Forestay tension

[Manny]

Hi all,I have a CDI furler for my jib. Lately I've noticed with jib all the way out and in decent wind, there is a bit of bend in the plastic luff/forestay (most noticeably at the tack of the jib) as the sail pulls on it. Is this to be expected or do I need to tighten the forestay?Thanks,Manny

 

[Alan]

The tension needs to be adjustable. When heading upwind in a breeze the headstay tension needs to be increased to pull the sag out of the stay and move the draft forward in the sail. The way this is accomplished is with a backstay tensioner and or running backstays.Most skippers are going to opt for the backstay tensioner. It is not as effective as the runner but is easier to operate and costs less.Pulling tension on the backstay produces a portion of headstay tension.You should also check to see if you have sufficient cap shroud tension. Cap shrouds are the source of headstay tension when the backstay is released.