Date: 10/30/2008
Name: Stephen Jensen, Fleet 1 Race Chairman and former National Commodore
email: charmedjuan@comcast.net
subject:Back Stay Adjuster and forestay length
thanks Mark for the info.
I have already installed the backstay adjuster, I'll have an article on it for our website. I am interested in the shroud adjustments. I always have the wrinkles in my main when I bend the mast back. I will try your suggestion of the shroud tension. I have found that boats with the mast at 99,75" or less don't have to loosen their shrouds to lower the mast unless they have the flat across the top chainplates that don't allow the turnbuckle to swing aft. The boats that have the mast plate over 100" need to have the shrouds loosened. I took a survey of boats and their mast positions to determine if a fixed forestay length would be valid. It won't work unless you have a value to go along with the mast position. Most masts are at 99.5 to 99.75" from the bow tang to the aft edge of the mast. Two boats in the survey were at 100.25" and these needed to have the shrouds loosened to lower the mast. I would love to get more data from other boats. The forestay length of 24'4" works for your boat, but what mast base length do you have?
http://www.sj21fleet1.org/?Rigging_Ideas%26nbsp%3B:Mast_RakeStephen
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