PeteCooper
Well-known member
The Cunningham also moves the draft forwards(as does the halyard) but tensioning the halyard closes the leech whereas the Cunningham has a slight tendency to open the leech.
Confessional: admit to boat-related things you've never quite understood...
- Thread starter dancrane
- Start date
The Cunningham also moves the draft forwards(as does the halyard) but tensioning the halyard closes the leech whereas the Cunningham has a slight tendency to open the leech.
onesea
Well-known member
For the buoy thing I have always taught young ones (and old ones come to that) they are dealing with Green Witches Hats and Coca Cola Cans for shape and colour. Numbering you would rather have 2 cans of Coke and one Witch.
You should line them up with your Nav Lights on the way in, Although if in doubt and you find two go between them, although .
You should line them up with your Nav Lights on the way in, Although if in doubt and you find two go between them, although .
Hydrozoan
Well-known member
Yes, I read that early on, and had to come up with "Red Right Roving" and drum it into myself to obliterate the American meme.
haydude
New member
As I understand this is to force weight distribution forward. If you had a vertical transom you would use the space thus taking weight aft where it should not be.
nigelmercier
RIP
- Joined
- 20 Jun 2007
- Messages
- 16,234
- Location
- Live in Kent, boat in Canary Islands
I'm glad you said that, because I have no idea what opening and closing the leech actually means (I know what a leech is, obviously). It is often quoted in magazines without further comment.
JumbleDuck
Well-known member
I was thinking exactly the same.
Woodlouse
New member
Opening and closing the leech. A closed leech is tighter and puts more curve into the sail at that point. Almost like a hook at times. Which gives the wind passing over the concave surface of the sail a real ramp to get over as it passes the sail. An open leech is slacker, the sail is flatter and more of a clean exit for the air as it passes.
dancrane
Well-known member
So...having tightened the halyard as a preparatory stage to flattening & depowering the sail (because heaving down vang & cunningham may bring the boom below horizontal?)...
...use of the cunningham will now reduce the tendency for the flattened sail's outer edge to tighten up, which would have 'bagged' the wind rather than letting it flow out...
...hence a tight cunningham reduces heeling?
I don't mind if I'm wrong, but I don't know if I'm right. The nerd in me would like to understand every effect of every inch of line used on sophisticated classes like 505 & FD...
...is any volume dedicated to sail control, study of which explains the basics? I don't feel I'm learning it, just tweaking stubborn bits of undersized line attached to a saggy old sail.
...use of the cunningham will now reduce the tendency for the flattened sail's outer edge to tighten up, which would have 'bagged' the wind rather than letting it flow out...
...hence a tight cunningham reduces heeling?
I don't mind if I'm wrong, but I don't know if I'm right. The nerd in me would like to understand every effect of every inch of line used on sophisticated classes like 505 & FD...
...is any volume dedicated to sail control, study of which explains the basics? I don't feel I'm learning it, just tweaking stubborn bits of undersized line attached to a saggy old sail.
Simondjuk
Active member
Basically, you've got the idea. Flattening the sail and reducing its power are what most of the sail controls do when tightened, the opposite when eased.
A good starting point for sail trim info are the North Sails and Kemp Sails trim guides (Google them). There's a bit of a lack of more detailed but not utterly full on books to cover the middle ground, then some which get pretty serious.
If you want to read up comprehensively on sail trim, Sail Power by Wallace Ross gives you 500 or so large format pages on the topic. A little dated, but largely relevant.
dancrane
Well-known member
Thanks Simon. I'll investigate. I rolled up my mainsail yesterday to bring it home...I doubt I'll have time or weather to sail again this year. Must admit, it felt limp as a used teabag...
...but I've got another main which isn't so soggy, and I'd like to know how to set it properly.
...but I've got another main which isn't so soggy, and I'd like to know how to set it properly.
Simondjuk
Active member
A knackered sail will be a constant frustration as it'll never trim properly. That said, you should still be able to see the effects of what you're doing, if not feel the benefit, so don't give up on it entirely as a learning aid at least.
If you want to grasp as much as possible, start with the simple guides and play with the controls and watch the changes in the sail. Once you've got the basics, start to look at how the controls interact, although a really tired sail may hide the subtleties of this.
Most importantly, mark your settings so that you have references and repeatability, otherwise it'll feel like you're shooting in the dark each time you go from one bunch of settings to another and back again.
If you want to grasp as much as possible, start with the simple guides and play with the controls and watch the changes in the sail. Once you've got the basics, start to look at how the controls interact, although a really tired sail may hide the subtleties of this.
Most importantly, mark your settings so that you have references and repeatability, otherwise it'll feel like you're shooting in the dark each time you go from one bunch of settings to another and back again.
nigelmercier
RIP
- Joined
- 20 Jun 2007
- Messages
- 16,234
- Location
- Live in Kent, boat in Canary Islands
john_morris_uk
Well-known member
You might also look at this one:
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1574091190
"The Best of Sail Trim". Lots of articles on sail trim from 'Sail' magazine. It's a bit Americanified but you can translate it into English most of the time.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/aw/d/1574091190
"The Best of Sail Trim". Lots of articles on sail trim from 'Sail' magazine. It's a bit Americanified but you can translate it into English most of the time.
dancrane
Well-known member
Thanks for the suggestions gentlemen.
Must admit, I have a deep desire to save £500 over the winter and simply buy a new mainsail. There were pristine, rolled-up mains in the back of the keen racers' cars yesterday...
...of course, that's as much as the whole boat cost me, but I daresay a new main is like putting a new engine into a 250,000 mile car.
Must admit, I have a deep desire to save £500 over the winter and simply buy a new mainsail. There were pristine, rolled-up mains in the back of the keen racers' cars yesterday...
...of course, that's as much as the whole boat cost me, but I daresay a new main is like putting a new engine into a 250,000 mile car.
Lakesailor
New member
And you didn't ask if they want to sell their "old" and "tired" ex-sails? Bound to be like brand new compared to your own tea-bags.
winsbury
New member
We put new sails on our Wayfarer a year ago - the difference it made was stunning, not only does it now look very pretty but suddenly all the controls DO things ... just like they tell you in the books. Definitely worth every penny even on a relatively low value boat provided you intend using it for a few seasons of course.
just wish I had a spare couple of grand to do the same to the yacht
just wish I had a spare couple of grand to do the same to the yacht
Woodlouse
New member
Indeed. First step find someone with new sails and ask to buy his old ones. If you like that improvement then think about getting yourself a new sail.
Simondjuk
Active member
Yep, that's the one. I have the edition shown, or at least one with the same photo on the dust jacket, but I believe there may be a later one. Doesn't really matter which you get, the early one has a few de-debunked theories mentioned, the latter one doesn't. Mostly that's pure theory anyway, so won't lead you astray in trimming terms, but is quite interesting if only to illustrate how understanding of the science has evolved.
Be warned, it's a pretty heavy duty read with lots of theory before pulling on bits of string gets so much as a look in. Worth it in my opinion though.
dancrane
Well-known member
Rest assured, I would have pounced if such sails were available 2nd hand, there. The lovely new sails I saw were for Int14s and 49ers. Mine is the only Osprey at my club.
I saw a complete set of Osprey sails available online, in good condition according to the seller, at a reasonable-sounding £200. But the ad was long out of date, so I didn't enquire.
D