RL24 SKIFF RIG AND SAIL SET UP

REVISED AUGUST 2004

Mast Section:              GP 7 82.5mm diameter tapered
OR                              Goldspar GTDY 80.16mm Diameter Spun Taper

Rake:

Step mast with forestay and side stays (no sails).  Level hull to design sailing lines then drop a string line from mast head to deck.  Set rake up to have 15cm between the aft edge of the mast and the string line at deck level.

Spreaders:

Are to be fixed (no movement) in line with the side stays as set up above in the Rake.  Do not force the stays out of line with the spreaders, as this will happen automatically as the mast bends.

Jib Tracks:

Set the jib up so that the shirt sits just off the deck/coach-house.  Extend an imaginary line from two-thirds the way up the jib luff (approximately 360cm up from the tack) down through the centre of the clewboard to the deck where you scribe an arc from the outside edge of the coach-house in to the centre line of the cabin.  Bolt the jib track down over this sheeting line.  The track should extend from the cabin edge for sheeting when reaching to within 25cm of the cabin centre for light air on a wind sheeting.  You then use the clewboard holes for fine sheeting adjustments up and down.

SAIL SET UP

Mainsail:

Is loose footed and fully battened on a flexy mast, which combine to make a very versatile sail.  The battens should be tied in with enough tension to remove wrinkles whilst sailing, keeping in mind that the sail will wrinkle more as wind pressure increases.

In light airs (0 – 8 knots) the mainsail should look very full for power (not flat as some people believe).  Ease the loose foot in so the mainsail skirt sits about 22.5cm off the centre of the boom.  Ease the boom vang right off (no tension) and pull the traveller 45cm to windward from the centre line.  Then ease the mainsheet and thus boom into the centre line.  There should be no luff tension on the main, even to the point that the cosmetic wrinkles develop up to the luff so that the drive moves aft in the sail.  In these conditions, the mast will stand straight and the sail will look about the same depth all over with maximum drive at about 45% aft.

In moderate airs (8 – 15 knots) you set the mainsail up to powerful, keeping in mind the boat should be sailed flat, yet with enough tension on luff, foot, battens and mainsheet to remove wrinkles.  At this stage, the traveller ranges from the centre line to 15cm to windward with firm sheet tension.

In fresh winds (15 knots and above) you start to depower the rig so the boat sails as flat as possible.  Crew weight should be as far to windward as possible.  The aim is to bend the mast through luff, main sheet, batten and van tension to depower the rig.  Pull the foot tension out very tight so the sail sets flat off the boom.  The traveller should be eased to leeward before the mainsheet to depower.  Only throw the mainsheet in very fresh winds to prevent stalling and knock downs.  In these conditions, the boom vang must be very tight so when the sheet tension is eased the mast does not straighten up causing the sail to power up.

Jib:

It is a small high ratio sail designed to keep a clear slot behind the powerful mainsail.  Being so short on the foot, the sheeting angle both in and outboard and fore and aft is very critical to wind conditions.

In light airs, the jib should be sheeted 25cm from the centre line and down the leech (high up on the clewboard) on a sheeting line of 76% up the luff so that the sheet can be eased about 2.5cm on a wind to induce twist in the leech without the leech falling off and losing power.  In light air the ideal sail is a powerful cut 3oz new yarn tempered.  Use very little to no luff tension so that the luff is on the point of scalloping between hanks.  If rig tension is adjustable, it should be very loose to induce forestay sag and thus headsail power.

In moderate to fresh conditions, change to the 5oz new yarn tempered regular jib.  Just enough luff tension should be used to remove wrinkles from wind pressure – so alter luff tension to suit wind strength.  The sheeting should be more outboard 30cm to 35cm to prevent mainsail backwinding.  More tension is applied with increased wind pressure and the sheeting line is dropped down the luff (and clewboard) to about 60% to 70% to free the leech in fresh winds.

If you can adjust your rig tension, it should be tightened in fresh airs to prevent forestay sag.

Spinnaker:

The spinnaker system should be set up with adjustable barber haulers, topping lift, kicker brace and sheet.  The adjustable barber haulers on the sheets should be used to ensure an accurate sheeting angle as the brace is altered fore and aft.  The aim is to keep the sheeting line at approximately half the spinnaker clew angle.  That is when the brace is eased forward, the barber hauler should be eased and visa-versa.

I hope you have found this information helpful.  Please call me if I can be of any further assistance.

Good Sailing!

Cocko

Michael Coxon

North Sails Australia Pty Ltd
ABN: 60 000 820 084
12 Polo Avenue NSW 2103
PO BOX 511 NSW 1660
MONA VALE, AUSTRALIA
Ph:    +61 2 9997 5966
Fax:   +61 2 9997 4805
Email:office @au.northsails.com