Preparation - Boat
|
Once you have decided on the type of boat
you wish to race and have acquired it, the next step is to prepare the boat for racing. The preparation can be broken down into four main areas as follows:
Internal layout-fittings and sheets The complexity of the boat will dictate how many hours work it will take each week to put your boat in racing trim and having reached this standard, keep it in trim. |
| INTERNAL LAYOUT Keep the layout of the boat as simple as possible, remove unnecessary gadgets. This will help to reduce three important factors. 1. The all-up overall weight of the boat. 2. The risk of gear failure. 3. The all-up expense of the boat. |
|
| Fit into the boat only the
essential fittings, making sure that they are securely fixed and operational. Where running rigging is
concerned, make the system as friction-free as possible. always check standing and running
rigging, fittings and sheaves prior to each race. If you neglect this regular check, one
day you will inevitably have to retire from an important race due to gear
failure main, Jib and spinnaker sheets should be the minimum thickness required for the Job,
and such that you can handle them without them cutting into your hands. They
should all be calibrated for the correct setting in the various conditions. Finally, the sheets should be tapered so as to reduce friction and weight throughout the system. |
|
|
OUTER HULL FINISH Much work needs to be done on the outer hull of the boat from stem to stern and gunwale to gunwale, to reduce the surface with a fine abrasive polish. Subsequent cleaning sessions can be done using the fine abrasive cleaner - only use the wet and dry sandpaper as required to remove scratches. In the case of a wooden hull, the same principles apply, finishing off with a dull matt finish. |
|
|
KEELS Within the Class Rules, a boat which is under weight when new, should be brought up to weight with a maximum weight keel which has stiffness athwartships and is fibre-glass coated. By moving the keel on its bolts you can alter the of center of lateral resistance (CfLR) either forward or progressively aft as you move the keel. In this way, you can control boat balance, weather helm and leeway. It is important to realise how much the keel affects the boat performance for the various points of sailing as well as the various wind strengths. The finish of the board should be as that of the outer hull, and treated in the same way with a fine abrasive polish or cleaner and 600-grade wet and dry sandpaper. |
| RUDDER BLADES The same criteria apply to rudder blades as to keels as far as stiffness and finish are concerned, but with regard to weight, though the rudder blade should be as light as possible, it should not be so light that it snaps whilst 'three sail reaching' in strong winds. The leading edge of the blade should also be relatively thick so that stalling is not experienced when bearing away in the stronger winds when on a reach. |
|
| MEASUREMENT Always make sure that your boat is 'in class'. There is nothing more irritating than to find that the sails do not measure or your sail numbers are in the wrong place, or some other error, after you arrive at a major event. All these things must be checked and dealt with at home. |
|
|
|
|
||
| Top of Page | Crew Preparation | Home Page | Feedback Form |
|
|
|
|
|
||
| Top of Page | Crew Preparation | Home Page | Feedback Form |
