Interclub Tuning Guide

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INTERCLUB TUNING GUIDE - CP (CHED) DESIGN

The following tuning guide is meant to be a good starting point in setting up your boat. Depending on your total crew weight, wind strength, sailing style and sea conditions, you may have to alter your rig slightly.

1. Step the mast

2. Position the mast at the aft end of the mast partners.

3. Measure forward from trsnsom point T1 to aft end of mast partner. The minimum under class rules is 8' 10". You want to be within ½" of that, for the aft setting.

4. Hook up the side shrouds. These should only be snug, not tight enough to produce any pre-bend. Too much shroud tension only increases compression and increases bend, which over-flattens the sail. A little pull on the main halyard is a help in attaching the shrouds.

5. Hook a tape to the main halyard and hoist it up the mast. Lock the halyard in the sail up position. Measure to the black band position with the halyard locked in. 15' 10 ½" insures sufficient hoist. If it isn't, check your black band position and see if you can get your halyard up higher.

6. Measure the rake. With the tape measure connected to the main halyard and hoisted, as in step #5 measure to the center outside of the transom. Adjust the position of your mast step so this measures in the range of 18' 7" to 18' 9". Pull only hard enough to take the slack out of the tape. Do not bend the mast with it.

7. Headstay, pull up until it is just snug. Make a mark where it enters the deck, slack off 4 inches for light air and 1 inch for stronger wind. As a general rule, the stronger the wind the tighter you want to set the headstay.

8. The mast should be fixed tightly in the mast partner. Make sure it is restricted from rotating by the fit of either the step or mast partner.

9. For light air put blocks behind the mast in the partner to increase the rake measurement to 19'0" to 19' 1".

Now put on the sail and go sailing.

Outhaul
To gauge the outhaul adjustment, look at the horizontal distance between the sail and the center of the boom. In light air it should be about 2", Medium air 7", Heavy air 4".

Cunningham
Leave slight wrinkles in the lower half of the luff. Adjust for the light spots and let overbend wrinkles develop in the heavier spots. There must be a stop at the top of the black band to keep the tack from going below the top of the band in order to stay legal when tension the cunningham.

Vang
In heavy air a tight vang is fast. In heavier pull harder, but don't tighten to the point where overbend wrinkles are caused. Try to keep the top batten parallel to the boom and the top telltale flowing. Downwind, in lighter conditions, ease it off.

Mainsheet
Play the sheet to keep the leeward telltales flying in light air. Tighten the vang only in hiking conditions enough so that the boom doesn't lift when the sheet is eased. In heavy air play the sheet to keep the boat flat. In choppy conditions play the sheet to keep the boat moving.

Traveler
If you have a track traveler, set it all the way out in choppy conditions or strong breeze. Four to five inches in from the end works well in lighter wind or flat water. If you have a rope or wire traveler, make it go out as far as possible all the time.

Centerboard
In light air, it should angle forward to give some weather helm. When the wind comes up to hiking conditions, set it back to vertical. Downwind, pull it up as far as possible and play it to stay on the hairy edge of control for max speed.

Heel
In very light air heel about 10 degrees. In anything above that, keep the IC absolutely flat and sometimes heeled to weather.

Weight Placement Upwind
Sit well aft. Crew always as far back as the thwart, skipper a little behind the thwart.

Weight Placement Downwind
Sit well aft and in light wind heel the boat over to narrow the waterline.

Good sailing and when you have any questions please give us a call.

For tuning help contact the North Interclub experts.