I read the following and have some questions...

Luff Tension (turbo charger):
"This prebends the mast flattening the sail while at the same time the tip of the mast moves back, shortening the distance between the clew and the head, hence losing the leach and allowing the leach to fall away. This is less power and less drag.

Luff tension should always be eased before any major easing of the mainsail, otherwise youll stretch the cloth.

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With most cats you need a power downhall system. Aim for 12:1 as a mininimum, I ran with 18:1.

Most new cat sailors do not utilise the daownhaul as much as they should. This control should be used as your principal adjustment on the boat and should be constantly altered to keep the power in the rig. The skipper shouldnt have to ease the main or feather while it is possible to have more downhaul pulled on. The crew needs to watch for wind gusts and pull accordingly and ease as the gust passes.

The fastes was upwind is to have the windward hull always just above the water (reverse of the wildthing). Your principle control for achieving this is downhaul first, main tension second, and rudder adjustment last. Remember every rudder adjustment is like putting the brakes on.

If the boat is heeling in the gusts or the skipper is feathering up in the gusts then you dont have enough downhaul on.

I cannot stress downhaul enough, it is your turbo charger, use it. If in doubt, pull some more on."

I dont know who the author is and I hope I dont offend him or her for reproducing it here, but it come from a AUS site which I would be glad to give credit to.

Now, my racing knowledge is limited to sailing as crew on H16 B fleet in the late 70s, but I dont ever rmemeber downhual big a big deal, and certainly not adjusting it myself. My job was the jib and being human ballast especially running downwind in big seas.

So, how do you guys use your downhaul? Is it that much?

Do you have a long line to your crew for him or her to constantly adjust it? Mine has almost no line left after I sheet it down.

Should I switch to another system where I have a seperate cleat for my crew to use?

Any pics of a system like this?

Is downhaul the principal adjustment even before mainsheet tension (my principal adjustment)?

Should I be releasing luff tension prior to every tack then applying it again to accelerate out of the tack?

Should I be applying more luff tensions with gusts then backing off(usually I ease the traveler if I feel I need to)?

Should I ease downhaul (luff tension) while on a run?

Any general knowledge you can share using downhaul as a primary adjustment?

On another note, I was watching some youtube video of nacras and noticed on crew (nacra infusion test sail, I believe) actually sheeting the main with the skipper just stearing. Is this widely done?

Thanks for any nuggest you can pass on-
Don

Whole lotta questions there Donald. To avoid most of them I would contribute that your vintage of Nacra isn't using the swept spreaders/mast pre-bend/sail-cut-to-match system. So if you were to start pulling 12:1 (you probably currently have 3:1) your results would vary as in your mast would bend in the wrong directions. If all that was greek, this thread may do some splainin. Thread Your spreaders may angle back but that is just for jib clearance. The diamond wires are still loose, and that is what your sail was cut for.

In regards to the crew trimming thaing, that is what the "pro" teams are doing. The skipper focuses on steering fast and the crew is able to use 2 arms and 2 legs to work the mainsheet trim.

Wow that thread is A LOT of reading!

Anyway, a guy at my local sailing shoppe basicaly said the same thing as you...that the 5.2 is a simpler rig, isnt using mylar sails (or sails cut for prebend), and that I should just use mainsheet tension.

However, I read Russ McDonalds "Basic" 5.2 tuning guide dated 1996 which states "Use plenty of downhaul as this will allow more tension on the main sheet, giving greater leach tension hence more power and height. Use downhaul to depower, not main sheet. Work the downhaul in gusts and release in the lulls. Leave main strapped on hard. You can dump up to about 100mm of traveler if needed to depower without affecting the pointing ability."

So this guy was the 1996 Austrailian 5.2 champion. Would this mean he was using equipment that far acceeds the simple 1983 stuff I have on my boat?

Dont mean to pound a subject to death but this really grabbed my attention and is something Id like to use even if its not a lot becuase of my older (read ancient) mast.

One of the reasons I bought the 5.2 was to start using skills that will transfer to a better boat ie an F16-
Thanks for the comments!

Be careful, I have ripped the grommet out of the top of the main several times. Too much purchase can be risky.

Don I'm far from an expert but on my 5.8 or A its really obvious when I need downhaul as the windward hull tends to fly high but the boat wont go fast forward. When your sailing if everytime a bit of a gust comes along your windward hull rears up and you need to dump main or steer into the wind dramatically, then you probably need more downhaul. If so far you've been comfortable in the conditions you sail in then just enjoy the boat.
regards

Hi Don,

never ever sailed a Nacra, but some rules are valid for all boats:
I think it is too docmatic to say control nr. 1 is downhaul number 2 is ..., etc.
On upwind legs, you want to have a flat sail and in gusts a even flatter sail. On a reach, it is similar, but you want maybe to have more twist in gusts than on a upwind course.

According to that, I use downhaul, which has a strong effect on the upper part of the sail and rotation, which affects the medium and lower part. However this may differ a bit with boats (sloop or cat-rigged, mast shape, etc.)

As long as you don't use a kite, you play all the time with the uncleated main and rudder with the aim to have a staedy ride, while downhaul, rotation and outhaul are set from time to time according to course and wind strength. I use the three at the same time (but the outhaul only if I change form up- to downwind and vice versa). If you have a crew, you have more hands to play with strings of course...

Also some tell tales will help more than fixed rules like "first downhaul, than rotation, etc...".
If you want to see some good layouts, you may google for Tornado, F18, F16 or A-Cat pictures.

Cheers,

Klaus

Ok so since downhaul isnt going to be a very big factor on my boat...

I should therefore be applying tension to my main with main sheet. That being the case, should I ease up going into tacks then sheet down hard coming out of them? Also should I be sheeting down harder during puffs?

Typically Ill dump a little air during puffs with the traveler but Id like to keep things under control through tension of thats whats effective.

Smiths Cat, do you mean that you hold your main manually without using the cleat? Is this the main sheet or traveler?
Don