In watching the videos of the NA F18s I notice most of them don't run tattle tails on the lower portion of the main, only at the top. I have recently started using a Tiger main on my Hobie 18 and being used to tattles on the standard sail can't read this sail as well. Is there a reason for not having tattles on the lower portion of the sail? How do you know where to set the traveler if no tattle to read? I feel I am oversheeting the sail and stalling the lower portion, losing power. I am considering adding 2 tattles to each side at the third panel up, any suggestions? I notice the Capricorns and Nacras have tattles on the lower portion, just the Tigers don't.

Many people will just be looking at the leach tell tales and keeping them where they oscillate between straight back and curled behind the sail. I don't pay much attention to the tell tales up by the luff on my boat.

Now if you are sailing with a Tiger main down wind and no spinnaker then the luff tell tales may be helpful, but for going to weather I would concentrate on the leach tell tales.

Chris.

The best idea is to put all the telltales that you think you will need anywhere you want. Then go out and sail. Try to get as many working as you can. There will be some that you cannot get to work with the others no matter how hard you try. At the end of the day take the ones off that did not work and keep all the others on the sail. This way you have the tell tails you need without worrying about the extrainious ones that do not work.

I usually use the tell tails up high to see if I am sheeting the main tight enough downwind. Most of the time if I have to ask, or look, I am not sheeted tight enough.

Later,
Dan

I have tell tails on the leach of this sail. I have never sailed a main with these before. As you state straight back and curling to the backside is right. What do they do when the set is wrong? Do they fly to the front side, up, or what? Is there a way to over travel and let out by reading these as can be done with luff tell tales? I am running a spin on this boat and really haven't had any problems with the main downwind. Upwind in light stuff I feel lost. I am sure most of my trouble is me. In a good blow I seem allright but think I am still oversheeting. I am running this sail on a comptip and the squaretop is really turning off, downhaul seems to bend the tip too much and create a funny shape. Thanks for the input.

Light air upwind?

I'd crack the main a bit. If that doesn't do it, pull on some more outhaul. Remember that Tiger main isn't as deep, front to back, as the TheMightyHobie18 main and a bit smaller. I think you're going to have to help her along by building some twist.

At max power, there is a small amount of leakage around the leach, resulting the leech telltales "just popping in and out." At max power, luff tells stream about 2/3 of the time. Power is maximized when both are doing this at the same time.

Leach and luff telltales are useful in combination, because if you have your camber and trim right, both should be on the edge at the same time. In a breeze, as long as you're not depowering on purpose, if you can't get both on the edge at the same time, it may be time to play without outhaul (if the problem is in the bottom 1/3) or prebend or sail cut (if the problem is in the middle 1/3) or mast rotation (if the problem is in the top 1/3).

Of course, on the course, you want to get outhaul and prebend and mast rotation right in advance, from experience. Once these are right, either set of telletakes (luff or leach) will indicate proper sheet (upper tell) and traveller (lower tell) trim... but leach tells are often easier to see when the sail is not backlit.

My telltale advice is to put a pair 9-12" back from the mast
(closer for a wing mast) in the sail panel above the hounds, above the spreaders, and above the lower diamond attachment. (This keeps the away from the wire and spreader turbulence. If you're a novice, ignore the middle set until you've mastered the rest. If you're an expert, you don't really need them all because you've developed an eye for judging the camber and keeping it uniform top to bottom.

In light air (glassy water) obsess about the top set, and ignore the rest.

My 2 cents,
--Glenn

What are "hounds"?

How do you attach telltales to the mylar Tiger sail?

What is the best ribbon to use for telltales?

Hounds are where the shrouds, forestay and trap lines are attached to the mast.

Use the sticky tabs that come with the telltales.

Some like yarn but the telltales made from light sail cloth seem to work best. Before raising the sails trim off all the loose threads.

When I've been getting work done at the sailmakers I just ask for a little green, red and blue spinny cloth for stbd, port and leach.
I also have plenty of sticky repair motif cloth.
I find wool grabs easier.

I give them a quick spray with silicone spray before I hoist the sail and none of them stick (Had the same problem myself)

TigerMike

I would never have thought of that.. nice one.

Not sure about on a TheMightyHobie18 but normally a Tiger sail is difficult to oversheet in anything that requires 2 on the wire upwind. Sometimes if feels wrong but from 2 boat side by side testing, higher sheet tension seems to work.

TigerMike

If there was a tip of the week award on this forum you'd win it. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />