International 420 Tuning Guide

For any question you may have on tuning your 420 for speed, contact our experts:

Zeke Horowitz 203-783-4241 [email protected] Brian Hayes 203-783-4238 [email protected]

onedesign.com Follow North Sails on... NORTH SAILS International 420 Tuning Guide

Congratulations on your purchase of North NB - if caught out on the wrong mast Sails! The following tuning guide for the rake you may want to either ease or add WIND SPEED STROP LENGTH International 420 is the result of many tension accordingly to achieve the best 2-6 Knots 560 mm years of sail testing, rig tuning and racing setup. in every conceivable condition. You can 7-11 Knots 555 mm follow this guide with confidence. 12-16 Knots 530 mm CHOCKS Control the amount of pre-bend in the 17-23 Knots 525 mm MAST STEP mast. This is crucial for controlling the 24+ Knots 525 mm Measured from the inside of transom to amount of power in the rig. the back of the mast 2830 mm. You should have 3x 15 mm chocks, which are easily accessible, as chocking the mast SPREADERS is the only adjustment you can make to the Sail Settings and Length is measured from the sidewall of mast whilst racing. Adjustments the mast to the shroud. To measure spreader deflection we place WIND SPEED CHOCKS TOP BATTEN the top batten (or any straight edge) In light airs the top batten should be across the tips of the spreaders, and then 0-6 Knots 0-1 pushed in lightly and the velcro fastened measure to the mast off straight edge. 6-11 Knots 1-2 just to prevent batten from falling out. 12-16 Knots 3-2 In medium/heavy airs, push the batten in quite hard and secure the Velcro. MAST LENGTH DEFLECTION 20+ Knots 1 Superspar M7 470 mm 162 mm CUNNINGHAM Proctor Kappa 480 mm 160 mm Use only when overpowered to move CENTERBOARD Holt 470 mm 165 mm draft of sail forward and open the upper This should be angled forwards in light air. leech. Never use in light air to remove the When planing upwind the leading edge of horizontal creases from the luff. MAST RAKE centerboard should be vertical, as the wind increases the centerboard can be raked Measured by attaching a long tape KICKING STRAP aft (no more than 6 inches of centerboard measure to the top of the main halyard, No tension is needed until the mainsail handle showing out of the case). hoisting it to the top of the mast & then has to be eased to prevent heeling. Use measuring to the back of the transom with kicker to hold correct leech profile. When the rig tension on & NO CHOCKS inserted. overpowered, pull on as hard as physically STROP LENGTH possible. NB - Ensure that you have the It is very important to be able to get maximum purchase allowed by the class WIND SPEED MAST RAKE your boom as close to the center line as rules. 2-6 Knots 19'9 3/4 possible, so your mainsheet strop length 7-11 Knots 19'9 must be altered depending upon the given OUTHAUL conditions. 12-16 knots 19'8 1/2 Generally pull very tight in all conditions, 17-23 knots 19'8 except in a light air chop when the outhaul 24+ knots 19'7 1/2 can be eased approximately 25 mm.

MAINSAIL LEECH TENSION wrinkling of the sail. Every time the sail This is determined by leech tell tale BASIC 420 RULES gains a crease the cloth breaks down that behavior. Generally the top telltale should much faster. Always have someone contain be flying 90% of the time. 1. Play the mainsheet at all times the leech and luff during these procedures. 2. Barberhaul in all conditions, except the The battens can be left in the sail without JIB extremes any problems. Be sure to roll the sail down Whilst on shore it is a good idea to mark 3. Use as much kicker as possible in heavy the leech so that the battens will not twist. both jib sheeting and barberhaulers. Tie airs This could cause damage to the battens. the boat down to the trolley and place on 4. Never use cunningham until a beat. Sheet in both mainsail and jib from overpowered JIB behind and look at the slot (gap between 5. Keep the boat flat at all times When rolling the jib keep the battens mainsail and jib). Because of the 420s 6. ENJOY IT! perpendicular to the leech. Pay special have fixed sheeting angles, the slot is not attention to the battens and batten as efficient as it could be. You are looking If you have any problem tuning your 420 pockets for wear and tear. to get the slot parallel all the way up or any other questions on 420 sailing, do between the mainsail luff & the jib leech. not hesitate to contact North Sails. Racing Clinics

Make sure the jib is in tight, then ease it This tuning guide only begins to cover all one inch and pull the windward jib sheet Sail Care there is to know about racing the boat. (barberhauler) on quite hard and cleat it. The 420 team at North One Design has Doing this pulls the clew inboard about 3- Your North Sails are constructed out of prepared a professional, in depth 420 4 inches and creates a more efficient slot the best materials on the market today. racing clinic that you and your fleet will be shape. Now with a waterproof pen, mark We make sure of this by testing every roll interested in learning more about. In the both jib sheets and barberhaulers so you of cloth we use. Through proper care and course of a weekend you will learn more can refer to these settings whilst afloat. maintenance your sails will give you the about racing your 420 than you could performance you have come to expect possibly learn in a season of racing on This method of barberhauling should be from a North sail. your own. used in all conditions except: The most important factor for a long life Please call you nearest North Sails One VERY LIGHT AIRS for your sails is to watch them for signs Design loft for complete details! Very light pull on barberhaul of wear and tear in high load and chafe areas. Be sure to wash the sails off with Contact North Sails HEAVY AIRS fresh water and dry the sails thoroughly No barberhaul before storing. A dry, mild climate is best. At North Sails we are constantly striving to Excessive heart can cause problems with make our products better. If you have any the sails due to the possibility of shrinkage. comments on this tuning guide and how it JIB CUNNINGHAM It is best to roll the mainsail and jib. could be improved for your purposes we’d This should be tightened enough to love to hear from you. Please give us a call remove creases from luff of the sail. It MAINSAIL or drop us a line. acts the same as the cunningham on the When hoisting and lowering the sail try mainsail. to minimize the amount of creasing or