Brad McEahcern
Hi: How tight your backstay should be depends on your point of sail. If you are running with the wind it should be slack. If you are beating into the wind pull it tight, walk to the front of your boat and look up the forstay if it has a large sag in it you need to tighten it some more. The straigher the forstay, the highter that you will point. So for an experiment, next time your out, head up the wind and leave your backstay fairly loose, go to the bow and have a look up the forestay, you will see major sag, you need some wind say 8 knotts at the least. Now check your compass heading and tighten the backstay untill the sag is out off the forestay. Check your point of sail on the compass you should be pointing way higher. You tighten the backstay less in light wind and more in heavy wind. How much, go and look from the pulpit. Hope this helps you out.. Brad
