C320 Rig Tension
My broker, who was a rigger in former life, said the standing rigging should: (1) be set such that the unloaded mast is straight (vertical), (2) be set such that there is no play in the unloaded mast fore and aft, and (3) be set such that the athwartship stays (8 of them!) give about 2-3 inches on the leeward side when heeled. Having said that, I have seen forum threads at this site discussing tuning the fore & aft stays to compensate for some weather or lee helm tendencies. My new C320 during trial runs a week ago in 18-22 knot winds tracked well enough to go hands-off for a minute or so at a time (until wave action grabbed her). Autopilot had no trouble tracking with very small corrections. --Ron (#831, "Lady Jane", Marblehead, MA)
