Tuning the rigging on a 2007 Capri 22 Standard Rig Wing Keel

[MikeDVB]

Hello!

I've had my '07 Capri 22 since 2021 and have enjoyed sailing it with the kiddos and generally just having fun out on the water with it. I did follow the tuning guide from North Sails initially.

I'm getting more into racing and I'm trying to tune and balance the rigging as best I can. In heavier winds [ ~15 knots gusts to ~20 ] I'm having a lot of weather helm to the point that it's often forcing me to round up whether I want to or not. Even at times letting the main sheet out in a gust/puff it's still forcing the front of the boat to windward. I do understand that weather helm is desirable over lee helm - but the amount I'm getting is, IMHO, too much.

Today I took two turns off of my backstay and went out [in 15, gusts to ~20] and it felt better but still not where I wanted to be. I took three more turns off and again - better - but still not where I'd like to be.

I do have a CDI Flexible Furler [came with the boat] so I can't adjust the forestay while out sailing but I can take the time to do it if needed at the dock. Seems I have to pull the headsail off, pull the pin on the drum, raise the drum, and access the turnbuckle.

Honestly I'm not sure how loose on the backstay is too loose. I do have a Loos PT-1 gauge but I've not seen any numbers/recommendations on the backstay when it comes to tuning guides. I imagine I don't want the backstay loose/floppy/untensioned.

From what I understand, having a wing keel, I really want to avoid mast rake otherwise I'll slip sideways and lose speed. Also from what I understand with more rake I'll have more weather helm as raking the mast backwards removes the center of effort backwards. I believe this means that the pressure on the main will be more aft pushing the back of the boat leeward and the front of the boat windward.

When it comes to tuning the rigging and checking rake - do I want to tune the uppers and lowers and then look at rake? Do I just want the backstay only just taught or is there a particular tension I should be looking for?

I do have a RudderCraft kick-up rudder that is longer than OEM which helps but I am putting a LOT of force into the tiller to keep the boat tracking straight in any sort of gusts. In 15 knots constant I'm not having to put a lot of pressure but if I let go of the tiller I will definitely round up.

I absolutely don't mind adjusting the rigging / pulling the furler apart / doing what I have to do to tune this better - but I'm hoping to get some "been there, done that" advice - or at minimum things to look for and things to avoid.

I'm planning on leveling the boat front to back with a spirit level on the mast step [moving weight around, since it's on the water, until it's level front to back] and then hanging a weight from the main halyard and seeing where it hangs relative to the mast.

I really have no idea how many turns are on the turnbuckle on the headstay - it is still set wherever the previous owner had set it. I'm also not sure if I can trust the 'just have 4 threads showing' since the CDI Furler comes with it's own T-Bolt [that I presume is of different length from the factory otherwise - why replace it?].

At the end of the day the boys and I are loving sailing and we're having fun - but it just occurred to me that I probably should take more time to make sure everything is set up properly and that I'm not slowing us down with some silly mistakes such as perhaps the forestay being too long/not adjusted properly or having too much rake, etc.

Ideally I want us to move as fast forwards as we can as opposed to slipping sideways - at least as much as I can with a wing keel.

Attached is a picture of the kiddo's sailing with me .

Thanks ahead of time for any and all assistance and advice you may have!

 

[JBP-PA]

That is a great photo!
How far is the boat heeled at the time? On a Capri 22 in 15-20 knots, you should have a reef or 2 in. Your boat should be heeled no more than 15-20 degrees. Because of the hull shape, when the boat is heeled over more than 20 degrees, you get a lot of weather helm and the rudder starts to lift out of the water.

 

[JBP-PA]

On a fractional rig, you are right that the backstay does not need tension. Tension on the backstay should bend your mast thus flattening your main and adding a little more tension to the headstay. I wouldn't let it floppy loose though. Flattening your main in moderate conditions should reduce heeling and weather helm if otherwise trimmed correctly.

 

[JBP-PA]

In a small boat like a 22, people can affect the rake. I know some people with similar boats adjust for a slightly negative rake when level so that they get a slightly positive rake when sitting in the cockpit.

 

[BillL Capri 22]

Consider also hull trim - It's really easy for the Capri22 to be loaded stern heavy. Everyone forward of the traveler and other movable ballast forward in the cabin (battery, cooler, etc). Does your rudder stick out behind the stern like the Gen-1 rudder (that's got more leverage).

But yea the amount of weather helm you're getting I'd mess with the rig first.
Wire does stretch. Old sails can be hard to trim.
And everything @JBP-PA says is spot on.
Mine is not real good either.

 

[MikeDVB]

That is a great photo!
How far is the boat heeled at the time? On a Capri 22 in 15-20 knots, you should have a reef or 2 in. Your boat should be heeled no more than 15-20 degrees. Because of the hull shape, when the boat is heeled over more than 20 degrees, you get a lot of weather helm and the rudder starts to lift out of the water.

Not sure on the heeling of the boat in the photo to be honest. I believe it was a 10knot day or so in the picture. We were having some fun intentionally letting the wind push us over/heel us as the boys enjoy it [even though it's not fast, ha!].

I have absolutely noticed a lot of weather helm when the wind is pushing me over. I do have a RudderCraft rudder that's a little longer than OEM/Stock so that helps with keeping control but it still has its limits that I found when out yesterday [didn't take pictures, was too busy trying to control the boat].

On a fractional rig, you are right that the backstay does not need tension. Tension on the backstay should bend your mast thus flattening your main and adding a little more tension to the headstay. I wouldn't let it floppy loose though. Flattening your main in moderate conditions should reduce heeling and weather helm if otherwise trimmed correctly.

That I guess is part of my confusion in trying to understand. I've been told to tension the backstay in heavier wind to allow the sail to twist and spill air / to de-power the sail - but I've also been told that tensioning the backstay will rake the mast and increase weather helm.

I can spill air by letting out the main but it's not the same as inducing twist as I understand it. I'm still very much a sailing novice and I'm trying to learn. The bigger problem for me is the days where 15 knot winds are happening is rare. It's rare enough to the point that many of the sailors in the club won't even go out in it / will skip the race. 3-5 knots with gusts to 6~9 is far more common.

I am on a small inland lake [Eagle Creek Reservoir] and the wind can be very shifty so you can go from a nice smooth sail to being knocked over/rounded and then to dead air very quickly.

In a small boat like a 22, people can affect the rake. I know some people with similar boats adjust for a slightly negative rake when level so that they get a slightly positive rake when sitting in the cockpit.

I've sailed with a fair bit of rake in lower winds without control issues but to be honest I've probably been slower as a result. I do generally understand the physics of the sail / sail shape / flattening the sail vs giving it some girth - but my practical experience with it is not amazing due to the generally low-winds we have on the lake.

Consider also hull trim - It's really easy for the Capri22 to be loaded stern heavy. Everyone forward of the traveler and other movable ballast forward in the cabin (battery, cooler, etc). Does your rudder stick out behind the stern like the Gen-1 rudder (that's got more leverage).

I am definitely stern-heavy and have done what I can to move weight to the front of the boat. Anything extra inside is in the v-birth and I generally tell the boys to go as far forward as they can go especially in heavier wind. That said I do generally keep them off of the foredeck in heavier winds just on account of staying out of the way of the headsail. There are times I take safety over speed especially since I'm sailing with the kiddo's.

I'm a larger guy myself and while I don't necessarily enjoy it - I do try to sit forward of the traveler and to use my tiller extension. This becomes increasingly difficult in heavier winds where the forces I have to put into the tiller become enough that I worry about possibly breaking my extension or losing leverage of the tiller and accidentally rounding up.

My rudder does hang off the back - it's not under the boat.

But yea the amount of weather helm you're getting I'd mess with the rig first.
Wire does stretch. Old sails can be hard to trim.
And everything @JBP-PA says is spot on.
Mine is not real good either.

Indeed - I'm mostly just trying to get a good starting point on the rigging to adjust from/test from. I don't want to start out with something silly and then trying to fix issues just based upon that. I.e. [just an example] if I were to have 12 inches of rake - that's probably going to create other issues I'll have to deal with as opposed to starting with no rake.

I'm unsure how long my forestay is or how tensioned it is. I'm not sure if I need to lengthen or shorten it or if it's good - and I'm not sure really how to tell. I did read that it should be 25'6" for best performance but I'm not sure if that applies to both wing keel and fin keel - and honestly I'm not 100% sure the best way to measure it without taking it off the boat / taking the mast down. I do have a laser level that I could probably get close with but as we're generally talking about a number of turns in or out - it's probably not super accurate ¯\_(ツ)_/¯.

I've also heard that my uppers should be higher tension than my lowers and vice versa. I've read that my lowers on the leeward side should be a little slack/loose and I've also heard that is bad. I've heard so much conflicting information that I'm not sure where to start.

I imagine I need to tension the uppers and lowers and then look at mast rake - probably with a heavy weight hanging off of the main halyard with the boat leveled front to back to see how much rake I have. That said - if I have nearly no tension on the backstay and I am raked back does that mean I need to shorten the forestay or do something with the uppers and lowers?

I am sure a lot of this would seem more obvious to a more experienced sailor/racer - but for me I'm still just trying to sort it out. A masthead rig does seem a little easier to understand when it comes to tuning than a fractional rig as it seems with a masthead rig the forestay has a bit more control.

 

[JBP-PA]

The amount of heel in your photo is fine, in your description you said you experienced problems at 15-20 knots of wind. I thought they were different times and the photo was just for fun.

Flattening the main is different than twist. My rough rule of thumb is lots of body and shape in very light winds. Flattening in moderate winds to go fast. Extra twist in heavy winds to avoid excessive heel. Adding tension to the backstay, Cunningham, and halyard will help flatten the main. Bringing your traveller windward will add extra twist. You can also add extra twist with a topping lift on some boats.

Sailing in shifty winds in a small lake that used to be a river is indeed hard, but it will give you excellent sailing skills.

 

[BillL Capri 22]

Ullman Sails Capri 22 Tuning Guide. This one is more "how to" rather than a table of narrow wind range targets like the North page. Also differentiates between wing and fin keels.

As you expected, attach a tape measure to the halyard to measure lengths. Attach weight to the halyard to turn it into a plumb bob, from which to make measurements.

Rake is an initial measurement done with little tension on the shrouds. When the shrouds are tightened, some pre-bend will come in and make the rake measurement weird, but that's expected. Pre-bend out and the rake measurement returns to the starting point.

Sometimes two different measurements cannot be be achieved b/c there's something imprecise or non-standard. Like mast out of plumb but that's because the boat isn't water-line level, not because the forestay is too long.
--------------------------
Here's a Capri 22 Sailing Guide from Ullman just b/c it came up in the search at the same time.

 

[Rightbrainer]

Generally, if your helm is still too heavy after using all the boat handling tweaks, you need to move the rig forward by shortening the headstay. Slacking the backstay isn't quite the same thing. The rig will stand without any backstay because of the aft-swept spreaders. I'd loosen the whole rig, take a turn or two on the forestay and then go through the whole setup procedure starting with centering the masthead with the uppers, then setting the initial prebend by bringing the uppers to 400#. Put full tension on the backstay adjuster and bring uppers back to 400#. Release the backstay--the uppers should not exceed 500#. Use lowers to straighten the mast and reduce the prebend to about 1 1/2". All of this is done with the boom supported, but not by the backstay pigtail. Go sailing and play with the lowers until they are just soft on the lee side when heeled over in a good breeze.

You mentioned taking turns off the backstay implying that it's not adjustable. I think your boat has the racing package because of the traveller, so you should be able to rig an adjuster system on your backstay. I can't quite tell from the picture if you are using your Cunningham or not. That can also help to de-power your rig in a breeze by flattening the main.

I reef early because my boat has a very narrow 'slot' when it's overpowered. According to my phone app, it is just as fast and much easier to handle with a reef in. I also have a reefing 135 jib with a foam luff that I use a lot in a good breeze. If you are in puffy conditions, set your luff and outhaul tension for the puffs. In a big puff, lower the traveler to let a bubble form in the mainsail luff to reduce power without flogging the sail. She'll still point fine.

That sure is a happy crew that you have there!