On a run....

[Sean D]

How far out do you let your main when on a dead run? I realize the limitations of the B&R rig are downwind, but I am curious to see how people trim their mains, specifically if you lay the main down on the spreaders or not. Personally, I don't because I want to aviod the wear on the sail. I end up sailing on the wind a little more, and jibing more often. It just occured to me that I could have it all wrong and you need to still trim like a conventional rig with straigh-out spreaders, and let the main lay on the spreaders.....What does everyone think?Thanks,SEANs/v Haven

 

[Greg Stebbins]

Lay it on the shrouds!!!

Got plastic coat on shrouds. Tension the cunningham before running to flaten the sail. Then I just let the boom ride on the shrouds. No overt wear on sails as yet but P/O did manage to mark the boom. That's what go me on the plastic shroud covers. Polishing out skuffs tends to make you think.P.s. I HATE running so this doesn't happen all that much.Greg

 

[Bob McDowell]

Never let your boom touch the shrouds!!!!!

Check in any good sailing book about this, the engineering of any modern rig "(not just the B&R)is not made for the possible increase in force during a gust, you could bring down the rig or break the boom (you choose which you want). All modern sailboats will sail much faster to a downwind destination by sailing at higher angles and jibing downwind. The easiest way to do this is to let your main out till the sail just misses the shrouds (use a vang to keep the sail flat) and come up into the wind until the jib just fills. If you have a spinnaker then you want to set it until the luff just starts to curl.When you want to jibe bring the traveler up to center, and trim the main into center as you jibe. This way the boom has a short distance to go when it jibes. Let the sheet out quickly trim the jib you have safely jibed.Have fun.

 

[Jim Russell]

Wing on Wing with spinnaker works

I've had great luck beating the competition in light air with a wing/wing approach with the main dumping some air into the cruising spinnaker.Main touching upper spreads on the Hunter 340, but not the lower spreaders.Those sailing the jib were history.Ah, but the individual variation is what is fun.

 

[Alex]

Let it lean on shrouds..

..this is a price to pay with B&R rig..the sacrificial panel would have to be changed after 3-4 seasons.Make sure you tension well the boom vang in advance.have a preventer rigged, but with quick release option from the cockpit.I asked once Hunter and they told me there should be no safety problem having the main heavily lean on the shrouds.I would think however,that boom should not touch the shrouds. I don't go really 180 downwind with this main(on my 29.5), at most 160, unless weak winds and reefed main much earlier, since puffs will turn the boat windward .Frankly , with my previous boat, it was fun running in medium winds , with the waves, while keeping a stright line and not worry about broaching.(but then , it really had a small cockpit..).

 

[Al Sandrik]

On teh shrouds

Just went Wing on Wing yesterday in a good 15 knot breeze and with the B and R rig I don't see any other way for a down wind run (and I love going Wing on Wing). I hate broad reaching at that point when your just between a broad reach and a run as my boat seems to wallow and its hard to control the jib.