Keep your boat simple, your head free

by Alexander Hagen

Sailing is a very complicated sport. Your boat needs to be easy to handle so you can concentrate on tactics and speed. Also: what you don't have cannot break, is a good argument.

In the early eighties it was considered "high-tech" to have as many cleats and trim functions as possible. Over the years we have stripped the boat a lot getting rid of many adjustments like:

-- adjustable jumpers
-- second headstay
-- long intermediates changed to short ones
-- complicated mast step adjustments
-- adjustable shrouds
-- main traveller
-- jib traveller for and aft (now manual)
-- rubber band to keep the boom forward downwind
-- jib barber haulers

Very few new adjustments were developed such as:

-- jib halyard up (downwind)
-- double mainsheet
-- extensions for the bailers to open fast

Since downwind sailing became more important in Star racing we put a lot of innovation into this field. For example mast forward in light air is rather complicated thing but on a good boat works fantastic and nearly automatically.

The crew opens the backstay rope and the mast tip goes forward a lot. When the mast touches the deck the mast foot rolls back 2 inches. The sail goes forward by its own weight and keeps a nice shape. Also the boom wants to go forward and the mainsheet stays out of the water.

The shrouds loosen because they are fixed before the mast. In my boat they loosen another 6 mm due to the construction of the butt casting. As a result the sail is always free from the upper shrouds.

When you turn to go upwind the skipper opens the lever, the crew pulls in the backstay and the whole mast slides back into upwind position, mast foot rolls into forward position by itself.

Yes, it is nice when the boat works and is dependable. Before I shipped my boat to the Worlds in Marblehead I found 3 pounds of fittings I did not want to use anymore.

I am sure you will find some "ballast" out of your own boat and you will see it will make your head free.

Downwind Mast Tune

Setting up your mast properly for running is almost as important as your upwind setup. Today with a lot more windward-leeward courses running speed is more important than ever. Setting up the mast for downwind is pretty simple, just lay the mast forward the right amount and you are all set, right? Yes that's the main part but there are a few small things that can be done to get a little better looking tune. If you make a few small changes, when you lay your mast forward the proper amount for the wind conditions, the shrouds will loosen slightly and the leeward spreader will swing forward and your main will have a much better shape. This is even more important with the new full batten in the head of your main. If your shrouds are too tight and the spreader doesn't swing forward and the upper batten might even pop into a reverse curve.

Before you even leave the dock you should make sure a few small things are right. To get the leeward spreader out of the main you need to make sure that it swings far enough forward. If you have an older mast you will have to notch the inside back edge of the spreader more. The newer spreaders have more cut away but you can even go more. All you need is about 1/4 of metal left. If you have the secondary limiting pins in your newer mast take them out.

The other thing that is important is to get the leeward shroud loose. The leeward spreader will not swing forward if the shrouds are too tight. We like to have the shrouds tight for upwind and we don't want to compromise that but there are a few things you can do to loosen them for downwind. When you lay the mast forward they will loosen somewhat. You can increase this looseness by having the mast butt slide aft. My mast butt not only slides aft but the plug is slightly angled so as the mast goes forward the mast gets a bit shorter. The sliding mast butt will also help you if you have an older boat that doesn't have enough room forward in the mast partner. You can get a mast butt plug with a roller or you can insert a block of delrin in the bottom of your butt plug that extends below the aluminum about 2 mm.

You can also make your shrouds adjustable. Some sailors are using a lever arrangement to loosen the leeward shroud.

Now that you have the little things taken care of what should the mast look like? It is faster in all conditions to lay the rig forward when running. The right amount to let the mast forward depends on the wind strength. You should have a mark on your backstay for your maximum forward position which you will use in under 10 knots of wind. This mark is somewhere around 3' (91 cm) from the upwind position. As the wind increases you must be a bit more careful when letting the rig forward. The further forward you go the easier it is to break your rig.

You also don't want any aft bend in the mast. You want the mast leaning forward and a very slight inversion bend in lighter winds. In moderate winds make sure the mast is forward and straight. This means that not only do you want to lay the mast forward but you don't want to use too much mast ram forward. You should have just enough mast ram to keep the mast from reversing. This will help your leeward spreader swing forward. In light to moderate winds you can use the windward spreader to judge your mast bend. The windward spreader should not be swung back hard against the stop but standing more straight out from the mast.

With the mast laid forward and the spreaders straight out from the mast the mast is much easier to collapse if you dip the pole in the water. Only in extremely strong wind will the need to survive be more important than letting the rig forward. In the last few races at the Worlds in Spain we kept the rig all the way aft. The last race at the 1988 Olympics was another such time for Hal and me but that time the backstay line ended up parting at the cleat and we lost the rig anyway.

Mark Reynolds
http://www.sobstad.com e-mail: mreynolds@sobstad.com
phone: 619-226-2422

Performance Tips

by Joe Londrigan

Improving your performance on the race course comes down to your own personal commitment. Attention to the following areas will improve your performance.

Equipment - Don't compromise. Make sure you buy a proven boat or a new boat, keep the bottom in top shape, and race with new sails. Be sure to rig the boat as simple as possible, reduce friction in your systems, and practice preventive maintenance. It is also very important to be precise in tuning your rig. Subtle differences in rig tension and mast bend can give you a performance edge. To put this in perspective the top sailors use a range of less than 6mm when setting lower, intermediate,and upper tension. Spreader sweep is within 12mm for the top boats. It is often surprising to new star class members how subtle differences substantially affect performance. Do not overlook the importance of being meticulous, careful, and attentive to detail.

Crew - Don't compromise. The crew is probably the most important ingredient to speed. He is the equivalent of steak when making a steak sandwich. Without a good crew, all you have is two buns and a lot of sizzle. His weight is imperative to performance, but he must also have the experience and knowledge to be an active participant in the race. Those crews who have sailed a considerable time with top sailors in the class can be a strong asset to some skippers. Other less fortunate skippers will need to spend considerable time developing the crew. A good crew should be prepared, attentive, and able to communicate. He should always be anticipating what might happen next while feeding the skipper timely and accurate information. There is no room for mental laziness.

Communication - In the ideal situation the crew becomes a sounding board for discussion. If the crew gives an opinion I always ask "Why?" If he can answer the question I will consider the logic behind it, but if he says, "I don't know" you have to question what is going in his mind. In some situations gut instinct is important, but this requires considerable skill and experience before you attach significance to this type of response. The same holds true for the skipper. The crew should ask the skipper "Why?" (except in tight situations). Decision making can only improve with such open lines of communication.

Boathandling - Always take extra time and do as many mark roundings, tacks, and gybes as possible before a regatta. This helps develop continuity between the skipper and crew. Also, pick out a mark and spend an hour practicing starts and acceleration. Try to tack as close to the mark as possible, hold your position, and acceleration on cue. This will help give the skipper and crew the confidence,skills, and communication necessary to handle the boat in tight situations on the starting line.

Steering - spend more time sailing in waves. Concentrate on the waves and the attitude of the boat and less on the tell tales. Use the mainsheet to help steer. If you need to sail higher to avoid a bad set of waves or to sail into different breeze trim a couple clicks, if you need to sail lower ease the mainsheet a half inch, hike hard, a put the bow down a few degrees. Downwind, use your weight to steer the boat. Roll into centerline when coming up, roll out windward to sail lower.

Play Calling - Know the down and distance. When a football coach makes a call he must be aware of conditions and circumstances around him. He must consider defensive alignment, the clock, the down, the distance, the percentages etc. It is no different in sailing. Those who make the best decisions are very aware of the options and risks available to him at any given moment. This awareness makes the decision making more clear. If the information is not flowing on the boat or if the skipper and crew are constantly struggling with speed and other boats they will be distracted from making the important decisions. Most sailors will tell you it was easy when they win and this is because they are free from distractions. Eliminate distractions and increase your awareness by accumulating and prioritizing as much information before the race so you can make good quick decision during the race.

Attitude - Approach each race as opportunity to learn and improve. This attitude will keep sailing fun and challenging. Go over each race with your crew. Don't generalize when critiquing the race. Remain open to suggestions and self criticism and, as I stated before, if your object is to win don't compromise.

STAR BOAT QUICK TUNING GUIDE

This Quick Guide is intended only as a guide to remind you of various approximate settings. Please consult your sailmaker's tuning guide or call your sailmaker for more detailed information.

Dockside Tuning
Upper shrouds1 Pull uppers and upper intermediates down face of mast and adjust intermediate 3" longer than upper.
Lower shrouds Set hand tight: then back-off 1 1/2 turns.
Mark spreaders Place contrasting tape 18" from tip of spreaders; trim jib to tape.
Cut Spreaders Cut a 1/2" notch out of the inboard end of each spreader2.
Check mast step position Follis, Buchans & Melges - 14' 10"3. Maders, Gerards, Lillias and Steinmayers - 14' 11" to 15".
Mark shroud position If mast butt is at 14' 10" upper shroud should be 15' 1/2" from transom corner.
Mark jib car position Draw line 14" from center line (port & starboard). Measure from the forestay 7' 2".
Mast rake Adjust so clevis pin is 16 1/2" from deck.
Equalize spreader aft angle Aft sweep should be 5".
Mark mainsheet Raise boom 8" from deck & mark mainsheet for a reference point.
Center mast in boat Make sure mast is in center of boat at step & partner. Shim as required.
Shroud cars In line with forward edge of mast with uppers 1 1/2" in front of lowers.

On the Water Tuning

1 Check to insure uppers are the same length.
2 This allows the spreaders to pivot further forward downwind.
3 Measure from aft edge of mast at step to shear of transom.
4 Tension per Loos Tension Guage, Model B.
5 Distance from band.

* Sobstad tuning tips

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