Excessive slack in forestay--Ensenada Race

[John Richard]

I recently participated in the Newport to Ensenada, Mexico race. We had our asym up in 13 to 17 knots. Wind anywhere from 100 to 130 degrees apparent. There were several times during the race that I noticed that my forestay had about six inches of play in it. I began to get worried that the mast had no stabilizing agent from stern to bow due to not having a back stay. Our boat is a 2001 410. While the boat performed beautifully, the amount of play in the forstay was still a concern. In fact, there was so much pulling on the asym, that the pulley assembly in the mast where the spinnaker halyard passed through gave way and blew out of its position. It was only held in place by, I think, two rivits. The loud crashing noise was enough to explode me out of my bunk during an off watch. Is there anything I can rig to counteract this force on the rig? The only thing available is my topping lift, but it is needed to support the boom.John Richard s/v Jack's Place

 

[Steve Lannen]

Forestay slack

Take a look at your owner's manual. My brother just bought a Hunter 36 (which we raced in the Ensenada race also). We took it out for a shake down cruise and I noticed incredible slack in the forestay. The jib didn't even have a staight line at the luff it had a huge bow. Our manual said that it could have up to nine inches of sag. We took it back to hunter because of some other tuning problem but they said the slack stay was pretty normal for a Hunter. What bothered me even more was the thirteen inches of mast rake!

 

[Joe Barrett]

Forestay

Some sag in the forestay is very desireable. In light air you want a powered up shape and the only way to get that is some headstay sag. That said there are other times when sag is not a good thing and you experienced that. Get a backstay adjuster on the boat, it's not expensive cost me about $300. With the Spinnaker and that much wind you probably would have added about half of full tension, even off the wind. Also your problem with the Halyard may have resulted from a lack of a Spinnaker Crane. Layline sells them for my C320 and keeps the Halyard in front of the Forestay and reduces friction on the sheaves and allows you to jibe the Spinnaker.