2001
ENSIGN TUNING GUIDE
MAST:
1) set
the rig up with the headstay at 26’ 2 1/4”
2) adjust
the step so the mast rests against the Partners and chock It centered and also
fore and aft.
3) Set
uppers and Forward lowers with “Loose” gauge at 40. (with slack backstay) This
will generate about 1 1/4” of pre-bend.
4) Set
Aft lowers at 24-26 (with slack backstay)
5) Go
sailing and check the mast for falloff. The stiffness of the masts vary! With
about 12 knots true and the headstay at 40, the Leeward upper shroud will just
begin to go slack. You may have to adjust the uppers or FL to keep it in tune
(upper from 35-42).
FORESTAY:
1) Set
up the “Loose” gauge on the forestay.
2) Make
up a paint stirrer or ruler for marking the backstay position.
3) Apply
tension to backstay and place marks on your guide at headstay tensions of:
20,25,30,35,40. This will reference to wind strengths for Genoa and main trim.
4) HEADSTAY TENSION TRUE WIND SPEED
20 0-3
25 3-6
30
6-12
35 10-15
40 15
and up
SAIL
TRIM
MAIN:
1. Fairly
straight forward using normal trimming knowledge.
2. Use
traveler to keep boat flat when sailing in higher winds, approximately 4-6” of
movement. After that go to the sheet. In light air, pull the traveler up to
windward so that the boom Is about 1” to windward of center.
3. In
drifting conditions use the sheet and traveler to
induce lots of twist.
4. Maybe
the most important Item for the main is to not worry about the bubble behind
the mast. It is caused by the main arid headsails working together. If you trim
the main too high to windward, you will drive the boat sideways!
As always, make sure your main has tell tales on the leech
before leaving the dock and use them when. Also, your top batten is the second
best stall indicator.
SAIL TRIM
Bring a magic marker along when you do your test sailing.
GENOA:
1) First
item of business is to cut the spreaders down to within 1” of class minimum.
2) Drill
your genoa tracks so you have holes every 1/2”
3) Go
sailing in about 12 knots true wind. Set lead so that the genoa touches the
shroud at the deck and up near the mast. Check the tell tales for proper break.
If all break even, then mark this spot as the mid-range point.
4) The
range of track position for the Genoa will vary from
1” forward, to 2” back. For 0-5
knots the lead should go forward 1” and keep the leech can be as close as 1/2”
to the spreader with the lead in the mid range position.
Once past 14 knots, the lead
should be back 2” and the leech can be eased away until it reaches 4” away in
about 18 knots
5) Use
the Genoa from 0 to gusts of 20 knots true.
#2 GENOA:
1) Set
up the lead position as you did for
the genoa. The
#2
should trim in tight to the
shrouds. Mark the track as we did for the genoa. Similar rules apply for the #2
for twist and lead changes, but to a lesser degree of change.
2) This
sail is a top performer mit’s wind range! Be careful to use it in the correct
conditions. It works best when the wind is gusting from the high teens to low
twenties. If the winds are sustained above 20, then switch to the blade.
BLADE:
1) The
lead position (tracks) are placed too close to the center line of the boat.
This chokes the slot and makes the boat slow. Cure: never trim the sail super
tight! If In doubt or going slow, ease it out!
2) Never
trim the upper batten inside the upper shroud, as this is a very good Indicator
that you are violating the above rule.
3) The
tracks should be drilled with the same 1/2” spaced holes as the genoa track.
You should set you mid—range mark In about 12-15 knots true wind.
4) Twist
is the Key to making this sail go, so set your tell tales with the top tale
breaking first.
5) The
Blade is to be used when the wind is sustained 20 knots or more. When you have
big seas and high winds, you may think you want to use the Genoa, but don’t!
Using the Genoa in the swells will not allow you to steer through the seas. The
Genoa will only cause you to heel too much if you misjudge a puff or feather
incorrectly.
6) Replace
the jib when it gets tired! The sail will slow you down dramatically when the
draft moves aft. This is due to the backwind into the main, because of the
narrow sheeting angle.
7) If
class rules allow, use a two to one purchase on the sheet. This allows finer
adjustments by the crew with less effort.
SPINNAKER:
1) Fairly
standard trim works well for this sail as well. Follow the old rules of not
over trimming and proper pole height.
2) The
Ensign can sail fairly square to the wind with the spinnaker arid so be careful
not to sail too high on your gybing angles. The lighter the air, the higher the
angles you can sail.
3) Use
tweakers on your sheets, they help when gybing and in lumpy seas.
4) On
windy and wet days, try to keep the spinnaker ad dry as possible. The Nylon
stretches much more when wet and that is the time when you want a flatter
chute.
5) You
can use your genoa and jib under the spinnaker under certain conditions. Genoa
in over 15 knots and the jib in most conditions. Remember to take them down
before the gybe!
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OTHER SPEED FACTORS:
Weight: Keep the weight as for forward as
possible. Sail the boat as flat as possible. When the boat is flat, the helm
will be neutral and that is the fastest way to sail the boat.
Preparation: Keep the boat at minimum
weight. Make sure that all the running rigging is in good shape. Make sure all
sail controls work freely and without much effort. Halyards should be of lowest
stretch material allowable by the class rules. The mast step should be strong
so as to keep the rig tension in lumpy seas and high winds.
Practice: Nothing beats good practice. Go
out in different conditions and go through all of the things you will do in a
race. On race day, fly the spinnaker before the race (keep it dr~~) to warm up.
Do several tacks and gybes before the start.
Have
Fun: We race to learn and get
better at sailing. Remember to help out the other guy when you can, because the
better he or she gets, the harder they will push you! Always remember to yell
starboard with a smile!
GOOD
LUCK AND ENJOY!