For Outright Speed
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TUNE YOUR SAILS FOR OUTRIGHT SPEED J/24 Tuning Guide Rev R05 Congratulations on your purchase of The other reason tuning (here we mean crews, but must stand up to near gales North J/24 sails. We have been building rig tuning) is important with the J/24 too. J/24 sails since the boat’s inception with is that we are asking a very limited sail the goal of providing our customers with inventory to perform over a very wide Picture a starting line of 50 to 80 ultra- fast, easy to use, and durable sails. You range of conditions. J/24’s are commonly aggressive racing fanatics and you can can follow this guide with confidence, raced from 0-30 knots of wind and to see how Darwin’s theory of evolution knowing that North Sails’ clients have ask four sails to cover that entire range applies to sailboat racing. Very often won more World, Continental and is really asking a lot. We need the sails one boat length separates the front National Championships than all our to be board flat in heavy air yet full and row from the cheap seats at the start, competition combined. powerful in the light stuff. so attention to boat preparation has become imperative to survival in the This guide is the result of years of testing, The best way to accomplish this is class. Following is our list of preparation tuning and practical racing experience. through aggressive adjustment of the ideas that will allow your team to stay While we can’t guarantee that you will shroud tensions (which directly affects competitive. start winning immediately by following sail shape) and sail trim changes through this guide, we can assure you that you the wind range. will be taking a very big step in the right direction. Please read this guide entirely The Straight Mast before using your sails for the first time. Introduction Tuning System We urge you to pay special attention to the section on sail care in order to Our Sail loft in Portsmouth has been BOAT PREPARATION prolong the life of your sails. obsessed with J/24 sailing for the last Boat preparation is critical in the J/24 decade. During that time we have class. Sails, deck layout, keel and rudder If you have any questions please feel free experimented with hundreds of sails, shape, and mast tuning all share equal to contact us. We are here to help you dozens of deck layouts, a spectrum importance. Often newcomers to the get the most out of your J/24 sailing. of keel shapes and every possible class prioritize one of these factors as combination of rig settings. As any of you “the project I’ll tackle this year”. These WHY TUNING IS IMPORTANT who have been talked into sitting on the are also typically the same people who rail for us can attest, tuning sessions are sell their boats for a major financial loss The J/24 is the most successful keelboat typically dull affairs. But we have been at the end of one season of mediocre design in the world. However, like many rewarded by watching our sails win 5 and poor finishes. To be competitive in other boats it has flaws. Most of the of the last 8 World Championships and the J/24 ranks, you must tackle all these tuning we do, especially in the boat hundreds of National, Regional and Local important factors. preparation area, is to overcome these titles. flaws and make the boat faster through The J/24 has a balance problem. Most the water. We have learned how to tune and of our tuning features are attempts fine-tune the J/24 in an attempt to fool to alleviate the lee helm that J/24s A characteristic of the J/24 is the boat four sails through a range that could be experience in less than 10 knots of wind. develops lee helm in light air. A boat covered by eight. The 150-percent genoa that has lee helm will be slow upwind, must be a drifter in light slop, and flat and KEEL because it will not point and will be slow twisty in 18 knots. The main needs to be Over the years we have found that due to the increased drag of the rudder flat enough to avoid excessive backwind, the minimum keel offsets will provide always needing to be forced off centerline but not invert when the big breeze and adequate lift upwind and reduce drag to keep the boat going upwind. We need backstay comes on. The spinnaker is downwind. When fairing the keel to to modify the boat and it’s sail plan in asked to float in the drifters and reach minimum thickness it should also be order to reduce this lee helm as much as in 25 knots. The 100-percent blade jib moved forward by removing material possible. is brought well below its range by light from the trailing edge and building 1 J/24 Tuning Guide Rev. R05 up the leading edge. This moves the get the center of the sail plan as far aft as backstay tension. Having the step too underwater center of effort forward, possible. Measuring the mast length and far forward (the most common problem) helping to reduce lee helm. headstay is very critical, and the class creates an over-tight headstay in light rules should be referred to in order to air, and too full a mainsail. We position RUDDER do this accurately. We also suggest you our mast base by crawling around the The rudder should also be minimum only cut the mast to within 5 mm of the inside of the forward cabin and taking thickness, but old rudders don’t stand minimum, as different measurers always two measurements. First, find the stem up well to being faired—that’s how get different lengths. Complete this fitting (the metal plate in the very bow they break. Since 1986 the rudders have process well before your next regatta as of the boat). Locate the 3rd bolt down come from builder Tillotson Pearson at your shrouds may need to be shortened on the fitting. Measure from beside that minimum thickness, so buying a new too. bolt, (where the bolt meets the hull) to rudder is better than fairing an old one. the “I” Beam on which the mast sits. The spreader angle must be fixed Put a mark on the beam at 2,730 mm. HULL depending on your mainsail’s type and From that line place the front of the In general, the bottom should be smooth luff curve. For our sail we move the mast exactly 130mm from this mark on and fair. The class rules allow factory spreaders forward for 160-165 mm of the “I” beam. We scribe a line into the imperfections to be filled. Grinding down deflection, stiffening the center of the beam so that we only have to make the highs in the gelcoat is not allowed. Wet mast to help get headstay tension in measurement once. sanding to 600 grit adds the finishing heavy air. This also allows a mainsail to touches to your fast underwater shape. be cut with less luff curve, giving the sail Now you can tighten your uppers to 20 plan greater projected area. There are on the scale of a Model B Loos gauge MAST PREPARATION three styles of spreader bracket used. and leave the lowers slack. To center Rig preparation is quite simple and The latest “thru-bar” types ensure the the mast, first measure back from the can be completed in a few hours. most accurate setting for the longest stem fitting to a point on both rails First, remove the spare genoa halyard period of time to maintain the 160- perpendicular to the front face of the since nearly all J/24s sail with hanks 165 mm setting, and any mast can mast. Measure from the marks to the on the forestay. If your halyards need be retrofitted to this type of spreader center weld on the mast to determine replacement, we recommend minimum- bracket. The other male-female and if the mast is centered at the deck. You diameter Spectra mainsail (8 mm) and female-male brackets require shims to may need to make custom shims to genoa (6 mm) halyards, both with spliced hold the spreaders in the correct position secure the mast toward one side of the wire tails for less weight and low stretch. or they will shift aft quickly. mast partners. Cleat the genoa halyard A 6 mm Dacron spinnaker halyard is at a position where, holding the shackle adequate. Depending on your local Finally, the fully prepared mast can be with two fingers and your thumb, you regulations and plans for the boat, you stepped and the mast butt fixed. We sail can just touch the mark on the rail with can take out the mast lights and wiring. with the maximum J dimension (2925 the halyard shackle. Repeat the process On older Proctor mast the wiring conduit mm - see class rules for measurement on the other side. Next, adjust the should be taken out by removing the five points); most mast-partner blocks will uppers until the mast is centered. Now pop rivets on the front side of the spar. have to be altered to achieve maximum adjust the lowers to straighten the mast. This allows the mast to bend properly in J. We use this maximum-aft setting to The backstay should be loose during the lower third.