Racing the Beneteau First 345

Norand

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Oct 21, 2019
5
Beneteau First 345 Aarhus
Hi there

I will be doing some racing in my friend's First 345 next season. He mainly used it for cruising but decided to go for the evening series next year. We are currently preparing her for battle before winter.

We raced quite a lot 10 years back but in a smaller boat. We know the basics, but would love any specific tips from people who raced the B-F345

My most important question concerns the downwind sail and the baby stay: How do you gybe the spin without the baby stay getting in the way? can the pole be raised so high as to drop it below the stay, or are asymmetric spins preferred? would it make sense to make the stay detachable for racing?

My friend has an asymmetric Spin/screecher, which might be native to the boat and an old symmetric X-99 spinnakker. As the course is mainly up-down, the symmetric would fit our bill the best, I reckon. We would probably rig it with separate guy/sheets on both sides and do the gybe dip-poled (the end fittings on the pole are not identical so end-to-end gybes are not possible anyway)

Are we on the right track or should we ditch the symmetric one completely? all input would be valuable.
 

Norand

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Oct 21, 2019
5
Beneteau First 345 Aarhus
the pole only fits the mast in one end, so it would be quite a dance.
 

Norand

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Oct 21, 2019
5
Beneteau First 345 Aarhus
it's a sort of socket in one end with a matching cup on the mast slider. the other end has a normal trigger eye for the sheet
 

Apex

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Jun 19, 2013
1,197
C&C 30 Elk Rapids
Couple questions to help you through the process:
Is the track on front of the mast long enough to raise it for dip pole? Use a continuous line for up/down and mark accordingly.
Can you ditch the baby stay for racing?
Can you change the fitting on the inboard end for end-end. At 34ft, dip pole is likely the best option.
 

Norand

.
Oct 21, 2019
5
Beneteau First 345 Aarhus
Thanks for the good questions, Apex. I am very interested in seeing if other 345-owners have any comments to them.
The pole on this boat is too long to fit below the stay when the car is fully up.
The stay is fitted with a very solid turnbuckle. I can see in pictures online that other 345-owners have replaced it with a block and tackle-arrangement. That might be an option. But. The rig is masthead keel-stepped with straight twin spreaders (as I assume is normal on this vessel). As far as I can see, this leaves just the baby stay for adjusting mast pre-bend. So a precise - and quite heavy - tuning of the baby stay seems nessecary. Are we risking something by just ditching the stay for racing purposes? (of course keeping it for heavy weather for sail depth control)
 
Jan 4, 2010
1,037
Farr 30 San Francisco
My 375 had the baby stay on a block and tackle arrangement, only ever tightened it when it was really blowing. The mast was pretty solid on that boat. I think ditch the stay for racing or put it on a block and tackle and you will be fine.
 
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Norand

.
Oct 21, 2019
5
Beneteau First 345 Aarhus
Awesome.

Anything else we should be aware of racing wise in this boat?
 
Sep 12, 2016
4
Beneteau First 345 Olympia WA
Hey just noticed this thread. I have a 1985, and as previously mentioned the baby stay (or the runners for that matter) is not necessary unless you are pounding some pretty good seas. Mine is rigged with a small mainsheet block w/ 3/8" line to make it adjustable and a snap shackle to disconnect it, it generally lives most of it's life shackled to the bale at the foot of the mast. This frees up the pole. If the baby stay is needed, it's only needed upwind- you can either just loosen it completely or bring it back to the mast as part of your hoist prep.

The boat was intended for dip pole gybing with separate sheets/guys and the stock socket on one end of the pole. However this setup is pretty cumbersome and unnecessary in anything blowing below the high teens. I ended up replacing the pole with standard jaw end fittings on both ends and replaced the pole car on the mast track with the ring style. This way I can end-for-end or dip pole gybe depending on the circumstances. I rarely use separate sheets/guys, only when it's blowing pretty hard, as I have adjustable snatch blocks set up on the toe rail a little aft of the chain plates to run the sheets through to get the necessary leverage on the guy on tight reaches, as well as help control the sheet oscillation on gusty days. As far as i researched, there's only one source for the matching ring-style replacement pole car that fits on the Isomat mast track: Isomat Spinnaker Cars.

In PHRF the boat does better in heavier winds than light, against all these newer light-weigh displacement hulls. If it's over 10-12, try to sail with a lot of crew- 8-9 is ideal for windy days, i can carry the #1 up to 15-17 knots with a full crew on the rail, with this she's tough to beat.