Extrapolation

[wufibugs]

Don, I have been slowly working through your book so I would not proceed from one section to the next until I felt reasonably comfortable with the prior section. I got to Chapter 4 which describes in detail adjusting the sail that is the boat's "engine". I was dismayed to see that you work through jib adjustments, which is the "engine" sail of a masthead rigged boat, but did not then do so for the mailsail, which is the engine for fractional rigged boats like my Hunter 31. I assume us fractional riggers should extrapolate this chapter to mainsail adjustments.

Just looking around my marina, I think fractional rigs are becoming sufficiently popular to justify a Chapter 4.5 that explains the adjustment of the mainsail with as much detail as is devoted to the jib. Do you think you might pen something that could be added to your site as is the wonderful downwind sailing link?

 

[Joe]

So, have you read chapt five yet? I suggest reading through the whole book to get an overall picture, then go back to the sections that interest you. Whether it's fractional or masthead rigged you would use the same controls to trim the sails. The suggestion is that you trim the headsail first on a masthead rig, then set the main to assist it. On a fractional you would reverse the order, because the jib assists the main.

 

[Don Guillette]

Wufibugs: As Joe says, just reverse the order. Nothing changes as a mainsail is a mainsail and a jib is a jib.

As a point of info and an aside, I can't tell you how may masthead rig boats I've been on where the skipper insists on adjusting the main first. I let them do it a couple of times while asking them to note their closehauled speed. It is slow (slower) because the main does not mirror the jib. I then tell them to trim the jib first and then mirror it with the main. it is always faster and I only have to have them do it once to make my point.

On a fractional rig with a small jib you have to be right on with your mainsail adjustment because that is all you've got.

Actually, just the thought of doing anything from a book standpoint makes my stomach upset!!

 

[Winkfish]

Stupid question time: What is a masthead rig vs a fractional rig?

 

[zeehag]

masthead rig--jib goes all the way to top of mast. fractional is jib shorter than mast -- about 2/3-3/4 upmast on most...

 

[Winkfish]

Thanks, Zeehag. Thought that might be the case, but I wasn't sure.