OK here I go. First posting since buying Stealth 556 earlier this year. I'll be out with my crew Roger through the Autumn and Winter whatever the weather. I sail on Rutland water, a man made lake in the UK Midlands, not far from Simon. Whilst Roger is away in Miami with a Para-olympic disabled sailing team bidding for selection for the SCUD fleet for 2008 I'll be singlehanding. Now, I have a question. Having sailed a Spitfire for 4 years and just about mastered it we are having real issues with lee helm down wind on the Stealth. The spit was very well balanced up and down wind but I'm having to use lots of push on the tiller down wind to keep the boat on track. I've tried for and aft balance, easing the spin, traveller in/out, angling the rudder for/aft, sailing different angles to the wind, all to no avail. All ideas welcomed. Anybody else have the same problem?
John Terry
John Terry
F16
Stealth 556
Re: Cold days sailing
[Re: sssh]
#124735 11/27/0705:52 PM11/27/0705:52 PM
I set mine up so I had a "fairly" balanced boat down wind, but this gave a bit of weather helm upwind. I'll happily measure my mast rake and let you have it as a starting point - I don't know if JohnP makes the shrouds/forstay the same lengths every time, but I have the pin in the 6th hole down from the top on the shroud plates. BUT I am thinking of moving the mast a little more upright to counter the weather helm.
Hi John I've never sailed a Spitfire so wouldn't be able to discuss the different tiller weights. However, my rudders are racked as far forward as possible in their cassettes and the shrouds are either in the 3rd or 4th hole down. The distance between the bottom of the forestay and bridal shackle varies between 70-90mm. These settings normally produce near enough neutral helm both up and downwind. Can you remeber your current major settings? As a side, when I first had 555 the tiller was heavier than 516's but adjusting the rudder angle/T foil pitch made quite a pleasant difference. I hope the attached photo shows what I mean when I mentioned the rudders being racked forward in their cassettes.
Last edited by MarkP; 11/27/0707:32 PM.
MP*MULTIHULLS
Re: Cold days sailing
[Re: Mark P]
#124738 11/28/0703:09 AM11/28/0703:09 AM
stealths have bugger all lateral resistance up front , just a thought
Mark Whit have you done with your wings !!!!!! I knew you welsh had funny eating habits , but eating stealth wings is too far -- barb cued or fricassayed ????
better hide my "bingo wings " next time we meet !!!
Re: Cold days sailing
[Re: Codblow]
#124740 11/28/0709:43 AM11/28/0709:43 AM
Mark Lets just say that I have managed to accumulated 2 pairs of rudders, one with wings and one without. Although, the pair without will not be seeing a lot of action as sailing is just to bouncy without them. P.S They wings didn't taste that nice or was it Clare's cooking.
MP*MULTIHULLS
Re: Cold days sailing
[Re: Mark P]
#124741 11/28/0703:34 PM11/28/0703:34 PM
I don't have the mast rake measurements with me. The best way to measure so that differences in rigging lengths are taken into account would be to use the trapeze wire. Place the trapeze wire at the top of one of the transoms and then meaure a point on the front of the hull forward of the front beam. use this as a datum and then measure mast rake forward or aft of ths point. This would be the same for any boat of the same design. I'll take some measurements this weekend. As far as the boards are concerned I have tried with them down and up. Pretty much the same up or down. Ref the rudders in their cassettes there does not seem to be any adjustments. They are either up or down or am I missing something here?