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on December 2, 2002 by Ron Sloan Question: I cannot seem to make my boat to head up as close as the other boats I race with.I have noticed that my furling is slacker than it should(I Think)even with lots of back stay on.Can you help me please. Regards Ron t |
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| Answer: Hi Ron, There are a number of factors that contribute to pointing ability. In terms of the rig and sails, headstay tension is one of the big three, along with mainsail leech tension and jib lead position. If your headstay is sagging even with full backstay tension your side shrouds might be too loose. If the side shrouds are loose the mast is able to pop out of column to the side as well as in the fore and aft direction. When the mast is able to deflect, increased backstay tension results in more compression on the tube, rather than more tension on the headstay. If your leeward side shrouds are very slack when sailing upwind in 12-15 knots of wind, that is a good indication that you could stand more tension. Try tightening them a couple of turns at a time, then tacking and evening up the other side. Check the rig by sighting up the luff track between each change to make sure the balance between the vertical and diagonal shrouds is correct. Once the side shrouds are tightened up, you could consider adding a check stay to your rig if your racing rules permit it. A check stay is like a running backstay that is attached to the mast about 50% of the way up the luff of the mainsail. With the backstay on hard, when you tension the checkstay the fore and aft mastbend is reduced and the pressure on the headstay increases. Some roller furling units have an adjustable turnbuckle on the base of the drum. If your shrouds are swept back, shortening the headstay with this turnbuckle will have the same effect as tightening the vertical and diagonal side shrouds. Regards, Dan Neri |
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