| Author | Message | ||
     Gary McRae New member Username: Gary_mcrae Post Number: 10 Registered: 02-2006 Rating: N/A |
David I used the Harken 40 mm carbo blocks (7) part # 2608 and the Harken wire blocks #300. This works very well. I also replaced the original cam cleats with the Harken 150s. I have not done the cheek blocks, I might yet but it works very well as it is now. | ||
| David Eames New member Username: Lightning_rod Post Number: 6 Registered: 09-2005 Rating: N/A |
The latest update. We sailed to our first victory in over 10 knots Saturday with a win in the first race of our Blue Gavel Regatta. We raced three windward leewards in 10-18 knots to a 1, 3, 4 of 7 boats and a second overall. The win came in 12-14 and we outpointed and outpaced a J27, a J29 complete with new sails and a ringer skipper onboard as well as a Frers 33, Olson 34 and a few others. We were high handicap and finished first across the line in this race. Great improvement with the increased rake being the only change of consequence (and a better than normal mainsheet trimmer). Can anybody give me technical details such as part numbers on the replacement blocks for the backstay? I think it is our next major improvement. | ||
| John Stefancik New member Username: Jstef Post Number: 31 Registered: 01-2001 Rating: N/A |
David, We also use two battens with much success. Most of the time, in usual Chesapeake lighter conditions, we use the light batten. This works well and the roach doesn't get hung on the backstay. The heavy batten gives us good shape in heavier wind. Over the years I contemplated getting a flicker, but frankly I think it would bring too much windage for boats as heavy as ours. We need all the acceleration we can get. Also, I have to say that our pincher-type backstay that is stipulated by class rules is really tough. Its an archaic system, and I would very much like to see us change the rules to allow the modern cascading system which is lighter and far less complex. I'm not sure how go about this, but its the one part of the boat that I think about the most and wish I could change. John Stefancik Hurricane Kelley (hull #5) Annapolis, MD | ||
| David Eames New member Username: Lightning_rod Post Number: 5 Registered: 09-2005 Rating: N/A |
I'm not sure what a Rutgerson is. A little update. Though we did improve the action of our backstay by loosening the turnbuckles, we lost our rake that way and we were real slow in heavy air. We've added 10" of rake now, and we'll see what the result is. I ordered a new main and it too will have a large roach, so the sailmaker said he'll make two battens, a very flimsy one for 0-12 and a stigg one for 12+ | ||
| Paul Stollenwerk New member Username: Pstollen Post Number: 6 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
A flicker is really just a stiff metal or fiberglass batten attached from the masthead to the backstay that lifts the backstay clear of the roach in light air with the backstay off. Dave, is the foam core batten like an old Rutgerson? Thanks all! | ||
| Scott Corder, Class Commodore Board Administrator Username: Admin Post Number: 86 Registered: 03-2002 Rating: N/A |
I believe the term "flicker" refers to a short, bendable metal extension mounted at the mast head which extends the backstay out from the masthead at the top. These are very common on Melges 24s, Mumm 30s and many other more recent sport boats. Since this type of device would be a modification of the S2 9.1 Meter's original rig design, I believe it would require an official ruling from the Class Association on the legality of its use. As for us, in light air we've simply developed a little choreographed "dance" we do at the back of the boat during a tack that involves me (the driver) performing a quick flick of the back stay as the boom swings thru. We also ease the main sheet just a little during the tack to help accommodate the roach passing thru the backstay - and this also helps the boat accelerate out of the tack as the main trimmer smoothly re-trims the sheet the little bit necessary to get the boat back into full upwind trim after the tack. | ||
| David Eames New member Username: Lightning_rod Post Number: 3 Registered: 09-2005 Rating: N/A |
We've recently solved fixed both problems. For the Backstay, we simply loosened the back turnbuckles as far as possible. This allows the mast to move forward giving us better downwind performance and made the spread of the stays wide enough to have enough leverage to move the car back up the mast. The light air fix for us was a foam core batten for the top batten. It comes across on its own in 2 knots and we pull down on the boom in less and it pops pretty quickly now. I am curious about the "flicker" though, what is that? | ||
| Gary McRae New member Username: Gary_mcrae Post Number: 5 Registered: 02-2006 Rating: N/A |
Paul I am not familiar with a "flicker" what is it? Do you have a link to one? I just bought a new main witha big roach so it might be needed. Thanks Gary | ||
| Paul Stollenwerk New member Username: Pstollen Post Number: 5 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
Has anyone used a backstay "flicker" at the masthead to help clear the main roach in light air? Thanks much, Paul Stollenwerk AHI #028 Milwaukee Bay | ||
| Mike Bergmann New member Username: Mike_bergmann Post Number: 12 Registered: 09-2005 Rating: N/A |
I use a cascade system - the class rules require a "pinch" type adjuster and I still have that. All I changed was the tackle that pulls the adjuster down. I will be glad to send a photo and a sketch on request. | ||
| Gary Hendrickson Rating: N/A |
Initially my boat's backstay was a lot harder to pull on than I expected, and there was a grinding noise while I was increasing backstay. In the end there were two different problems to solve. After a series of backstay adjustments with grinding noise, there were a few very small metal shavings in my cockpit. I looked up and saw that the backstay's metal pinching sheave assembly was twisted 20 degrees or so with respect to the stern. Eventually I stumbled upon the fix -- you turn the two backstay bridle sections, while holding their respective turnbuckles in place, in the direction needed to get the pincher assembly square to the stern. Voila, no more grinding noise, but the sheaves were so deeply gouged by the wire rope they had to be replaced. The tough backstay adjustment was made worse by too much friction in the 6-part adjuster system. There are 9 sheaves altogether in this system, all solid bearing Shaeffer blocks! They were 15 years old, and applying MacLube didn't make that big a difference. I decided to replace the 7 backstay blocks at the stern with the new Harken 40 mm ball bearing Carbo-Blocks. Wow, what an improvement in ease of adjustment! Incidentally, this can make it too easy to bend the mast beyond the OEM's specifications. Offshore Spars had specified that their masts must not be bent more than one and a half times the fore-and-aft section thickness. On the 9.1 I believe that means no more than about 9 inches maximum cord between the bent mast and a taut mainsail halyard held to the mainsail track at the gooseneck. | ||
| Paul Stollenwerk New member Username: Pstollen Post Number: 4 Registered: 02-2005 Rating: N/A |
If I am reading them correctly, the class rules prohibit anything but the current seteup. I had a windward sheeting car on my Merit 25 and it was really nice. Paul Stollenwerk Ahi #028 Milwaukee Bay | ||
| tod marder New member Username: Galatea Post Number: 6 Registered: 03-2001 Rating: N/A |
Does anyone have any new thoughts on use of cascading backstay for quicker adjustment and weight saving? And any experience with a windward sheeting traveller car? My thanks, Tod Marder Galatea #73 New Jersey |
