, it is also easy to “under-vang” in heavier winds downwind and loose valuable power from the top of the main. Be conscious of your top telltale. As previously mentioned, upwind in heavy air, the vang is set hard enough to restrict the upward movement of the boom to just allow the upper batten to ease no more than 5° to 10° past parallel to the boom. In these conditions, as mentioned, the mainsheet simply acts as a traveler and allows the boom to move mostly sideways and outboard. With each wind velocity the vang tension applied depends primarily on crew weight. Lighter weight crews will tension the vang earlier due to becoming overpowered earlier, while heavier crews might not need boom vang tension until much heavier winds. OUTHAUL Your North mainsail is constructed with a shelf foot so it is possible to make the lower half of the main deeper when sailing downwind. Usually the outhaul is tight enough upwind so that there will be only a 1 1/2” to 2” (3.8 cm to 5.1 cm) gap between the side of the boom and the shelf-foot seam in the middle of the foot. In heavy winds, pull the outhaul tighter to close the shelf and flatten the main. In extremely heavy winds, above 18 mph, the outhaul should be tight enough so there is a hard crease from the tack to the clew. In lighter winds or choppy seas, ease the outhaul until the gap between the side of the boom and the shelf seam is 2”. When going downwind, ease the outhaul (if there is time and opportunity) until the gap is a full 3-4”. JIB LUFF TENSION As wind velocity changes, it is necessary to change the luff tension on your jib (such as the Cunningham on the main). Simply crank your jib up tight enough to barely leave a hint of wrinkles along the luff. These will appear as “crow’s feet” off each snap. Never leave the halyard tension loose enough so that there is “sag” between each snap, but only crank the halyard so tight that the crow’s feet are removed in heavy winds when overpowered. There is no need to adjust the lashing at the head of your jib if you use the above suggestions. JIB LEAD POSITION In most conditions, keep the leads maximum forward on the tracks. In heavy winds and when overpowered, move the leads all the way aft on the tracks. JIB SHEET TRIM: WINDWARD SHEET TRIM Proper leeward and windward jib sheet tensions are important for top upwind performance in the Flying Scot. In light and moderate winds, the windward sheet is tensioned upwind in order to pull the clew of the jib to windward of the jib lead track. This will help narrow the slot (since the Scot’s jib slot is normally too wide) and make the lower sections of the jib more powerful. To set up the trim for upwind sailing pull the leeward sheet until the foot of the jib is just smooth and not curled. The foot should be relatively flat and not baggy, but not so flat that the very bottom of the sail begins to curl up. Next pull in the windward sheet until the clew of the jib falls directly over the middle of the seat. On our boat we actually place a tape mark in the middle of the seat to make it easier to eyeball the position of the clew. With the weather sheet trimmed the jib foot will become much fuller which will increase the boat’s power and ability to accelerate. Once the boat is up to top speed pull the leeward sheet again until the foot is flatter and the upper batten is angled straight back nearly parallel to the center line of the boat. When hitting chop or sailing into a lull, ease only the leeward sheet so that the top batten angles outboard 15 to 20 degrees. When back up to speed, pull the leeward sheet back in until the top batten is nearly straight back. Throughout this acceleration process the weather sheet is never eased unless the boat is sailing in very light, nearly drifting conditions or very heavy winds (see below). In this condition the boat will be nearly “close reached” around the course and the weather sheet, therefore will not be applied. We have found that in heavy winds and when the boat is overpowered the windward sheet will be well eased and at times all the way off. This is necessary because as the mainsheet is eased, you will need to help maintain an open slot between the jib and the main. Also this allows the leech of the jib to open up and be more forgiving, both in terms of heel and steering. ATTACHING JIB SHEETS It is best to tie the jib sheet onto the jib with an overhand know so that the knot is 6” away from the clew of the jib. This is important so that when windward sheeting pull from the windward sheet is primarily across instead of directly down. With the knot 6” away from the clew the windward sheet attaches to the jib lower and therefore pulls more sideways. If you are sailing with 2:1 sheets, the blocks should be tied about 6” from the clew of the jib. CREW WEIGHT While the Flying Scot will perform with an extremely wide range of crew weights, we suggest trying to sail with as close to 360 to 450 lb. as possible. CENTERBOARD Keep the board all the way down when sailing upwind in all conditions. In heavier winds you may find that the helm balances even better when the board is rolled back from the bottom of the hump 1” to 2”. In very heavy, near survival, winds lower your board only to where the rollers are just touching the flat at the bottom of the hump. Downwind remember to pull the board up to match the helm balance. On a reach it is not unusual for the board to be as high as 3/4 of the way up when it is breezy. Remember that the only goal is to balance the helm when sailing off the wind and pulling the board up until the boat will almost sail itself when nearly flat will greatly help to improve the boat’s speed. SPINNAKER TRIM Always sail your North spinnaker with a 6” to 12” curl in the luff. Careful concentration is necessary. Use short, smooth, in and out motions on the sheet to keep the spinnaker trimmed correctly. Try to keep from jerking the sheet when the spinnaker begins to collapse! Keep the clews even at all times through adjustments to your topping lift (pole). In some conditions it is difficult to see the leeward clew behind the mainsail, so you can use another guide, which is to adjust the pole height so that the center vertical seam in the spinnaker is parallel to the mast. We suggest easing the halyard so that the head of the spinnaker is 6” off the mast. When running, in nearly all conditions, we suggest sitting fairly far aft in the Flying Scot. It is not unusual for the skipper to be up against the aft side of the cockpit with his crew just in front of him, especially when windy. SHIM YOUR BOARD On Scot’s older than 5 years it may be helpful to shim the centerboard and trunk for top upwind speed. When sailing through chop an unshimmed board can slop around and become quite inefficient. By gluing fiberglass battens or applying thickened epoxy to the inside of the trunk where the bottom meets the inside of the trunk, the board can be shimmed tightly so that sideways slop will be minimized when the board is fully lowered. STEERING THE SNUG AND TIGHT RIG JIBS In light to medium winds, these jibs will steer just similar to the loose rig style jib. When pointing high, allow the weather telltale to stall, but never sail lower than the leeward telltale on the luff of the jib-streaming straight aft. When accelerating, both telltales should be straight aft. However, in breeze, when the boat is overpowered, it will be unusual, unless sailing through very large waves, that the weather telltale will not show a stall. In fact, in very breezy conditions, the luff of the jib will actually be breaking as far back as 12 inches. With the tight rig jib the groove is quite wide and when trying to accelerate, both telltales will nearly be straight aft, and when sailing in point mode and when trying to depower, again, the luff of the jib will be actually breaking. When steering in the upper ranges of the “groove” don’t be afraid to allow the windward telltale, and at times even the luff of the jib, break. SAIL CARE Your North Sails are constructed out of the best materials on the market today. We make sure of this by testing every roll of cloth we use. Through proper care and maintenance your sails will give you the performance you have come to expect from a North sail. The most important factor for a long life for your sails is to watch them for signs of wear and tear in high load and chafe areas. Be sure to wash the sails off with fresh water and dry the sails thoroughly before storing. A dry, mild climate is best. Excessive heat can cause problems with the sails due to the possibility of shrinkage. It is best to roll the mainsail and jib. MAINSAIL When hoisting and lowering the sail try to minimize the amount of creasing or wrinkling of the sail. Every time the sail gains a crease the cloth breaks down that much faster. Always have someone contain the leech and luff during these procedures. The battens can be left in the sail without any problems. Be sure to roll the sail down the leech so that the battens will not twist. This could cause damage to the battens. JIB When rolling the jib keep the battens perpendicular to the leech. Pay special attention to the battens and batten pockets for wear and tear. SPINNAKER The spinnaker is fairly straightforward. Be sure to repair all tears and pulled stitches. Folding the sail when storing is best. Rev. R03 READ MORE

Download North Sails J/24 Quick Tuning Matrix: Loos Gauge PRO PT2 | Loos Gauge PRO Model B Thanks very much for purchasing your J/24 sails from North Sails! We appreciate your business. This tuning guide will help you set up your boat for your new sails. If you have any questions along the way, please give us a call or send us an email. We are always ready to help you and your crew to get the most out of your new sails. Also, we have posted many J/24 related articles that will help improve your understanding of this great boat. This tuning setup is designed to be as “all purpose” as possible. Like many one designs, the J/24 uses just a few sails to cover a wide range of wind and sea conditions. Set your boat up the way we have described here, and you will have great speed in all conditions. WITH THE MAST DOWN Measure the length of your spreaders from the side of the mast to the point where the shrouds touch the end of the spreaders. The spreaders should be as short as possible, 760 mm. Make sure the spreaders are swept back the same amount on each side: Tie a small string tightly between the shrouds just above the spreaders Set the mast on sawhorses, track facing up, with the mast butt (plug in place) resting on a horse. Using the back edge of the mast shoe as your guide, check to see the string between the shrouds and aft edge of the mast shoe are parallel. (See picture #1) Picture 1 – If not parallel you will need to take the spreaders off and slide the thru bar in your mast to one side or the other to compensate. If you do not have a thru bar either file down the stubby male fittings or use spreader adjusters to make the sweep the same on each side. Now check the deflection of the spreaders. This is the distance between the taut string and the aft side of the mast. For the Fathead main this should be 160-165 mm. If your mast has not been shortened before, measure down the mast from the forestay fixing point as described in the class rule 3.5.2 (7725mm down from headstay pin center). You will need this mark later to find out if your mast can be shortened. You want your mast as short as possible. The headstay should be as long as possible. To check this, attach the headstay and hold it alongside the front of the mast and make a mark on the headstay corresponding with the mark in Rule 3.5.2 (7725mm down from headstay pin center). WITH THE MAST UP Have a class measurer with an approved jig inspect your mast to make sure it is as short as possible. The mark you previously made on the mast must be no lower than 400mm above the sheerline. We like to cut our mast so the lower edge of the band is 405 mm above the sheerline to ensure that our mast will always measure in. See picture #2. Picture 2 Step the mast and attach all shrouds very loosely (except the backstay) leaving any mast blocks out for the moment. Temporarily hold the mast butt in place on the “I” beam with a pair of vise grip pliers. Make sure that the mast is positioned as far aft at deck level as possible. Have a friend hold the end of your tape at the stem measurement point and measure again straight to the lower edge to the mast band. We want this measurement to be as close to maximum as possible, 2925mm. Chock the mast at the deck to hold it in this position. See picture #2 above for determining measurement point at stem. The next step is to place the butt of the mast in the proper position on the “I” beam down below. Picture 3 Using a friend to hold the end of the tape, measure from the top of the third bolt holding the stem fitting on (inside the boat, up in the bow) to the intersection of the front of the mast and the shoe that rides on the “I” beam. This measurement should be 112.5”. Hold the mast butt in place at this position temporarily with a pair of vise grips. Now tighten the upper shrouds to 20 and the lowers to 15 on a Loos Model B tension gauge. Snug the uppers first and then, using the genoa halyard, measure down to the chainplates on both sides to be sure the mast is centered in the boat. Sight up the backside of the mast to be sure it is straight. Now we will check to make sure the mast butt is in the right place. With the backstay connected (but very,very loose) measure the tension on the headstay. The tip of your gauge should be about 40-50 mm from the close side of the headstay wire. See picture #4 below. (Note: We typically use an older, separate Loos Gauge B for the headstay measurement to keep the new one in good condition!) If your headstay is tighter than this, you will need to move your butt aft slightly; if it is looser, move it forward slightly. After moving the butt, check and adjust the tension on the shrouds before you recheck the headstay tension. This should set up your mast with 2 – 2.25” of prebend. To verify, hold the taut main halyard at the gooseneck and sight up the back side of your mast. If you see something different, recheck your measurements. TUNING CHART The J/24 has just 4 sails to cover the entire wind range for racing. For the best performance in each condition, we adjust shroud tension depending on wind speed. As the final step in setting up your boat, fill in the attached tuning chart with how many turns of the turnbuckles it take to get from one setting to another. We often adjust our shroud tensions between races (it is against class rules to do so while racing), and it is impossible to get accurate tension gauge readings while the sails are up if there are any waves at all.   NEW LOOS GAUGE PRO MODEL PT-2 Wind Speed (Knots) Uppers Tension Uppers (Turns from Base) Lower Tension Lower (Turns from Base) 0-5 13 -1 9 -1 5-8 – BASE 15 BASE 12 BASE 8-10 17 1 13 0.5 10-12 18 0.5 15 0.5 12-14 22 1.5 18 0.5 14-16 24 1.5 22 1 16+ 26 0 26 1.5   OLD LOOS GAUGE PRO MODEL B Wind Speed (Knots) Uppers Tension Uppers (Turns from Base) Lower Tension Lower (Turns from Base) 0-5 18 -1 10 -1 5-8 – BASE 20 BASE 15 BASE 8-10 23 1 18 0.5 10-12 24 0.5 21 0.5 12-14 27 1.5 24 0.5 14-16 29 1.5 27 1 16+ 29 0 31 1.5  Special note on the backstay: Adjusting the tension of your shrouds changes backstay tension too. Each time you tighten or loosen your shrouds, be sure to tighten or loosen the two smaller backstay turnbuckles too, so that the blocks riding on the backstay bridles stay 6-8” below the “y’ in the backstay when the adjustment line is slack. This is very important to make sure the headstay can get tight and loose enough depending on conditions. (We typically adjust 6 turns on each backstay leg between settings.) You are now ready to start sailing! SAIL TRIM Follow these guidelines to set up and trim your sails. Mainsail Outhaul 0-4 knots: Clew should be ½ “ from black band 4+ knots: Clew should be at band Cunningham No cunningham until about 12 knots, then tension until wrinkles in luff are just removed. Vang Upwind, keep loose to 8 knots. 8-15 knots, tension to remove all slack. Above 15 knots, tension very hard so boom does not rise at all when the mainsheet is eased.Downwind, tension so top batten is parallel to boom. Traveler Keep all the way to windward until entire crew is sitting on weather side with legs out. As soon as crew is on the weather rail with legs over, drop down 6”. After that, use it to keep the boat flat by letting it down until the leeward edge of the car is in the middle of the track. If you have to drop below midline to keep the boat flat, pull on more backstay. We do not like to sail with the traveler to leeward of midline. Backstay Use to control fullness on main and genoa. Leave loose until about 8 knots. Slowly tighten as breeze builds to depower boat. At its tightest, the blocks will be all the way down to the top of the pushpit. A small adjustment (1-2”) can have a big effect. Be sure to adjust the backstay turnbuckles with the shrouds. Mainsheet Up to 10 knots of wind, tension the mainsheet so the top batten is parallel to the boom and the top tell tale is flying 50-60% of the time. In more than 10 knots, the top tell tale should be flying all the time, because the top of the main will be flatter. Genoa Trimming the genoa involves three major adjustments: lead position, halyard tension, and sheet tension. Halyard Tension Set the halyard so the luff of the genoa has just a hint of wrinkles. We have found that it is much better to have the halyard too loose than too tight. In light air, make sure that the luff is nice and loose. As the wind builds, tension the halyard to smooth out the luff It is important to have a few marks on your genoa halyard near the cleats or stopper to duplicate fast settings for a range of conditions. We mark off ½” increments on the line. Lead Position It is important to drill two extra holes between each of the factory-drilled holes in your genoa track. The standard spacing is too far apart to be workable. Having the lead in the correct position is critical for good speed. In moderate breeze (4-8 knots), trim the sail in and position the lead car so that the sail touches the spreader and the chainplates or turnbuckles at exactly the same time. Mark this position. This will be your neutral point for your jib lead. Sheet Tension We check the sheet tension by judging how many inches the sail is trimmed away from the end of the spreader. Generally we never trim the sail tighter than 1” from the end of the spreader. MAINSAIL SETTING CHART Wind Speed (Knots) Traveler Backstay Topp Batten Angle Outhaul 0-6 All way up None Closed 3 degrees In 1/2″ 7-12 Down 3-4″ 1/4 on Closed 3 degrees to parallel In 1/2″ 12-18 Middle 1/2 to 3/4 on Parallel to open 3 degrees In 1/2″ 18+ Below CL 2-3″ Max on Open 3-6 degrees In 1/2″     GENOA SETTING CHART Condition Lead Halyard Sheet 0-6 Flat 1 aft of neutral Wrinkles 3-4″ off spreader 0-6 Choppy On Neutral Wrinkles 3-6″ off spreader 7-13 Flat On Neutral Just smooth 2-3″ off spreader 7-13 Choppy 1-2 holes forward Wrinkles 2-4″ off spreader 14-18 Choppy 1-2 holes forward Smooth 4-6″ off spreader 18+ Choppy On Neutral Tight 6-8″ off spreader   Change your settings depending on the condition. As the wind builds and dies, you should be constantly adjusting the genoa sheet. Class Jib For fine-tuning the lead position, drill two extra holes between each set of factory holes in the jib track. Start with the jib lead block even with the chainplates and fine tune the lead position from there. Unlike the genoa, the luff of the jib should always be smooth. In moderately heavy air, you can get the luff too tight. The luff of the sail should break evenly up and down. If the sail breaks high first, move the lead forward; if it breaks low first, move the lead back. Check this carefully and make a mark on the deck in the correct spot. Sheet tension is critical. We like to adjust the tension on the jib sheet to balance out the helm. If the boat has a bit of weather helm, trim the jib slightly to pull the bow down. If the boat has leeward helm, ease the jib slightly. Because it’s a high aspect sail, you only need to change the tension on the sheet a small amount (1/2” increments) to have a significant effect. Spinnaker The spinnaker should be at full hoist at all times. The general rule of trim is to allow 2-4″ (50-102 mm) of curl in the luff of the sail. Set the outboard end of the pole at the same height as the free floating clew of the sail, and pull back on the guy until the pole is perpendicular to the apparent wind. Use the upper pole ring for most conditions. If you are going slow, try raising the pole a couple of inches. Downwind — Light air Concentrate on good communication between helmsman and spinnaker trimmer. The goal is to sail as low as possible, while still maintaining good pressure in the spinnaker (measured by tension on the sheet). Try not to sail too high and add distance, but do not sail too low at a slow pace. Be careful not to pull the pole too far aft because it flattens the spinnaker. Downwind — Heavy air Don’t square the pole back too far as this makes it easier for the spinnaker to roll out to weather. Do not let the clew of the spinnaker go past the headstay. To sail low without rolling to weather, keep most of the crew hiked to leeward. Downwind Tips Pole height is important and changes in increments of 1″ (25 mm) have a big effect on the spinnaker. The luff of the sail should curl evenly from top to bottom. If the spinnaker breaks high, raise the pole. If the break is too low, lower the pole. Whether or not you use tweakers (or twings), it’s crucial to have a foreguy system that locks the pole in place. Every up and down or back and forth motion of the pole (and hence the spinnaker) is energy that will not be pulling the boat forward. An efficient system for launching and retrieving the spinnaker is another must. We recommend a deep cockpit launching bag. Call us if you would like one made for your J/24. In conclusion: Always sail the boat as flat as possible, except in very light air Sail as close to the max crew weight limit (400 kg) as possible. Do not be afraid to change settings if you are slow. Set up a tuning chart and use it. Have open positive communication on board. Sail fast and have fun! SAIL CARE Your North Sails are constructed out of the best materials on the market today. We make sure of this by testing every roll of cloth we use. Through proper care and maintenance, your sails will give you the performance you have come to expect. The most important factor for long sail life is to watch for signs of wear and tear in high load and chafe areas. Be sure to wash the sails off with fresh water, and dry the sails thoroughly before storing. A dry, mild climate is best. Excessive heat can cause problems with the sails due to the possibility of shrinkage. It is best to roll the mainsail, genoa, and jib. Mainsail When hoisting and lowering the sail, try to minimize the amount of creasing or wrinkling of the sail. Every time the sail gains a crease, the cloth breaks down that much faster. Always have someone control the leech and luff during these procedures. The battens can be left in the sail without any problems. Be sure to roll the sail down the leech so that the battens will not twist, which could damage them. Genoa With today’s Mylars becoming softer, rolling the genoa has become more difficult. When folding, creasing can develop along folds and accelerate the breaking down of the Mylar. The worst case scenario is for the sail to be rolled and then folded. Jib When rolling the jib, keep the battens perpendicular to the leech. Pay special attention to the battens and batten pockets for wear and tear. Since this sail is manufactured from yarn-tempered Dacron, problems can arise due to mishandling. Spinnaker Caring for the spinnaker is fairly straightforward. Be sure to repair all tears and pulled stitches as soon as possible. Store the sail folded. This tuning guide only begins to cover all there is to know about racing the J/24, so North Sails J/24 experts have prepared a professional, in-depth J/24 racing clinic to help you and your fleet improve. In the course of an evening or weekend, you will learn more about racing your J/24 than you could possibly learn in a season of racing on your own. For more details, please call a North Sails J/24 expert! At North Sails, we are constantly striving to make our products better. If you have any comments on this tuning guide, we’d love to hear from you. Please give us a call or send us an email. READ MORE

For answers to your speed and boat handling questions, read our tips and tricks in the J/70 Speed Guide. READ MORE

From sail selection to rig tune, a lot happens before you leave the dock. Follow these tips to help your team get race-ready before casting off. 1. Building a Crew It is good to have the right number of crew onboard, but if no one can do bow, you aren’t in great shape! Ask yourself, do you have the key roles covered? Know who is responsible for what, and keep a roster of crew contacts on the back burner – these are the people you’ll call when someone can’t make it. Help your team by networking to fill open spots, spread the word and confirm new members as early as possible before an event. (Tip – try out a free service like Google Forms to get needed information, such as availability or gear requirements, organized and in a central place). 2. Weather & Sail Selection Ask your navigator or tactician to inform the crew a few days out on what the forecast is expected to be. Helpful information about courses, start time, and how soon you want to get out on the water are important so everyone is on the same page. Include what time to meet at the boat (not the coffee shop) . Setting a specific dock call time will help the crew plan accordingly and get their gear and spare equipment onboard so dock-out time isn’t delayed. The weather forecast and course information will also determine your sail choices for the day. Whether windward – leeward courses, round the cans or offshore distance racing is in your future, consult with the skipper, tactician and navigator to make a collective decision on the day’s inventory. Often, the biggest impact on sail power is the choice of genoa. Sail selection can be a tough call and North Sails is happy to help, so don’t hesitate to ask your local contact. Each sail has been designed for a specific range of wind strength and sailing angle, due to its size, weight or structural capacity (DPI). Batten up the jibs you will take for the day and stow the extra sails onshore in a safe, dry place. Extra sails are extra weight, so crucial decisions need to be made prior to leaving the dock. Meanwhile, One Design sailors must remember class rules – Fast 40 rules allow sail changing each day, while J/109 rules require all sails to be carried. IRC events require you to have the same sails on board from the start of the event to the finish, and PHRF and ORR may also have separate restrictions. 3. Rig Setup Tuning your rig is not a dark art but it is a whole job in itself. You will need to adjust your rig as the conditions change to get the best performance from it. Find out if your class, or boat, has a tuning guide, and follow it! As your team gets more experienced, practice fine tuning for your boat and see what feels fast. Work toward finding that little extra speed, it will make all the difference. Always carry a wet notes pad to make notes onboard. Record everything from the conditions, rig tune, and fast trim, and be sure to include TWA and TWS for reference. After racing, revert your rig back to base settings overnight so you can start with a clean slate the next day. 4. Leave time to Warm – Up Maintaining communication with the crew on when to meet and being prepared can save you time so you can get out early and practice techniques, decide on which sails to use, and help the skipper get an idea of how long it takes to get the boat up to full speed off the line. Being able to sail around prior to the first race will help the tactician determine lifted tacks, where the holes are on the race course, and get the crew coordinated to get “in the groove” and up to full speed. Getting out there early will also allow for a quick snack and hydration before the warning signal. Something that can easily be forgotten, food and hydration helps focus and energy levels, which are key to doing well. 5. Notes on Sail Care First rule of thumb, never walk/stand/or lay on sails. This crushes the materials and is devastating to your boatspeed! Just like an engine, your sails must be treated well and taken care of as you depend on them. When putting sails onboard, make sure they are properly flaked so that the bowman can easily hook them up and hoist them. Although a leech flake gives the best possible flake with the battens in, the luff flake is best for your teammate to prevent the luff tape from tearing during the hoist. When hoisting the mainsail, always slowly “back down” or reverse. This will take the apparent wind out of the sails, reduce flapping, and help prolong the life of the sail. This is a great method to practice, added bonus is it will clear any seaweed from your keel to limit drag. Extra precautions need to be taken in heavier air. When hoisting the jib, you always want to do it when you are head to wind, or when you are dead-downwind. Never hoist your jib on a reach. Not only is it difficult for the guy on the halyard, it is not good for the sail if it gets dragged over the lifelines. Make sure there is slack in the sheets to avoid any friction on the hoist. After sailing, it is a good habit to ease the batten tension. Sails tend to shrink a bit overtime, so tension will increase. Roll or flake your sails for storing , and lay them on a flat surface whenever possible. Taking care of your upwind sails is just as important as tending to your kites. Make sure your spinnakers are dry and remove any luff cables before storing (tip: mark the cable where the luff should end to help when you go to use them next time). Flake the furling sails to make it easier on yourself, especially if it’s a top down furl. If laying a out to dry, make sure it is secured at the head and tack so they don’t escape! 6. Debrief Often the best way to prepare for the next race (or the next regatta) is to review the race you just finished. This can happen on the way in, or upon return to the dock. What worked, didn’t work during the race? Review upwind and downwind tactics and boat handling. How can maneuvers be smoother, or boat speed be improved? For some crews, the discussion may happen organically. For others, you may want to develop a post-race checklist, or debrief outline, to encourage communication and keep the crew on the same page. READ MORE

HOW TO TRIM LIKE A PRO Everything You Need To Know One of many key positions on a race team, the sail trimmer takes responsibility for optimizing sail performance. While the most important time to shine is during the race, a good trimmer knows that success starts before the boat leaves the dock. Read these tips from North Sails expert Sam Richmond, who moonlights as trimmer on Maxi 72 Jethou and Fast40+ Ino, and learn why attention to detail makes the difference between “good” and “great” in every situation. Guidelines for Good Sail Trim Power from your sails comes down to three sources: Angle, shape, and twist. A trimmer’s job is to achieve the most amount of power, while keeping in mind the balance of trim between sails. Angles: Pull the sail in to add power and ease the sail out and to reduce power. Heading up will also reduce the power, whereas if you trim on or bear away you increase this. This is a common technique for the starting line. Sail Shape: deeper sails generate more power. Flat sails generate less power and also create less drag. Depth is adjusted in a few different ways; sheet tension, forestay and backstay tension and lead/jib car position. Twist: A closed leech will generate more power where as a twisted, open leech spills power. Twist is controlled with lead/car position and sheet tension. Calibration Always carry a wet notes pad to make notes onboard. Record everything from the conditions, rig tune, and sail trim, and be sure to include true wind speed and angle for reference. This will give you a foundation to base your decisions on, and provide a guide for making changes and improvements with your team. Every line that can be adjusted needs a mark – use your marks to re-create settings that were fast. Aside from your sheets, think of your jib car position, in-hauler, outhaul, cunningham, halyards, traveller and backstay. These all affect the way your sails behave so try different settings until you find the sweet spot. Once you’ve found the groove, mark the line so you have a place to work from, and you know where to set it without hesitation. When using an asymmetrical spinnaker, mark your sheet at the point where enough is pulled forward to prevent the windward sheet from going tight on the hoist. On a symmetrical chute, mark the guy so you know the foreguy/pole can still go up. Mark the inboard end of the pole on the mast so you can gybe as soon as possible if if you need to. At the leeward mark, remind the pit person to hoist the jib and set the backstay to the mark you’ve made. This will allow for a smooth, clean mark rounding. Thinking about these things ahead of time allows the crew to focus on boat speed as soon as you round, while other competitors are struggling to get the set up correct for the next upwind. Best Practices The headsail trimmer should be constantly monitoring performance by using comparison tools onboard. Comparing your boat to other boats, target boat speeds and angles, how are “we” doing compared to just when we last made a change, and the feel of the boat. A good trimmer can feel a loss of power in the boat before it shows up as a loss of speed. Take photos of your sails and send them to us so we can analyze the sail shape, compare them to new ones, and show you where improvements can be made. It is much easier to do this in the pre-start routine and shouldn’t be done during the race. Communication is key. Making constant trim adjustments to improve or maintain performance, the trimmer must also communicate the current state of performance to the crew, suggesting how to improve, and reporting progress as adjustments take hold. Constant communication will keep your team attentive and working together. For example, if you encounter a lull in pressure, it would be common for a trimmer to call for the backstay to be eased. The mainsheet trimmer knows he needs to ease the sheet and the jib trimmer will ease too, while the helm “falls off” to help get the boat going again. Perhaps at the same time, the crew moves their weight to windward to help bear off. Small efforts make a big difference in getting your boat back up to speed first. These constant changes or “transitions” in sail trim and crew weight placement can be the difference between the best and the rest. Sail Changes When conditions put you at a crossover between sails, a few extra factors come into play. Most notable are sea state, trending conditions, and past experience. In waves or chop you may opt to use the larger of two headsails for extra power when driving up and over waves. In flatter water a smaller sail can enable you to sheet harder and therefore point higher. Consider the weather forecast and the conditions you have experienced up to the decision point. Are you anticipating the breeze to build up, drop off or shift? Also keep in mind that in a building breeze the sea state may remain flat, but in a dying breeze there will be leftover swell and power may still be needed. As you gain experience with a specific boat and sail inventory, your notes on past performance will inform your decision on what sail to use. For example, in flatter water you may choose to use the J2 down to 8 knots, but as the chop builds, the J1 may be a bit faster with the slight increase in pressure. If time allows, you can try both options before the race and choose based on how the boat feels when testing your straight line speed. Never Relent A trimmers job is never done. Don’t cleat it and certainly don’t hang out to leeward! The jib trimmer will be the last of the crew to the rail, so only stay to leeward if conditions allow. Once the crew is fully hiked out, the trimmer should hike too, and take the tail of the sheet with you so you can ease quickly if you need to without leaving the rail. Keeping the boat flat in pressure allows the foils to do their job. READ MORE

We caught up with Bruno Pasquinelli who is owner and helmsman for J70 “Stampede”. Bruno won the J70 Winter Series held in Tampa, Florida at the Davis Island Yacht Club this year. The J70 Winter Series is composed of 3 events between December-February with one overall series winner. We asked Bruno how he prepares for events like this, and how it contributed to his success. What are the three most important factors that helped you and team Stampede win the 2017 J70 Tampa Winter Series? Boat/Sails/Crew I have great ground support from Jay Vige. The boat is well prepared and maintained when we get to the regatta and need to go sail. The electronics have batteries, the radios work, preventive maintenance has been done, the rig is set to the micrometer settings, etc. “We have confidence that our boat is ready for the event and are not distracted by boat issues.” Work on my skills Stampede sails each big event with a top tier team of sailors. I am the weak link on the boat. I am an amateur sailor with no formal training. I try and learn things every time I sail. I keep a detailed journal about the boat/rig/sails/conditions for each race we sail. This is helpful when we meet as a team prior to an event and then every day before we sail to make sure the boat is going out to the course with an effective setup for the conditions that day. I also put notes in the journal about skills or situations I don’t execute well. I have sailed with some great people over the last year and the first thing I tell them when they get on board is that this is recreation(fun), I want to do well, and that they are my coach. I want feedback on things that will up my game. These things go in my journal. Some of my notes over the last year include entry/exit angles for mark roundings, tiller movement on tack/jibe/mark rounding exits, slowing down at the leeward mark to not get stuck outside the pinwheel, starting techniques, etc. I draw diagrams in the journal and study them before I sail at each event. I have GoPro footage from every race and I review the footage on the plane while traveling to the events. The camera is mounted directly over the tiller and the video clearly shows when I drive well and when I don’t. I review the video of the “incidents” in my journal. Sail a big event every month This helps me retain the skills I am learning from each event and raise the performance of the boat. “Trying these three things together gives me the confidence to concentrate on my job on the boat and leave everything else to the team. It is working.” We had a great Worlds in San Francisco and won the Davis Island Winter series. Lastly, our sails are awesome, thanks North Sails! READ MORE

Mental state has a lot to do with performance. Races have unexpected twists that lead to situations you weren’t expecting, and maintaining a positive mind state can be tough when days on the water are long. Getting plenty of rest, staying hydrated, and staying organized are all key components to a fun, successful regatta. When tensions are high and competition is tough, remember the big picture – for every race start there is a finish, and getting stuck on the details can affect the entire team. We caught up with North Sails Expert Mike Marshall, 2016 J22 World Champion and nominee for 2016 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year, and asked him how he does it. We asked Mike: How do you maintain intensity while keeping the mood light? READ MORE

There’s a lot of planning that goes into any long-distance cruise, even if you’re in more well-charted waters than tom partridge and Susie plume on Adina. Tom and Susie recently sent in this list of tips based on the approach they took to planning their passage from Gan, Maldives, to the Chagos Archipelago in the Indian Ocean. 1: SELECT A ROUTE THAT USES FAVORABLE WINDS Our year started in Thailand with our goal being to reach South Africa by November. The main criteria we use in planning our sailing is to avoid areas of strong wind activity and to sail with winds and seas that will help us to reach our destination in relative comfort. We consult pilot atlases, cruising guides, and blogs from those who have done it before. A pilot atlas is particularly helpful as it provides historical data about the winds and currents that can be expected in various parts of the world at different times. Based on our research we opted to sail in the northern hemisphere for the first part of the year before heading south of the equator when the cyclone seasons switch between hemispheres. 2: MAKE A HIGH LEVEL PLAN For the first part of the year winds favour exploring countries in the northern hemisphere, including Sri Lanka and the Maldives. By May/June the transition season between the cyclone seasons would set in and we would need to be heading south. Transition seasons are tricky and winds can be fickle. Fortunately, below the Maldives at five degrees south is the Chagos Archipelago, or British Indian Ocean Territory (BIOT) as it is formally known. We aimed to cross from the Maldives to BIOT in mid-May and wait there until the southern hemisphere south-easterlies kicked in before sailing west to experience the many islands of the Seychelles. 3: NEXT, MAKE A PASSAGE PLAN For each passage we take into account factors such as wind, sea state and current. The route from the Maldives to BIOT requires us to cross the strong equatorial counter-current flowing from west to east. We risk missing our destination if we ignore it. Looking at the wind forecasts we think we should sail west away from our rhumb line at the start to make sure we have some westing in reserve if the wind turns unfavorable or even, as is common, stops blowing. Some shallows hint at good fishing and we decide we’ll sail over them with the hope of a bite or two! A hand-written passage plan with details of our route as a contingency helps should our electronics fail us. 4: LAST BUT NOT LEAST, MAKE A PILOTAGE PLAN Our destination in BIOT, the Salomon Atoll, is scattered with large coral heads commonly known as “bommies” which sit just below the surface and can literally ruin your day and much more besides! Paper and electronic nautical charts are both vital and in addition we use satellite images to check for any inaccuracies. We prepare a leg-by-leg pilotage plan that we will use to refresh ourselves just before our arrival. Knowing we will need a good look-out with the sun behind us or just overhead for visibility to spot the coral heads is another factor that we add into our plans: we need to arrive between 9am and 12 noon. 5: GET OUT THERE No matter how many times you do this, no matter how well prepared you are, the nerves still jangle. What will it be like out there? Will we get strong squalls, storms or lightning as is common near the equator? Will the forecast be right? How strong will that current be? Will the sea be rough? We’ve prepared as well as we can and we know all these questions can be answered in one way only – by getting Adina out into the open ocean again. READ MORE

Without a properly tuned rig, you won’t be able to control your mast’s behavior over the full range of conditions. Fortunately, rig tuning is a straightforward step by step process for both masthead and fractional rigs. The goals in rig tuning are the following: (1) Eliminate side bend and lean, (2) Set mast rake for proper helm balance, (3) Set pre-bend to match the mainsail design, and (4) Control mast bend and headstay sag. Here are a few definitions and explanations to get us started. READ MORE

HOW TO HANDLE A SQUALL Anticipate The Worst To Be Prepared A summer storm can hit with stunning suddenness, turning a languid late afternoon into a trial. While often short-lived, a squall’s sudden arrival requires a quick response. Squall Preparation Tips A little preparation goes a long way. Here are some things to do when you first realize a squall’s coming. Don lifejackets and harnesses (if you don’t wear them habitually). Have foul weather gear at hand. Clear loose gear from the deck. Close any open ports, prepare the hatch boards, and secure loose gear below. Plot your position by every means available. Determine where nearby hazards and safe water lie. If time allows, head for port, but beware: The worst place to be when a squall hits is almost in, caught in a constrained space amidst a crowd of boats all dashing for home. Certainly the preferred place to be is secured in your berth or mooring. The next best place is in open water, away from other boats. Prepare to shorten sail. One approach is to take a deep reef in the main at the first hint of strong wind, and then to roll the jib completely with the first gust. Make sure the jib reefing line is ready to go, with clean wraps on the furling drum. When the squall hits, ideally you’ll already be dressed in full foul weather gear and harnessed to the boat, with the boat buttoned up. The boat will hopefully be under reduced sail, with plenty of sea room. Two more squall tips: Practice your squall drill in benign weather to see how quickly you can shorten sail. Watch the weather and scan the horizon regularly, even on sultry summer days, so you won’t be caught off guard. How to Handle a Broach If you are caught with too much sail in a sudden squall, then the boat may broach (be laid over on its side by the wind) before you can shorten sail. It can take many eternal minutes to bring the boat back upright, and how you respond may affect your safety. First, hold on, and take your time. Though there is much sound and fury, there is not as much danger as it might seem—as long as everyone stays aboard. The greatest danger for the crew on deck is falling across dramatically heeling decks. For those below, the dangers are being thrown across the cabin and being pelted with unsecured equipment. To reduce the heel, you will need to ease sheets. The jib sheet may be difficult to get to, as the winch may be awash to leeward. Likewise, the mainsheet will be heavily loaded and difficult to release. Even with the mainsheet eased the boat may not come back upright if the boom hits the water, preventing the sheet from running out. Easing the boom vang will help. As the boat comes upright beware the flogging sheets, which can whip with remarkable force. Once you’ve shortened sail, survey the boat (on deck and below) for any gear that may have fallen or shaken loose. READ MORE

If the angle of the downwind leg requires an immediate jibe, you’ll need to learn how to do a jibe set. Jibe sets are more difficult than bear away sets, because they require carefully coordinated crew work. Also, you must wait until after the jibe to set the pole. Since the pole helps the spinnaker fill by holding it away from the boat and other sails, there are several details critical to a successful jibe set Many crew have two tasks in the process, so practice is vital. To keep it simple, we’ll assume we’re approaching the mark on starboard, bearing away, and jibing to sail the next leg on a port broad reach. Set Up (during final approach) Hook up the spinnaker on the starboard side, as far forward as possible. Set up the pole on the port side of the forestay—since it will be used once you jibe to port—with topping lift, downhaul, and guy in place. Make sure the guy is not fouled. The topping lift can be rigged under the jib sheets. (Alternatively, if it is long enough, it can be rigged outboard of the jib to port.) As you round the mark and bear away, start the hoist. At the same time, pull the sheet (on the starboard side) just far enough to separate the spinnaker clews. Next, jibe. Make sure you jibe the jib and ease out the old (port) jib sheet; then raise the spinnaker pole. Once the pole is up, trim the guy square with the wind. As soon the spinnaker is fully hoisted, trim the sheet and drop the jib. Variations No Pole You can execute a jibe set without rigging a pole. Sometimes it is faster and easier this way, particularly if the decision to jibe set was a late one, and you don’t have time to make sure the pole is hooked up cleanly. In this variation the foredeck crew acts as the pole, hand holding the guy outboard until the mast crew can hook up and set the pole. This is not recommended in heavy air. Tack Set Like jibe sets, tack sets do not allow complete preparation before the set. When tacking right at the mark, the spinnaker pole cannot be set until the tack is complete. Prepare the spinnaker as usual, and hook up the pole but do not raise it. As you round the mark, raise the pole and hoist the spinnaker simultaneously. Have the foredeck crew lift the pole while the guy trimmer tails the topping lift. Tension on the guy will prevent the pole from going up, so do not pull the guy until the pole is set. Meanwhile, the mast crew can jump the halyard while the pit crew tails. Building speed with the main and jib as you hoist the spinnaker is critical to a successful tack set. Proper trim can prevent you being passed by boats carrying a full head of steam into the mark. READ MORE

It happens almost without words. As the puff hits, Heidi and Jeff move off the cabin top to the rail. Tom trims back on the guy and David eases the spinnaker sheet. Jack eases the main. The boat bears off slightly and accelerates. As the puff fades, Heidi and Jeff slide inboard, the pole goes forward, and the spinnaker sheet is trimmed. The main comes in. The boat heads up and carries speed. Ron, at the helm, sits nearly motionless, the wheel moving in his hand as the crew steer the boat with weight and trim. Gradually we pull away from the other 37 footers, lower and faster down the run. You can use crew weight and sail trim to steer any boat downwind. Steering with weight and sails is not just for dinghy sailors; it is fast in big boats too. The less you use the rudder to steer, the faster you will be. Here’s how it works: To Bear Off In moderate winds, we can sail lower in puffs and still keep target speeds. Bearing off will also help us stay in the puff longer. To bear off, move crew weight to windward and rotate the spinnaker to windward. Ease the spinnaker sheet in any puff, because the puff will shift the apparent wind angle aft. Trim back on the guy as the sheet is eased to keep proper spinnaker shape and to rotate the spinnaker to windward. Ease the main to eliminate weather helm. You will need to move some crew weight to windward just to counter the heeling forces of the puff. It will take an additional increment of crew weight to actually help the boat bear off. To Head Up As the puff fades it is best to head up to keep apparent wind speed and to sail the new target angle. As the boat slows down, you will no longer be able to sail as low as you could in the puff. To head up, trim the spinnaker sheet and ease the guy. Trim the main and move crew weight forward and to leeward. The next time you are steering downwind in moderate air, stop steering. Use your crew weight and trim to steer the boat. You’ll steer faster when you are not steering downwind. READ MORE

PERFECT SPINNAKER JIBES Two-time World Champion Will Welles says that no matter how big your boat and crew, the key to perfect jibes is practice, practice, practice. There are two basic jibing techniques: End-for-end jibes for smaller boats and dip-pole jibes for larger boats. Photo Chris Howell Our divide and conquer approach provides a good framework for analyzing jibes. The job of the trim team—driving and trimming through the jibe—changes little from one technique to the other, while the foredeck squad’s job—the mechanics of jibing the pole—changes significantly. The foredeck team often gets the brunt of the blame when problems occur but, more often than not, it is the work of the trim team that makes or breaks a jibe. Regardless of method, practice is a key ingredient to develop the coordinated effort that lies behind any smooth jibe. We’ll look first at the driver’s and trimmers’ functions, and then address the two different techniques on the foredeck. Driving and Trimming through Jibes The driver must pace his turn to the crew work, while the crew must rotate the spinnaker and free fly it as the boat turns. This means trimming the (old) guy and easing the (old) sheet as the boat turns downwind. Here’s how to help make the coordination as smooth as possible. Helm Make a smooth turn from broad reach to broad reach. The turn must match the trim as the spinnaker is rotated around the boat. Do not hold the boat dead downwind. Stay on a broad reach on one jibe, and then turn smoothly to a broad reach on the other jibe as you pull the main across. Avoid centering the main and avoid a dead downwind course. Keep the air flowing across the spinnaker. Trimmer(s) As the boat turns from broad reach on one tack to broad reach on the other, your goal is to rotate the spinnaker around the boat as the boat turns to keep the spinnaker on the downwind side. This means trimming the guy and easing the sheet as the boat turns downwind. It is best to trim too far and over-rotate the spinnaker, then correct your trim. Why does the spinnaker collapse every time? When the spinnaker collapses in the middle of a jibe, it usually means the rotation did not stay ahead of the turn. Either the trimmers trimmed too slow, or the driver turned too fast. It usually depends on who you ask. When the guys in back can’t decide which, they compromise, and both blame the bow crew. Don’t Do This Often you will hear that the helm should “Keep the spinnaker in front of the boat” and “Steer to keep the boat under the spinnaker.” These suggestions are misleading, because you don’t necessarily want the spinnaker in front of the boat; you really want to keep the spinnaker on the downwind side of the boat. The only time the spinnaker should be in front of the boat is when you are dead downwind. Even more dangerous is the common advice to “Hold the boat dead downwind” while you jibe. In a dead downwind position, air circulates behind the main and can cause wraps in the spinnaker. Sailing dead downwind will also induce the boat to roll, making steering and crew work very difficult. In heavy air sailing, steering a course dead downwind can lead to a broach. Jibing Practice Start your practice without the pole, free flying the spinnaker. The goal is to complete the jibe without the sail collapsing. As the driver turns from broad reach to broad reach, the trimmer rotates the spinnaker to keep it flying. Trim both sheet and guy if the sail gets too far away from the boat; ease both if the spinnaker is strapped too tight to fill. Keep the spinnaker downwind of the boat, and keep it full. The key to successful jibes is coordinating the trim and the turn. Once you do that, it matters little what happens on the bow. Don’t forget to over-rotate It bears repeating: To keep the spinnaker full as you jibe, over-rotate the spinnaker to the new leeward side. This lets airflow re-establish luff to leech as the driver turns smoothly to the new broad reach. Jibes with the pole End-for-End Jibes The fastest and easiest jibe for boats without large numbers of crew is the end for end jibe. Once the helm starts to turn the boat downwind, remove the inboard end from the mast and the outboard end from the old sheet. As the mainsail crosses centerline, connect the old inboard end to the new spinnaker sheet and push it outboard until the new inboard end can be connected to the mast. A shout of “made” will alert the helm and trimmer that the pole is hooked up on the new jibe. If you can’t get the inboard end on the mast, ask for the guy to be eased. The trimmer should not square back the guy until you’ve said “made.” This technique depends as much on quickness as it does on strength. With good technique, and a little cooperation from the back of the boat, end for end jibes are pretty straightforward. Twings (used to choke down the spinnaker sheet to a lead block on the midship rail) are often helpful during end for end jibes. The twing is a line with a block on one end. The spinnaker sheet is lead through the block. One twing is rigged to each sheet. The windward twing is choked down to the rail to improve the working angle of the guy. The leeward twing is left free or trimmed down part way to create a proper sheet lead. During jibes, both twings can be snugged down to control the spinnaker and keep the guy within easy reach. Dip Pole Jibes Larger boats with unmanageable spinnaker poles must resort to dip pole jibes. A proper dip pole jibe requires two sets of spinnaker sheets and guys. When sailing under spinnaker the leeward sheet and windward guy are working, while the leeward guy and windward sheet are lazy. The spinnaker pole is rigged with an internal control so the outboard end can be released from the guy by a crew member working at the mast. During a dip pole jibe, the end of the pole attached to the mast remains in place, while the outboard end is “dipped” to clear the forestay as it swings from one side to the other. On the way through, the foredeck crew removes the old guy, inserts the new lazy guy into the pole end, and yells “made,” indicating that the pole can be hoisted to the new side. READ MORE

SETTING THE SPINNAKER How to Accomplish the Perfect Spinnaker Set Nothing takes as much teamwork and practice as spinnaker handling. Here we’ll cover the skills and techniques needed to handle and control conventional spinnakers, set from poles. Throughout the discussion the ‘Divide and Conquer’ approach to boat handling will be central: one team sails the boat as fast as possible with the sails you’ve got, while the other team handles the mechanics of the set, jibe, or douse. Spinnaker Sheets High tech line is so strong and light that the limiting factor is the ability to grip the stuff. For boats with double sheets and guys, attach both lines to a single shackle. The guy is so light you won’t have to concern yourself with dropping it off in light air, and you’ll save the weight of a second shackle. (The guy should have an eye splice in the end. Cow hitch it on to the shackle. And don’t fret about what to do with the money you save buying only one set of shackles rather than two. The high tech line will absorb all the extraneous funds.) Spinnaker Sets A trouble-free spinnaker set starts with careful packing and proper hook up. Most spinnakers can be packed by running the luff tapes to make sure the sail is not twisted as it is packed into the turtle. Large spinnakers and heavy air spinnakers can be set in stops that keep the spinnaker from filling before it is fully hoisted. Regardless of how the spinnaker is packed, the head and two clews should be secured at the top of the turtle. Before each hoist check and recheck to make sure the halyard and sheets are not twisted or fouled. Make sure sure your tack line is on top of the spinnaker sheets, for inside jibes. Tack goes under the sheets for an outside jibe, or blow-through jibe. These are most common on grand prix style boats. Bear Away Set A bear away set is the simplest style of spinnaker set. You raise the pole as you approach the mark close-hauled, bear away to a reach, and hoist. For asymmetrical boats, pre-feed the tack line. You can tack at the mark for a bear away set, or simply bear away when you are at the mark. On most boats the sail can be hoisted from the forward hatch. Alternately the sail can be set from the leeward rail, forward of the shrouds, or from the companionway. Do not hoist from the bow; that moves too much crew and equipment weight forward. Setting from the forward hatch has several advantages. First, the sheet and guy can be hooked up prior to the race, leaving only the halyard to set just before hoisting. Second, in rough weather a sail attached to the leeward rail might wash out of the bag. If you prefer to hoist from the bag even in rough weather, hook the bag in the middle of the foredeck rather than on the rail. Pre-Rig (Before Racing) Plan your first set prior to the start of the race. Position the spinnaker sheets and halyard to the appropriate side for the hoist, and attach the sheet and guy if you plan to hoist from the hatch. For a hatch hoist hook the guy to the tack, and attach the sheet shackle to both the clew and the head. Yep. (We’ll explain why in a moment.) To pre-rig the pole, attach the guy, topping lift, and downhaul/foreguy to the outboard end. The inboard end can be attached to the mast track if the track runs all the way to the deck (so it doesn’t interfere with the jib in tacks). Otherwise, attach the pole to the shrouds. Pre-rigging the guy simply means setting the guy through the pole jaw, making sure it is not twisted or macraméd through the lifelines. Pre-rig the downhaul with a preset amount of slack so that when you set the pole, it will be at a good height for the hoist. Attach the topping lift to the pole and then pull it back against the rig, to keep it clear of the jib during tacks. Secure the line through the jaw at the inboard end of the pole. If there is no inboard jaw (as on a dip pole rig), you’ll have to fashion another way to hold the topping lift aft. A shackle, velcro strap, or sail tie can work fine. Avoid hooks, which may grab things other than the topping lift. Set Up (just before spinnaker set) Hatch Hoist The final spinnaker set up should be carried out with a minimum of disruption. If you pre-rigged for a hatch hoist, then all you’ll need to attach the spinnaker halyard. Here’s how to do it. On your penultimate tack, ask the pit crew to bring the halyard tail to the rail so it can be eased as needed with a minimum of crew movement. The foredeck crew then attaches the halyard to the head of the sail. But wait, how do you quickly reach the head of the sail if it’s down the forward hatch? Remember how you pre-rigged the sheet by hooking the head and clew to the sheet shackle? Now you can retrieve the head by pulling up the sheet. Hook the halyard to the head, and then open and refasten the sheet shackle on just the clew. Be careful not to mix them up or twist them around each other. When you tack, the genoa may foul the spinnaker halyard. To prevent this, pull lots of slack in the halyard and hold it tight prior to the tack, to keep it from fouling on the spreaders. As you tack, ease out the slack again so the halyard can sag out to leeward, clear of the genoa. Leeward Rail Set Bring the spinnaker on deck, hook the turtle to the rail, and hook up the sheet, guy, and halyard. Your spinnaker gear should be pre-rigged to minimize crew disruption. If you need to ask the driver or trimmers to ease the spinnaker gear, then change the way you pre-rig. Hook up the spinnaker sheets and halyard while to windward. (Usually this means while on the final port tack for a starboard tack set.) When you tack, the genoa may foul the spinnaker halyard and pull it out of the bag. To prevent this, pull lots of slack in the halyard and hold it tight prior to the tack, to keep it from fouling on the spreaders. As you tack, ease out the slack again so the halyard can sag out to leeward, clear of the genoa. If it’s windy and wavy enough that the sail may wash out of the bag on a long approach to the mark, try securing the spinnaker bag to the middle of the foredeck or at the mast base, and tie the bag securely shut after the hook up. Open the bag as you bear off to hoist. Pole Up When you tack on the layline, do not immediately set the pole. If time allows, hike out (or lie still) until the boat is up to full speed. Once you are up to speed (and sure you will fetch), the foredeck crew can go forward and lift the pole into place. The pit crew, working from the rail with the topping lift tail in hand, pulls the slack out of the topping lift. There is no need to get off the rail to tail the topping lift if you bring it with you on the last tack and tail from the rail. Once the pole is up and topping lift is cleated, open the hatch and pull the three corners of the spinnaker onto the foredeck. If there’s time before the set, it is a good idea to review who will do what on the hoist, just to be sure. Also make sure the jib halyard is cleared, flaked, and ready to drop. The Hoist Be ready to hoist at the mark. Unless the tactician has called for a delay, hoist as the sails are eased and the boat stands up. Until then, hike as needed to maintain speed coming into the mark. Don’t stand “at the ready,” waiting to hoist. Except in heavy air, pre-set the guy as you approach the mark. On the hoist, the guy must be pulled to the pole to prevent twists in the sail. Take the slack out of the sheet, but do not trim enough to fill the spinnaker until the halyard is at full hoist. As you near full hoist, trim the guy off the headstay to a position perpendicular to the wind. During the hoist the main and jib must be eased to maintain proper trim and speed. Once the chute is up, drop the jib. In light to moderate air the genoa can be on its way down as the spinnaker hoist tops out. In heavy air, ease the jib sheet and wait until the boat settles with the spinnaker. When the boat is under control, go forward to douse the jib, or leave it flying as a staysail if it adds speed! Don’t forget to close the hatch. If there is a delay with the spinnaker hoist, keep sailing as fast as possible with the main and jib to minimize the loss. READ MORE

If you want to drive the boat, trim the sails, watch the instruments, read the compass, track the fleet, and call tactics—then race singlehanded. If you want to race with a crew, a careful division of responsibilities is the only way to succeed against other well-balanced teams. There are three basic building blocks of a successful race pyramid: boathandling, boat speed, and tactics. Your crew must be organized so each block gets the attention required. A crew boss is needed to orchestrate boat handling. Sail trimmers and a driver are needed to focus on boat speed, and a tactician is needed to manage the course. As soon as you have more than one person on the boat it is time to divide up the chores. On championship two-person boats, the driver drives and the crew does tactics. On a three-person crew, the forward crew and driver focus on trim, while the middle crew handles tactics. Crew assignments should be based on the number, skill, experience, and interest of your crew. Each crew position should have clearly defined responsibilities during each maneuver, and maneuvers should be executed the same way each time. Principles of Crew Assignments Divide and Conquer During each boathandling maneuver, divide the crew into two teams: one to sail fast with the sails you’ve got, the other to get sails up and down. No one should serve on both teams. Define Crew Positions Each crew position has a specific responsibility during each evolution or maneuver. First, figure out the correct number of crew, define each position, and then sail with a full complement of crew every time you race. Once positions are defined, you can plug new people into a specific position that has clearly defined responsibilities. Writing out and diagramming your standard maneuvers will help during routine maneuvers, and also during the inevitable ad lib. Create Crew Pairs Ideally, you would have the same people in the same position for every race (yea, right—if pigs could fly). Since you can’t expect that, work toward a nucleus you can count on, and then pair new (or less experienced) crew with a regular crew member. For example, a new mast crew can be paired with an experienced foredeck, or an experienced trimmer can watch over a new grinder. Do Your Job If one person is having trouble completing a task, that can create a problem. When the next person tries to help out, and leaves part of her job undone, the problem grows. Pretty soon the entire crew is out of place—each trying to help another—and you have a huge mess. Unless it’s a flat-out emergency, stick to doing your assigned job. Practice The key to developing good crew work is practice. It is simply impossible to train crew during a race. There is not enough time to teach and learn, and there is too much to do. You must practice to win. There is no other way. Practice Drills As you plan your maneuvers, keep the Divide and Conquer principle in mind. Always keep part of the crew focused on going fast, even when the rest are attending to a boat handling maneuver. Try a simple walk through on the dock, or at least with no sails, to figure out the rough details and positioning. Once on the water, go through maneuvers one at a time: tacks, jibes, sets, douses, reefs, sail changes, plus straight line trim and speed. Detail each person’s responsibility during each maneuver. Once you can run through each evolution smoothly in open water, try it around a closed course of buoys to add the element of timing. Another excellent drill is to perform maneuvers in total silence. A single word from the helmsman (or crew boss) is all that is needed to initiate the maneuver. In silence you learn to watch and work with your crew mates. Learning to work quietly keeps the airwaves open for the unexpected. Another effective practice tool is rotating crew positions. If the pit and foredeck, for example, switch places, each will understand better what is going on and can anticipate the other’s needs during a race. Similarly, trimmers and drivers who trade places will better understand how they impact each other. Find a Tuning Partner Once your crew work is smooth, find another boat to practice with. Sail parallel courses to work on boat speed. Use cat-and-mouse drills to improve boat handling. Try short match races to add competitive fervor. When you are confident of your boat handling and speed, then you are ready to race. The difficulty of boat handling increases with the wind, so keep practicing until you are confident in all conditions. Try to refine your techniques to reduce crew movement. Pay attention to weight placement all the time. Figure out ways to keep weight properly placed as much as possible. Your crew organization and crew assignments are dictated, in part, by your boat’s layout. If you find one crew member is overburdened during a particular maneuver, look into reorganizing the crew—and perhaps changing your layout, to redistribute the load. READ MORE

Sport boat asymmetric spinnakers (also known as “kites”) trim differently from conventional spinnakers. And due to their extended, fixed position bow sprit, they differ from a cruising asymmetric flown from the stem. Aside from the sheet and halyard, the only other control over spinnaker shape is the tack line, which runs from the end of the sprit to the spinnaker tack. Some boats also have twings to choke down the sheet. Reach Up to Go Downwind Asymmetrics don’t go downwind, at least not dead downwind. The fastest way to reach a downwind destination is to reach up and sail fast. The extra speed more than makes up for the extra distance. The optimum sailing angle is as much as 40 degrees above dead downwind – nearly as wide an angle as we sail upwind. Sailing at these high angles increases the apparent wind, which increases boat speed. The trick is to build speed at an aggressive apparent wind angle, and then to push down to a lower course, with the boat speed holding the apparent wind forward. The driver and trimmer must coordinate efforts. As load builds in the sheet, either from aggressive sailing angles or a puff, the trimmer should ask the driver to bear off, while easing the spinnaker sheet to unload the helm. As the load in the sheet drops, trim the sheet and head up to rebuild power and speed. Get speed, then carry it down. Work up to rebuild, and drive down again. You should always feel the breeze blowing across the boat – not over the stern. When you lose apparent wind flow across the boat, head up, rebuild speed and apparent wind, and slide down again. For best broad reaching performance the sheet must be eased to allow the sail to roll out to windward. As the boat bears off, ease the sheet to take pressure off the helm. As you head up, trim the sail to add helm and bring the boat up. Ease, Ease, Ease the Sheet We asked one expert trimmer for advice on sailing deep with a sprit boat, and he said: “Remember these three things: Ease, ease, and ease. Ease to a curl, pause and the curl disappears. Ease again. Carry a curl, and keep easing. Ease some more. Usually the sail stalls from being over trimmed. Ease.” At times on a broad reach it may also pay to ease the tackline a foot or two as well. This will allow the entire sail to rotate further out to weather. There are a couple of things to guide you in how far you ease the tackline: Does the sail rotate out to weather? Can you sail lower or faster? If the sail sags to leeward instead of rolling out to weather, then pull the tack line back down to the sprit. Likewise, if you lose control with the tackline eased, snug it down. Note: With refinements in design and A-sails purpose-built for VMG sailing, there is less need to ease the tack line. Marginal Planing Conditions As the true wind builds to around fifteen knots, you may be able to plane. Even for a downwind course, it will pay to reach way up to get on a plane and then carry the plane down. Your planing speed will overwhelm the extra distance sailed to get on a plane, and crush the competition. On the other hand, if you can’t plane, you will waste plenty of energy going the wrong way… only practice and experience will teach you the best angles for your boat in a given condition. Ease and trim Regardless of the point of sail, the basic principles apply: Ease to a luff and trim. Given the rapid acceleration of sport boats, the apparent wind angle is changing all the time. Aggressive trimming is required to keep up as the boat builds speed, and an equally aggressive ease is needed to prevent a stall as the boat slows. Overtrimmed is slow. On a close reach, trim to telltales, or keep a small curl. On a beam reach, the asymmetric is much faster than a symmetric spinnaker. On a broader reach force the sail out to a bigger curl. You will be surprised how far out it can go. Tack Line On a close reach snug the tack to the pole for a gennaker shape. On a broader reach, add power and allow rotation out from behind the main by easing the tack line a couple feet. There are a couple of clues to indicate how far to ease the tack line: The tack should pull to windward as the tackline is eased. If the tack sags to leeward, keep the tackline down. Easing the tack line adds power, so in light air you may want to ease it a little even on a beam reach. Broad reaching in a big blow, you probably will want to keep it tighter than you would in lighter air. Another valuable guide is the spinnaker telltales. Add telltales 1.5 to 2 feet aft from the luff at 1/3 and 2/3 height. When your tackline is set at the proper height, the telltales should behave similarly high and low. Let’s Go Fast Truth is, there is more to it than point and trim. Often you can use techniques similar to those described for upwind VMG sailing to improve speed on a reach. Here’s how: Rather than simply point and trim, head up slightly to build speed and apparent wind. As speed builds the apparent wind will build and move forward. As the apparent wind angle goes forward you can drive off, carrying the extra apparent wind speed and boat speed at a lower angle. When performance cycles down, heat it up (head up) again. Rebuild speed, and drive off. The trimmers and driver must coordinate efforts to optimize performance. If the helm loads up, it will be difficult to drive off. As speed builds the trimmers will need to ease to allow the boat to drive down without loading up the helm. Similarly, trim the sails to help head the boat up, rather than steering too much with the rudder. READ MORE

Mainsail Reefing Setup There are a number of effective reefing arrangements, but all have two common elements. The first is ease of use; the reef should be easy to set and shake. Second, the reefed sail must have a shape appropriate for the conditions, which means flat. The reefing system must pull the clew out along the boom, like an outhaul, as well as pulling down. When reefed, all the load should be on the reef tack and reef clew. The reef points along the belly of the sail are used only to tie up the loose body of the sail; they should not carry any load. Single or double line systems can be set up to allow you to reef without leaving the cockpit. Otherwise you will have to go forward to set the reef tack and/or adjust the main halyard. Regardless of the particulars, it is important that your system work well, so you are not reluctant to use it. When in doubt, reef. If you’re underpowered, shake the reef. Here are the basic steps to reef your mainsail: Assume a close-hauled or close reaching course. Set the autopilot to maintain your course under jib alone, or heave-to. Release the mainsheet and vang. Lower the main halyard. Pull slack out of the reef line so it won’t tangle. Secure the reef tack. Re-tension the halyard. Tension the reef line. It should be very tight, pulling down and out to flatten the reefed sail. Snug the vang and trim the mainsheet. Additional reefing tips: Mark the main halyard line relative to the mast, so you will know how far you need to lower it the next time you reef. If you expect to be reefed for a while, tie the reef clew down to the boom with a sail tie, to take the load should the reef line fail. READ MORE

When your destination is downwind on the opposite tack, then a jibe is called for. A jibe has three steps: Starting from a broad reach, initiate the jibe with the command “Prepare to jibe.” Release the preventer and turn slowly downwind. When the wind is dead astern, the jib will jibe itself. This is the signal to hold a steady course, pull the mainsail amidships, and then ease it all the way out on the new tack with the hail “Jibe Ho.” After the sails are across, continue the turn to your new course. Tips for Jibing Safely The jib is the clue to a successful jibe. Once the jib comes across on its own, trim the new jib sheet and hold a steady course while bringing the mainsail across by hand. Use a slow turn Keep control of the mainsail so the boom will not fly across. A slow turn allows time to trim and control the main. Ease the main quickly As the main jibes, ease the mainsheet all the way out—just let it run. Watch your course In stronger breeze, as the main jibes it will load the helm and try to turn the boat quickly up into the wind. Watch your course, and correct the helm to keep the boat from rounding up. In light air as the jib jibes, grab all the parts of the mainsheet and fling the main across to the new jibe. Don’t be shy about jibing In all but the breeziest conditions, a well executed jibe is a safe and effective way to change tacks. Prevent an Accidental Jibe If the jib jibes itself unexpectedly, it is a signal that the main may soon follow. To prevent an uncontrolled jibe, head up immediately. Straighten out once the jib returns to its normal position. As a precaution, always keep your head down when you see the jib cross the boat, and use a preventer to secure the boom. Gennaker Jibes There are a couple of ways to jibe a Gennaker. One method is to snuff the spinnaker, re-lead the spinnaker sheet to the new leeward side, and redeploy after the boat and mainsail have been jibed. The Snuffer and Gennaker go around the outside of the forestay on a jibe. The disadvantage of this jibing technique is that you must go forward to pass the Snuffer around the headstay. (Only if the Gennaker is flown from a jib halyard beneath the forestay would you take the Gennaker inside the forestay on a jibe.) The Gennaker can also be jibed while still flying. Square down to a very broad reach, tension the windward Gennaker sheet, and haul hard as you release the working sheet. Pull and pull and pull until the sail collapses, inverts, and starts to trim back on the new jibe; then finish the turn and jibe the main. The trick is to have the turn follow the trim – trim the Gennaker most of the way through the jibe before jibing the boat. If the turn is too fast (or trim too slow), and the boat is jibed before the sail is trimmed, then the spinnaker can blow through behind the forestay, or it can wrap on itself, or around the forestay. Spinnaker Jibes Short handed jibes are a challenge. The easiest technique is to snuff the sail, drop the outboard end of the pole to the deck, and pull the snuffed spinnaker around the bow with the sheets. Then jibe the main, reset the pole, and redeploy the spinnaker. You can also use a “dip pole” technique, but this requires at least one designated foredeck person as well as someone on the helm. For more, read Perfect Spinnaker Jibes READ MORE

Poor speed If boatspeed seems poor, you may need to add power. Try deeper sail shapes, and bear off a couple degrees. You can also be slow from being overpowered, in which case you’ll also have too much heel and lots of weather helm. Reduce power and balance the helm to restore speed. A fouled bottom can also have a big impact on speed. Poor pointing If your boatspeed is good, but the boat is pointing poorly, try sheeting harder. Trim the jib until you get a hint of backwinding in the main, and trim the main to the verge of stalling the top leech telltale. Too much weather helm Reduce heel to reduce weather helm. Try flatter sails, and more twist. Also, feather up to reduce angle of attack. Weather helm may also be solved by better balance between main and jib: too much power in the main, and not enough in the jib. Add power to the jib, and/or ease the main. If weather helm is a constant problem, try tuning your rig with less rake. Jib telltales hard to read If both inside and outside jib telltales are constantly dancing, create a wider entry angle and more forgiving steering groove by easing the sheet and/or tightening the halyard. With the draft properly positioned, the telltales will settle down. Too little weather helm If you have no feel in the helm, add power. Try deeper sails, and bear off a few degrees. Also try moving weight to leeward to increase heel. In light air, a lifeless helm may be a sign of being overtrimmed. Ease both sheets, and bear off to add power and speed. If a lack of helm is a consistent problem, consider retuning your rig with more rake. Pounding and pitching in waves Sailing into waves requires power to punch through the waves. If the boat is pounding, then foot (fall off) slightly and add twist to keep from being overpowered. Also, moving weight (like anchors) off the bow and out of the forepeak can significantly reduce pitching. Overworked Autopilot If your autopilot is constantly searching, and can’t seem to settle on course, and your boat is upright and underpowered one moment, and overpowered the next… add twist. Twist creates a more gradual onset and release of power. If your autopilot is working too hard, retrim for better balance. Add twist to smooth out the transition from overpowered to underpowered. Also, if you have the option, set your autopilot to sail to the apparent wind angle when sailing upwind, rather than your compass course. Overpowered A small jib and reefed main provide a balanced rig for best performance in heavy air conditions. For more details, read Heavy Weather Sailing Techniques. READ MORE

HEAVY WEATHER SAILING TECHNIQUES How to Sail Well in Strong Winds We covered the Basics of Heavy Weather Sailing already; now it’s time to look at techniques to help you sail well in strong winds, which will increase your range and confidence. Harnessing the power of the wind and battling the waves while maintaining control can be exhilarating; some consider it the ultimate sailing experience. How to Depower The challenge in heavy weather is to depower enough to keep control, but not too much to fight the waves that come with heavy winds—and to maintain sufficient speed. The slower you go, the longer it will take you to get to your destination. Depowering techniques include flattening sails, increasing twist, and reducing angle of attack; these are the first steps in dealing with increasing winds. When these methods are not sufficient, stronger measures are called for. The waves that accompany strong winds can be as big a problem as the wind itself. Waves make depowering tricky, as sailing underpowered in waves can leave you at their mercy. The challenge is to keep enough power to handle the waves, while still maintaining control. And pounding upwind against building seas can be more than unpleasant; it can be dangerous, as the motion batters the crew and equipment. There are several ways to reduce pounding. First, add twist to your trim for a wider steering groove. This will allow you to steer around the biggest waves. Next, change speeds. Sometimes sailing faster will smooth out the ride, as you power through the waves. Ease sails a bit, and bear off a couple degrees. Another option is to slow down. If the boat is leaping off the waves, then shorten sail and slow down to keep the boat in the water. You can also improve the boat’s motion through the waves by moving weight out of the bow and concentrating it amidships—as low as possible. Before going out in big seas, consider moving the anchor and rode off the bow and stowing them below, perhaps in a couple of big canvas bags. Another option to consider is picking a new destination. Do you really need to go upwind in these big waves? Let’s reach off and go somewhere else! Adjust Your Speed As mentioned above, sometimes slowing down a little can dramatically improve the motion and comfort of the boat. At other times, adding power and speed to help you steer around the biggest waves can improve the ride. Often adding twist by easing sheets just a couple of inches will help the boat find a wider steering groove which will, in turn, help you find a smoother path through waves. If the motion is bad, then experiment to improve it. Shorten Sail: Smaller Jib First If depowering the sailplan is not enough, it’s time to shorten sail. In heavy winds, a well-trimmed reefed boat can provide much better speed, control, and comfort than an over-canvased boat. And the first step in reducing sail area is to reduce your jib size. Generally, less sail area in the jib with a full-sized main means better speed, higher pointing, and more control in waves or gusts. Depending on your set up, you can reduce jib size either by changing to a smaller sail or by roller reefing your genoa. Roller Reefing Roller reefing genoas make it possible to shorten sail without changing jibs, a nice convenience especially when short-handed. Foam or rope luffs and other refinements have vastly improved reefed sail performance, but the shape of a reefed genoa will still not be as good as an unreefed one. And to protect the life of your sail, be sure to leave a portion of the tack patch exposed to handle the loads along the foot. As the genoa is rolled, adjust the jib lead to maintain proper sail shape. To remove the guess work from heavy air lead position, make marks on the foot of the genoa for your first and second increments of rolling—after perhaps 3 and 6 rolls on the headstay—and then mark the jib track at a position that makes the telltales break evenly top to bottom for each setting. Two Jib Inventory A sail inventory that includes a full sized genoa and a smaller working jib can provide a great boost in performance, control, and comfort in heavy air. Of course it means buying an extra sail, which will require the room to stow whichever sail is not rigged— and it means an occasional sail change. But the shape of a smaller jib will provide better performance and control than a rolled up genoa. Change Early Whatever your setup, make the change to a smaller jib early – as soon as the thought occurs to you – and while it is still relatively easy to do so. If you anticipate a breezy day, a smaller jib makes it possible to change while still at the dock or at anchor. And while it is only a small compromise in performance in moderate winds, it keeps sailing comfortable and fun in heavy air. Reef the Main Still overpowered with the smaller jib? The next step is to reef the main. Tacking and Jibing in Heavy Air The waves that come with big winds can make basic maneuvers challenging. When tacking, look for a relatively smooth spot, and start your turn as the bow climbs a wave. Push the helm over so that the next wave will push the bow down onto the new tack. In extreme seas you may not be able to tack at all. In that case, you will need to wear ship or jibe. Of course, jibing in heavy air is no picnic. Often the best way to handle the jib is to roll it up. A heavy air jibe is best accomplished at speed. As the boats surfs down a wave, loads on the sails are reduced. Use extra hands to jibe the main, and ease it quickly once it crosses centerline. Watch your course and steer to control the boat as it tries to round up coming out of the jibe. Once under control, unroll the jib again. Use a winch to control the roller furling line while easing it out, as the load will be too great to handle barehanded. Another Alternative: Motor Sailing Perish the thought! This is a sailboat! Well yes, but we’re not racing! If you’re sailing under reefed main and rolled genoa and you are still overpowered, stow the jib and crank up the “iron genny.” Motor sailing into wind and waves under main alone provides a much better ride than motoring with no sails. (Save that for days with no wind.) Motor sailing lets you point high, making better progress to windward, without the violent pitching of motoring into seas with no sails set. Trim the main, head up high enough to control your angle of heel, set the autopilot, and keep a lookout. What to Watch Out for When Motor Sailing Make sure cooling water is pumping through the engine. On some boats, the water intake will lift out of the water when heeled. Violent pitching can also allow air into fuel line, which can stall the engine, and may require a bleed to get it going again. The pitching motion may also stir sediments off the bottom of the fuel tank, which may then clog the fuel lines or fuel filter. Motoring with no sails set will probably not work in big seas. Sails are needed—at least a reefed main—to provide some stability and extra power. Also to be avoided is motoring across a beam sea, as that can lead to violent rolling, or even a broach. READ MORE

Your course and speed are factors. In a moderate 12 knot true wind, a boat sailing close-hauled at a speed of 7 knots is really in a fresh wind of about 17 knots. READ MORE

HOW TO TRIM A GENOA Three Sources Of Power There are three sources of genoa power: angle of attack, sail depth, and twist. Our goal is first to get the correct total power and, second, to achieve the correct mix of power from each source to suit the conditions. Angle of Attack Trim the sail in, and you increase power by increasing the angle of attack. Ease the sail out and you reduce power. Once the sail is sheeted in, then the primary control of angle of attack is the helm. Bear off to add power, and head up to reduce power. Depth Deep sails generate more power, while flat sail shapes generate less power (and less drag). Genoa depth can be adjusted through a variety of controls, including headstay sag, lead position, and sheet trim. Twist A closed leech generates more power. A twisted or open leech spills power. Genoa twist is controlled through lead position and sheet trim. Genoa controls Your jib will have some or all or the following controls to help achieve the desired amount and mix of power: Halyard Set the halyard to hold the shape of the sail in its designed position. Tension the halyard to remove wrinkles from the luff. If the luff is stretched, ease the halyard. In light air, an over-tight halyard hurts performance. As the wind builds, increase halyard tension to keep the luff firm. When rolling up the sail after sailing in strong winds, ease the halyard to relieve luff tension. Genoa (or Jib) Sheet Trimming the sheet adds power by increasing angle of attack and by reducing twist. Initially, the sheet’s primary impact is on angle of attack as it pulls in the sail. As the sail nears full trim, the sheet pulls the clew down (more than in), and the primary impact of trim is to reduce twist. For proper close hauled trim, the middle leech should be parallel to the boat’s centerline. The foot should be a little rounder than the foot of the main, but otherwise the overall shape should match the main. (LINK TO mainsail trim) As you trim in the jib, you will be able to point higher (sail closer to the wind) without luffing. When additional trim no longer improves pointing, the sheet is overtrimmed. Ease slightly to optimize jib sheet trim. Headstay Sag The amount of sag in the headstay can be controlled with an adjustable backstay. A tighter headstay flattens the sail, while extra sag adds power. In light air, set the headstay just firm enough to keep it from flopping in chop. Add tension as the wind builds. In strong breeze tighten the headstay as much as you can. Genoa Leads Moving the genoa lead fore and aft changes sheeting angle. As an initial setting, adjust the lead so the sail luffs along its entire height as you pinch up above close hauled. From this initial setting, the lead position can be fine-tuned to the conditions. You may want to move the lead forward to add shape to the foot of the sail, which will reduce twist and therefore increase power. This lead-forward shape is best for light air or choppy conditions. Moving the lead aft reduces power for better performance in stronger winds. An aft lead position flattens the foot of the jib by letting the clew rise. (Think of it like tightening the outhaul on the main.) Moving the lead aft also increases twist, spilling power from the upper part of the sail. For heavy air sailing, we want the top of the sail to luff before the lower section. Leech Cord The leech cord does not control sail shape. It is intended to prevent leech flutter, which can damage the leech of a jib. Tension the leech cord just enough to stop flutter, and no more. If your sail has a foot cord, the same principle applies. Do you need a genoa? Large overlapping genoas are difficult to handle, hard to tack, easy to damage, and impossible to see around. A smaller jib is much easier to handle. On boats with large mainsails, a genoa is an unnecessary burden. In all but the lightest conditions, a working jib provides comparable performance (hey, we’re not racing!), and in moderate to heavy air the jib performs better. READ MORE

The following tips are taken from the North U Cruising and Seminar Course book written by John Rousmaniere, author of the Annapolis Book of Seamanship. These tips are meant to be helpful reminders and reference for the cruising sailor. All subjects are covered in greater detail in the North U seminars and course materials. Wing and Wing A good breeze behind you makes covering long distances a pleasure. A common and safe cruising setup is to sail wing and wing under jib and main, with the jib poled out and the boom secured by a preventer. Sailing in strong winds requires strong gear. You need a spinnaker pole (not a whisker pole) supported by a topping lift (or spare halyard) and secured by an after guy and foreguy. The genoa sheet should run through the end of the pole; don’t attach it directly to the clew of the sail. The mainsail preventer is separate from the boom vang (which is there to control twist). The preventer runs forward, holding the boom out. In rough weather the preventer should run from the end of the boom through a block on the foredeck, and then aft to the cockpit for easier control. A preventer-vang combination attached to the toerail can cause problems, particularly as seas build and the boat rolls. If the boom dips into a big wave, the pressure of the water against the preventer can bend or break the boom, or it might cause the boat to spin out of control. One danger of a preventer is the false sense of security it can provide. As you wander on deck, do not assume that the preventer will stop the boom from jibing. Always keep your head low. Spinnaker Sailing Under spinnaker in heavy air – are you crazy? It’s true that if not properly trimmed in heavy winds, a spinnaker can overpower the boat. As you learn better trim, you can raise the wind speed at which you can carry the sail and still maintain control. In heavy air, if the spinnaker rolls out to weather, then it will probably roll the boat to weather too. In more moderate conditions it can work well to square the pole aft, to get the spinnaker out from behind the main. In heavy air, this same trim creates problems. Likewise, if the spinnaker flies too high or too far in front of the boat, then it will wander from side to side. As the spinnaker swings, the boat rolls, making steering difficult and control tenuous. To keep control of the boat, you need to control the spinnaker. Choke it down directly in front of the boat by lowering the pole and over trimming the sheet. This “short leash” prevents the spinnaker from wandering and pulling the boat out of control. Gennaker Sailing Sailing under Gennaker in fresh breeze and following seas requires careful attention to trim and steering. Ease the tack line and Gennaker sheet to allow the Gennaker to roll out from behind the mainsail, and steer actively to keep the bow pointed “downhill.” To prevent a broach in gusts, ease the Gennaker sheet. If things get out of control, snuff and stow the Gennaker and switch to a jib. Learn More North Sails Cruising Sail Types North U READ MORE