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upwind, keep the aft end of the top batten parallel to the boom.

F) Mast forward at deck

Normally no mast lever needs to be used upwind.   In light air some forward lever
can be experimented with.  When reaching only use enough forward lever to
keep the mast from reversing, don’t induce any bend.  The crew should check the
mast to make sure that it is straight.  I set up my forward adjustment so it just
barely goes loose when sailing upwind in light air.  This keeps the mast from
every reversing on a reach without having to pull any forward puller on.  On the
run the it should be pulled on until the mast is straight.  A good way to judge if
you have the right amount of forward puller on is to look at the windward
spreader.  The spreader should be straight out from the mast.  It may swing
forward in the puffs slightly and maybe in the light spots swing aft but normally
it's straight out.

G) Sliding mast butt

Some boats use a sliding mast butt.  It originally was used on older boats that
didn't have enough room forward at the mast partner allowing the mast to go
further forward.  It was discovered that it also loosened the shrouds so the
leeward spreader wouldn't cut in the main as much.

4. JIB TRIM

Pull the jib in until the leech lines up with the mark on the center of the spreader
and make sure the foot’s not too tight”.  This is what we do about 95% of the
time.  There are about 10 separate adjustments that affect the trim of the jib.  The
adjustments that affect the jib are: jib halyard, jib tack downhaul, jib stay
position, rake, jib lead fore and aft, jib lead in and out, jib sheet tension, upper
backstay, lower backstay and even the mainsheet.  For the most part you don’t
even have to worry about many of them, but I’ll discuss all of them and what
effects they have.  First, I’ll try to describe the shape we are looking for.

A) Upwind Jib Shape

There are a lot of guidelines used for determining proper jib trim.  What you are
determining is fullness and twist.  The twist is the change in angle of the sail as it
goes up.  An untwisted sail will have a small slot between itself and the main.
The top of the sail will be over trimmed and the sail will luff first down low.  A sail
with too much twist will be real open at the top and will luff first.  A good way to
look at twist is by using the battens.  You will find that with the proper twist the
lower batten will be pointing to windward of the center line, the middle batten
straight back and the top batten pointing down to leeward.  From experience we
have found that with the proper twist the leech intersects the spreader half way
out.  You should have a mark on the spreader at 458 mm (18") off the side of the

10

Summary of Contents for STAR 2003

Page 1: ...STAR TUNING GUIDE 2003 Quantum San Diego...

Page 2: ...able These are some suggestions for tuning to get the best speed from your Quantum Star Sails Following the Table of Contents is a quick set up guide that includes all the critical measurements This s...

Page 3: ...in Traveler e Boom Vang f Mast forward adjustment at deck g Sliding Mast Butt 4 JibTrim 10 a Jib Shape b Jib Sheet c Jibstay d Jib Halyard e Jib Lead Fore and Aft f Jib Lead In and Out g Jib Tack h Ba...

Page 4: ...o 435 mm 17 The boom should end up about 200 mm 8 off the deck in 8 10 knots 2 MainsailTrim Mainsheet The top batten should line up with the boom Have a reference point with a mark on the mainsheet or...

Page 5: ...may have to ease slightly Too much lower will make a bubble at the mast which will backwind You will feel the helm increase as the lower is pulled on The key is to have the boat feel good and watch t...

Page 6: ...er intermediates tend to be better in light air and choppy conditions A Intermediates mastdown Assuming your intermediates don t come to the deck you need to adjust them before the mast goes in and be...

Page 7: ...shockcord to keep the backstays from catching the spreader tips Put on your mast head fly if you use one and stand the mast up C Shrouds After the mast goes in lay it forward and hook up the headstay...

Page 8: ...be fine tuned when sailing to make sure the mast is straight sideways Normally when the right position is found no further adjustments are necessary regardless of wind strength D MastButt If you have...

Page 9: ...oom height off the deck in various conditions In medium conditions you should normally be about 152 mm 203 mm 6 8 off the deck In light air the boom will be 203 mm 305 mm 8 to 12 off the deck I don t...

Page 10: ...and what is too loose A mark on the mainsheet is very handy here so you can reproduce this trim on the next weather leg or at a later date You must be careful though because condi tions change and wi...

Page 11: ...ch and a ease on the sheet will keep the boat on its feet B Outhaul You want to be able to adjust your outhaul upwind in all conditions without using both hands and changing course at the same time Th...

Page 12: ...ll the way but otherwise it should be eased to make the sail full You can only ease it to the point that the lens is let out any more and you will just be giving away sail area You can usually see whe...

Page 13: ...lines up with the mark on the center of the spreader and make sure the foot s not too tight This is what we do about 95 of the time There are about 10 separate adjustments that affect the trim of the...

Page 14: ...ing back forward to the point where on new boats it s maximum forward The range is 102 mm or 4 It can be argued that it s best maximum forward to separate the sails more I did have one boat where it w...

Page 15: ...sheet tension the lead position fore and aft is the most important adjustment For the fore and aft setting you should have some fullness in the foot with the mid batten pointing straight back If the...

Page 16: ...fer a jib that requires no backstay tension in light conditions but will handle a little less sag in moderate conditions This way you can power up the main a little when the crew drops over with the l...

Page 17: ...advantage of having only one control to let the rig forward on the run and after the first jibe It s also easier to pull every thing back at the leeward mark There are basically three variations The...

Page 18: ...et fuller especially near the mast Too much lower will make a big bubble at the mast which will backwind You will also feel the helm increase as the lower is pulled on The key is to have the boat feel...

Page 19: ...wind don t go as far The biggest mistake I see at clinics is that people don t let the rig far enough forward The mast should be so far forward that the spreaders start to reverse before pulling on th...

Page 20: ...ing will cause breakdown of the resin and the sail shape can change There is not much we can do about the luffing on the race course but some care at the dock can help A Raising and Lowering the Sails...

Page 21: ...h out of the zipper I usually try to lower and unzip the jib before reaching the dock if I come in on a dead run This will prevent the jib from luffing at the dock before it can be lowered B Folding a...

Page 22: ...erything is going with your Star sailing this season We look forward to adding you to our winning list If you have any other questions regarding tuning drop us an email or give us a call at anytime Ma...

Page 23: ...20 Notes...

Page 24: ...be spending a lot of time with You should both know that conflicts are to be expected but as long as mutual trust exists your foundation is solid Top priority ought to be the combined crew weight All...

Page 25: ...on the boats encourage your skipper to get one they are a must Hang around your boat don t let your skipper be looking for you all over Your main job is to help him do well in the race and he may nee...

Page 26: ...would stand up and hoist still locking in the luff with my foot Now your sails are up the Cunningham is on your lines are organized and your clothing and harness is on I suggest that you get dressed b...

Page 27: ...else it will float back to the Barney post area and may cause a tangle Try to help your skipper by looking behind him and up the line informing him about approaching boats and also if you can see the...

Page 28: ...we may gybe first but the standard rounding would be mast forward pole up jib up get forward in the boat and never ever cause a leeward heel Stay on the weather side of the boat at all times yes there...

Page 29: ...are on the run Ask you skipper what his plan is or even better yet tell him what you see and make suggestions Make sure that your jib leads are back in up wind mode By now it should also be determine...

Page 30: ...ws and very important to bear off in the puffs this is key No crew could straight leg hike the entire distance Similar to a wrestling match you need to put your system in a recovery mode now and then...

Page 31: ...up wind as well A roll tack can make a big difference It takes timing between you and your skipper to perfect it The best roll tack is when you can stay on the old tack as long as possible give it an...

Page 32: ...Quantum San Diego 2832 Canon Street San Diego CA 92106 Phone 1 619 226 2422 Fax 1 619 226 0682 E Mail gszabo quantumsails com mreynolds quantumsails com...

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