Fairlead Adjustment
- Thread starter Don Guillette
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I wanted to post this short reply before I forget it then I'm dashing off to play Pickleball. Probably a lot of you don't know what pickleball is but it is a game sweeping a lot of the active adult communities like where I live. It is like badminton.
Anyway, if I had to catagorize myself I would place myself as a cruiser. I like to race boats too but I enjoy a peaceful day on the water with the wife just sailing around. I don't constantly tweak the sails because i don't have to but if I see them getting out of shape I'm not going to let them stay that way.
It is sort of like this - you have a stick shift car and you hate to shift gears. You just want to cruise at highway speed, which is fine until you come to a hill. The car lugs and you have to downshift. You don't have to but your car will like you better if you do.
As Alan mentioned - there is no difference between cruising trim and racing trim. There is only a right way and a wrong way. When I race with the Catalina team at the Catalina National events, we are not running all over the place like a chicken with his head cut off. Each crew person has a job and we just do it very smoothly. That is why we rarely finish below second place.
Next years Catalina30 National event is to held in San Fran. I'm looking forward to attending that one as i like sailing in San Fran.
Here's what happens with constant tweeking. It is like adjusting the hot water in your shower or the carb on your car (when they were adjustable!!) - you have to wait a minute for the adjustment to take place. So many middle to back of the pack racers go right by the adjustment they are making and on to the next one before the first one could take place. That is one reason they place where they do.
Anyway, if I had to catagorize myself I would place myself as a cruiser. I like to race boats too but I enjoy a peaceful day on the water with the wife just sailing around. I don't constantly tweak the sails because i don't have to but if I see them getting out of shape I'm not going to let them stay that way.
It is sort of like this - you have a stick shift car and you hate to shift gears. You just want to cruise at highway speed, which is fine until you come to a hill. The car lugs and you have to downshift. You don't have to but your car will like you better if you do.
As Alan mentioned - there is no difference between cruising trim and racing trim. There is only a right way and a wrong way. When I race with the Catalina team at the Catalina National events, we are not running all over the place like a chicken with his head cut off. Each crew person has a job and we just do it very smoothly. That is why we rarely finish below second place.
Next years Catalina30 National event is to held in San Fran. I'm looking forward to attending that one as i like sailing in San Fran.
Here's what happens with constant tweeking. It is like adjusting the hot water in your shower or the carb on your car (when they were adjustable!!) - you have to wait a minute for the adjustment to take place. So many middle to back of the pack racers go right by the adjustment they are making and on to the next one before the first one could take place. That is one reason they place where they do.
Brian-
Basically, you'll want to set the fairleads for the given conditions and your point of sail... If you're out in fairly constant winds, like what we see here on Buzzards Bay, you may not have to "tweak" them much more than that.
If the winds are relatively variable where you are, you'll probably have to get them set approximately and either deal with less than perfect trim or tweak the car position.
Of course, tweaking is much simpler if you have line-controlled fairlead cars, rather than pin-stop ones. If you don't have line-controlled fairlead cars, I would highly recommend getting them.
Basically, you'll want to set the fairleads for the given conditions and your point of sail... If you're out in fairly constant winds, like what we see here on Buzzards Bay, you may not have to "tweak" them much more than that.
If the winds are relatively variable where you are, you'll probably have to get them set approximately and either deal with less than perfect trim or tweak the car position.
Of course, tweaking is much simpler if you have line-controlled fairlead cars, rather than pin-stop ones. If you don't have line-controlled fairlead cars, I would highly recommend getting them.
Brian D: There really isn't a magic fairlead position because the wind is ever changing as is the sea and the point of sail. That being said, you can get in the ball park. When you look at an average fairlead track it is probably 6' to 8' long. In most closehaul situations you use probably only 2' of the track. So if a mate didn't want to mess with the jib fairleads what he would do is determine the oustside parameter of the track usage and mark them with a piece of tape or something and then pick a middle point. I can tell you that the wind won't alway cooperate and in some case your jib will fall out of shape and you'll have to adjust it.
On the main, if you don't want to adjust it then set the traveler at about the center line of the boat.
Obviously, I love to have my sails nicely shaped. What I do when I'm just out fooling around with guests is I keep one eye on them and one on the sails. You would never know what I'm doing. In other words, in the middle of the conversation, I'd still be concentrated on what your saying but I'd reach over and adjust the fairlead or pull the traveler - just to keep the boat on an even keel and my sails liking me - they hate me when they get out of shape!!
Sail trim is fun and after all it is a sail boat and not a power boat. This is just a general observation but I hear a lot from sailors that they don't want to tweek the sail trim controls. They tell me this when they were calling me to come on board with them for some sail trim pointers. Actually, they do want to tweek the sail trim controls but they just arn't sure what to do. Once they learn how easy it is they are hooked.
Brian D, instead of the main halyard, consider a Cunnigham. It is easier to adjust and more precise.
By the way, that is a great picture of you behind the helm.
On the main, if you don't want to adjust it then set the traveler at about the center line of the boat.
Obviously, I love to have my sails nicely shaped. What I do when I'm just out fooling around with guests is I keep one eye on them and one on the sails. You would never know what I'm doing. In other words, in the middle of the conversation, I'd still be concentrated on what your saying but I'd reach over and adjust the fairlead or pull the traveler - just to keep the boat on an even keel and my sails liking me - they hate me when they get out of shape!!
Sail trim is fun and after all it is a sail boat and not a power boat. This is just a general observation but I hear a lot from sailors that they don't want to tweek the sail trim controls. They tell me this when they were calling me to come on board with them for some sail trim pointers. Actually, they do want to tweek the sail trim controls but they just arn't sure what to do. Once they learn how easy it is they are hooked.
Brian D, instead of the main halyard, consider a Cunnigham. It is easier to adjust and more precise.
By the way, that is a great picture of you behind the helm.
Don- I just replaced my worn out 150 headsail with a newer 5oz dacron sail which measures about a 170. Is this too much for my 18 ft USYacht? How do I get max performance? I'm a cruiser not a racer but I like good sailtrim.
I have your books and chart on order...
Thanks
I have your books and chart on order...
Thanks
Paul: Thank you for purchasing my book and chart, both of which are in the mail to you today.
A 170 is a pretty big sail so it is very impotant to learn how to control it so as to get 100% efficiency from it. How to get max performance from it is a good question but this is hard to do by email but I'll give it a shot. It is sort of like trying to explain to someone how to play a musical instrument or become a carpenter over the phone!
My book The SAIL TRIM USERS GUIDE will easily move you from beginner to high intermediate once you have digested and understand the material. The first thing to understand is that ALL the controls for the main and jib are only adjusting 4 things and that is draft depth, draft position, twist and angle of attack. These elements are covered in the first chapter. Once you understand those elements your half way home from a sail trim standpoint. Next you have to understand what each sail trim control for the main and jib do. At that point your almost there. Once you understand their function you have to know when to use them. I make that very easy for you by including FREE a QUICK REFERENCE which tells you which sail trim controls do what. You use the quick reference alnog with THE SAIL TRIM CHART.
In order to control your 170 you have to know what the sail trim indicators (telltales) are telling you. I devote almost 7 pages to reading telltales.
All this sounds like a lot of work - and it is. It is a bit of a struggle when you first dive into it but when the material is presented in a logical manner and in plain English it is easy. After you recieve my products if you have any questions you can Email or call me or ask your questions on this forum. Any questions you may ask I've heard before - I've probably heard them at least 5 times!!
A 170 is a pretty big sail so it is very impotant to learn how to control it so as to get 100% efficiency from it. How to get max performance from it is a good question but this is hard to do by email but I'll give it a shot. It is sort of like trying to explain to someone how to play a musical instrument or become a carpenter over the phone!
My book The SAIL TRIM USERS GUIDE will easily move you from beginner to high intermediate once you have digested and understand the material. The first thing to understand is that ALL the controls for the main and jib are only adjusting 4 things and that is draft depth, draft position, twist and angle of attack. These elements are covered in the first chapter. Once you understand those elements your half way home from a sail trim standpoint. Next you have to understand what each sail trim control for the main and jib do. At that point your almost there. Once you understand their function you have to know when to use them. I make that very easy for you by including FREE a QUICK REFERENCE which tells you which sail trim controls do what. You use the quick reference alnog with THE SAIL TRIM CHART.
In order to control your 170 you have to know what the sail trim indicators (telltales) are telling you. I devote almost 7 pages to reading telltales.
All this sounds like a lot of work - and it is. It is a bit of a struggle when you first dive into it but when the material is presented in a logical manner and in plain English it is easy. After you recieve my products if you have any questions you can Email or call me or ask your questions on this forum. Any questions you may ask I've heard before - I've probably heard them at least 5 times!!
Don
Got the book and chart yesterday. Looks as if it'll be very helpful. Question: My 1982 18ft USYacht doesn't have a traveler or a boom vang, just the mainsheet. Is it advisable to pick up a used traveler and vang? If so,Are there any installation instructions available on line?
Got the book and chart yesterday. Looks as if it'll be very helpful. Question: My 1982 18ft USYacht doesn't have a traveler or a boom vang, just the mainsheet. Is it advisable to pick up a used traveler and vang? If so,Are there any installation instructions available on line?
Alan's got it.
For top competitive settings I'll do what Alan states .. plus also add trials of jib/genoa halyard tension while watching especially the upper telltales - the more halyard tension the more the upper part of the sail will 'twist' ... After setting the approximate fairlead car position, I sail precisely while watching the middle and upper luff telltales .. then apply varying halyard tension until I get the correct twist; halyard tension combined with correct sheet tension can also be of great benefit in setting 'twist' in a jib/genoa.
In the 'old days' before furlers, I'd adjust the jib's cunningham to help adjust for the correct 'twist'; most of today's 'hot' sport-boats still use 'cunninghams' on their jib luff-sleeves - to adjust fore/aft draft position AND twist.
BTW I have equally placed painted 'stripes' on the underside of my spreaders so that I or my crew can 'see' how far or away the jib's leech is positioned from the spreader .... for quasi-accurate 'repeatability' in trim/shaping. Its very easy to over-winch a jibsheet ... and totally destroy the proper twist and shape.
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