Sail tuning on Nacra 5.8

G'day have done research on sail tuning on the 5.8 and I know not to choke the main but can anybody tell me what is the ideal starting point for the outhaul? thanks in advance

Hey Mate, found several useful 5.8 tuning guides from these folks. Right in your back yard (I think?).

http://goosemarine.com.au/Articles%20|%20Photos

Mine is a 5.5 Uni so, for what it's worth,upwind mid-point on the traveler track to begin with and then adjust according to wind velocity.

Downwind, let her loose and travel out all the way.

Sail fast, Tom G

Thanks Tom I've been using that 5.8 tuning guide and it says that the blocks are nearly always hooked into the centre hole in the clew. Are you saying that the middle hole on the clew board lines up over the top of the traveller and that I can just start my outhaul there.
regards

I generally run with the clew traveler forward of the midpoint when going upwind, but I've always had non-stock sails. The guys with stock sails seem to do that too, though.

I don't know who makes the 5.8 sails in Australia, but the Elliot Pattison "stock" ones in the US are notoriously variable anyway.

I have saved a great article by Brad Hunter from a 1994 April edition of Sailing World. It covers all aspects of tuning the 5.8, with pictures of rigging the boat for performance, with jib uphaul and mast rotation through the tramp and an unusual rudder pull down system, extremly well thought out. He also gives all the control settings for upwind, downwind and shore settings from 0-4 knots to 20 plus. It is the best article I have found on rigging and tuning the 5.8. Send me a self addressed and stamped envelope and I will be glad to send you a copy.
eliasreynolds@comcast.net

Thanks for the reply Rhino and Elias thanks for the offer it sounds like what I've been looking for. I've e-mailed back to that link
regards

We have an old guide from the 94 article on our web page :
http://groups.google.com/group/austincats/web/nacra58-tuning.pdf

thanks for that, good read, will print it off for further study

pity there isn't anything as detailed for the 5.2. goosemarine's seems to be the only 1 out there

Thanks Jim, I cant get that link to work and now I'm triply frustrated by erice's reply
I'll keep working on it
regards

I got it and its excellent. It already shows why I cant get enough rotation my mast spanner is behind the mast. Why would that be changed? I can see out the front would give heaps more rotation.
regards

if i am reading this correctly, you mean the mast rotator ... If it is in front of the mast... it is usually controlled by lines and you can force (lock) it into over rotating on the downward run.

The Nacra 5.8 has open control systems. So folks have come up with a million and one ways to do everything. That article just shows one guy's favorite set-up. Also, that's a 5.8 Original, not NA. Also, I wouldn't be surprised at all if the Aussie sails are cut differently.

So, that article is a good place to start, but don't take it as Gospel.