Back stay tension

[NYSail]

Hello all,I am new to tuning my rig on my 1986 Pearson P36-2 and have a basic question (for now......).I have tightened the uppers to about 20%, intermediates to about 15% and lowers to about 20% and babystay to about 15%. My backstay I initially had at 15% but today tightened it up to 20% at the advise of a sailor friend.......I have a roller furling. What kind of difference will I notice from this?Thanks! Greg

 

[Don Guillette]

Adjustment

NYsail: What was happening that caused your friend to tell you to tighten the backstay? What you tighten the backstay what happened to the mast - did it rack back off of vertical or bend to look like your index finger when you bend it? When I know the answers to those questions I'll be able to give you an answer.A lot of times we get all kinds of advise from our dock neighbors and sailing friends and you always have to ask the question WHY am I making a particular adjustment. The sail trim controls are like the jets on a 4 barrell carb - you can't just adjust one and expect a smooth running engine. Sometimes the adjustment we make without a good reason just makes the situation worse.I know there are some Pearson sailors on this forum who really know their onions and perhaps they could chime in.

 

[NYSail]

Adjustment did

not change the mast shape as far as I can tell...maybe a bit more rack. Friend said to tighten as he said he felt the forestay was a bit loose and shape of my headsail would be better.I know people most notably racers tune the rig when out sailing based on conditions and was just wondering what effect the tightening of the backstay does.Thanks!Greg

 

[Alan]

The Pearson 36 is a masthead rig with a telephone pole for a mast. This means that you basically can't bend your mast. Tensioning the backstay will tighten the headstay and help to move the draft forward in the genoa. This is good for upwind performance in a breeze but not as the breeze dies or you reach off. Then a more slack headstay is in order.

 

[Don Guillette]

Forestay

Greg: If the forestay is loose why not just tighten it. For normal everyday sailing for a beginner to middle intermediate my suggestion is to not even mess with the backstay. As Alan has indicated you can't bend your mast (or any production boat mast). You can only rake it back. The first thing that happens when you rake the mast is weather helm develops. Some weather helm is a good thing but too much is a bad thing. There are 4 things you are adjusting with the sail trim controls for your main and jib and they are draft depth, draft position, twist and angle of attack. If you could truely bend the mast to look like this " ) " , which you can't, then you could use the back stay to control draft depth and draft position. Draft depth (belly) is easy to understand. Draft position is not. DP is a imaginary vertical line that runs up the deepest part of your main and jib. The idea is to keep that line at the middle of the sail (50%) and the sail trim controls you use to adjust DP are the boom vang, cunningham, mainsheet outhaul and MAST BEND. Unfortunately, once you start messing with those controls you are also changing draft depth, twist and angle of attack. As the wind pipes up, DP is pushed back to 55% to 60% and you want to bring it forward to 50%. A lot of sailors ask me how am I suppose to see this imaginary line? The answer is the same for seeing twist for the first time - you need someone to show you. The easiest way to see twist is by adjusting the controls as you sail along and watch the top of the sail open and close and the same goes for DP. You need to see it move. Once you see DP and twist you won't forget it.