Volume XLIV, Issue 7, Fall 2002

Letter from the Commodore

Hello Albacore Sailors,

What a wonderful summer – at least for the temperature if not for the wind! Some of you may have found it too hot at times, and some of you may have found it not windy enough at times, but overall wasn’t it great! And to date the warm weather has continued. (I hope I don’t jinx it by saying that!!)

Sad to say, the sailing season is pretty much wrapped up. Although, some sailors are looking to extend the racing season and will be making the trek down to Virginia for the North Americans in October.

This summer was packed with sailing events and you can read about them in this newsletter. The Albacore Canadians were recently held at Geneva Park in Orillia. They were a fine end to the sailing season here and had a high turnout of sailors wishing to enjoy good competition and socializing. They were not disappointed. Thanks to everyone who helped to make the Canadians another great event.

The Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Albacore Association was held during the Canadians weekend and your executive for the next year was elected. There will be more about the executive and events planned for next year in the next issue of Shackles. There is still a vacancy for Third Vice Commodore which is the position that organizes training events for the fleet. Last year two training clinics were organized. If you interested in contributing to your fleet in this position, please let me know.

In 2003 we will be hosting the International Albacore Championships in Kingston in July. Mark this event on your calendar and plan to attend. And/or, offer to help organize this event by contacting Heather Macnaughton.

I hope you all had a great sailing season – and will continue to enjoy the fall sailing.

Ann Savege

Pre-Start Warm-Up

Tips from Auntie Alb.

Picture the scene. It’s a few seconds after the start of a race. The smoke from the starting gun has barely left the transom of the Committee Boat. Stretching away down the line is a seemingly endless stream of boats all beating hard in unison.

Yet is it as beautifully simple as that? Look at the detail. Then it’s apparent that it’s only the front runners who are working hard. Behind them is a second and maybe even a third rank of slower, wallowing boats already falling behind.

So, why are these boats behind? Okay, they are in dirty wind and are having to plough through confused wash, but that is not the only reason. To see why we have to go back a bit. Back, before the start, back even beyond the Warning signal.

In all likelihood, these were the boats sailing aimlessly about, not doing their warm up exercises. Not the sort of warm up necessary in athletic sports although there are some who say that sailors should warm up their muscle groups before they race. No, the warm up we mean here is getting used to the conditions. So that both the crew and boat are in sync with their environment and can give it their all from the start. This will involve going through a series of simple exercises.

1. By sailing hard on the wind on each tack for a few minutes it is pretty usual to not how the boats heading alters as the wind shifts, etc. However, this routine should also be used to get into the rhythm of the waves and wind. The sailors should be working hard at ‘feeling’ what the boat is telling them, of course. They could even take turns closing their eyes in order to use their other senses – but the other one should keep a good look out!!!!
2. There should be lots and lots of tacking, feeling how the boat is affected by the waves. Here we are trying to find out what effect they have on the boat and how long it takes to get going again if we stop. Because gibing is usually not needed until later in the race it’s not quite so critical but nonetheless a good few should be tried.
3. Acceleration is everything at the start of a race. So, stop the boat and then see how long it takes to get going back up to full speed. This obviously varies with the conditions. If it is difficult to judge then use a mark as a fixed point.
4. If we are early to the start, we may need to stop. How can we do this? Practice letting the sails out, backing the sails moving aft. Luffing up (and therefore over the line) is not a good option. Then see how long it takes to get going and what is the best way of doing it. Work at sheeting the sails and at heeling angles, etc.
5. By this time the line should be set. So, which is the best end to start? Work it out and then go and make a few starts there just to see.
6. Practise your run up to the line seeing how long it takes and the effect of waves and other circumstances surrounding the conditions. But remember, the actual start will have more boats around you and so that the time getting there will be slower.

While doing all these, keep a really good look out all around. It should be a great shame to damage your boat, or even worse, to damage someone else’s because you were concentrating too hard on other things.

Going through this routine gives you the confidence to go into the start of the race knowing that you can spring into action instantly because you know what is going to happen.

2002 Nepean One Design Regatta Results

Nepean Sailing Club — June 22–23, 2002.

Westwood New Skippers Race Results

Toronto’s Outer Harbour — Saturday, August 17, 2002.

OHCC Regatta – July 6, 2002

Awarding of the new, first time “Ken and Doris Browne Albacore Trophy” winner, Raines Koby & Abby MacInnes.

Results of Regatta

2002 Don Rantz Regatta Results

Hosted By Sail-RA — Ottawa River, Ottawa Ontario.

Fanfare – Area 10 Albacore Regatta Results

St James Town Regatta Results – July 20, 2002

2002 Mooredale Regatta Results – Saturday, August 10, 2002

2002 TISC Open Results – Saturday, August 24, 2002

2002 Westwood Regatta – September 7, 2002

Tweaking

Article written by Auntie Alb.

Dear Mr. D. Power

You are not alone in wondering how spreaders work. In fact I would go further as I suspect that there are many sailors who are blissfully unaware of how to organize their rig so that it gives enough power – controllable power – for that particular crew weight.

This control comes from organizing the four critical factors of mast setting up. These are spreaders, rake, rig tension and deck level adjustment, and although spreaders cannot be looked at in isolation an insight into how they work can vastly improve our understanding of rig tuning.

Albacore Class Rule 9.5 says that

Although every Albacore has them these days, they are in fact optional and can be located anywhere on the mast and be of any length or design.

Despite this freedom, Albacore masts come supplied with the spreader brackets in a standard position although there may be minor variations due to rig height above the sheerline. Sailmakers usually also supply recommended spreader measurements. These should be regarded as a starting position. Adjustments can then be made to these basic settings as and when required because what is needed is control of the mast so that as it bends the mainsail can be progressively depowered in a structured way. The optimum spreader settings are therefore the ones that produce the most powerful sail shape for a given crew weight.

Spreaders work by supporting the centre section of the mast to the loaded windward shroud. Spreader length and the angle of the tip (at the shrouds) relative to the root (at the mast) are therefore critical to how mast bend is controlled.

Spreader length controls sideways bend so that the longer the spreader the stiffer the mast. There are two reasons for this. The longer the spreader the greater the angle that the shrouds enter the mast at the hounds. The bigger this angle the greater the support to the top of the mast.

Spreader length also controls the amount of outward deflection or ‘poke’ to the shrouds. Again the longer the spreader the stiffer the mast because as load comes on the ‘solid’ loaded, but deflected windward shroud it tries to straighten. The spreaders are then thrust against the mast to stop it bending laterally. AND IT WILL BEND LATERALLY as soon as there is any breeze when the aft end of the boom moves off the centre line. Then the force from the kicker is actually pushing a bend to windward into the mast.

So, this lateral control is necessary because excessive sideways bend opens the slot between jib and main; it slackens off the jib luff causing jib luff sag because a bent mast is shorter than a straight mast; it also makes it difficult to control the upper mainsail leech which if it is too open reduces power (heeling movement) and pointed ability.

However, if the spreaders are too long, they can push the mast to leeward closing the slot and over tightening the mainsail leech. This is especially a problem in lightish winds with the boom on the centerline of the boat.

Therefore check by looking up the mast in light winds. If the mast is bending to leeward at the spreaders then they have to be shortened until the mast is straight sideways.

The ideal spreader length then keeps the mast straight sideways up to the crews maximum power wind strength. This is the point when both sailors are sitting out hard but do not have to de-power by bending the mast fore and aft.

Spreader angle controls forward mast bend by using the same principle as seen in control of sideways bend. This time however it is not the spreader length that deflects the shroud, it is the angle fore and aft.

Deflecting the shroud aft creates more bend because as the load comes on the windward shroud it straightens. It therefore pushes the mast forward. This would create pre-bend in light winds. This also enables the mast to bend more in a breeze as its resistance to kicker loads are reduced.

On the other hand deflecting the shroud forward reduces bend, as this time the spreaders and therefore the mast are pulled aft. It is this forward deflection that is pretty much the norm in the Albacore Class. The precise amount though should vary according to crew weight.

Lighter crews will want the mast to bend more than heavier weights because they will want to de-power earlier in the wind range and so their shrouds will not be deflected so far forward.

Tweaking – (continued)

Good starting positions for spreader settings are…

Apart from checking to see whether the mast is straight sideways up to their maximum power windstrength how can sailors work out whether their spreaders are doing their proper job.

1. As the mast bends forwards the mainsail luff flattens. This flattens the entry as well as reducing heeling moment by opening the leech. If this happens too early in the wind range then the sailors will not have to work as hard as the competition around them. This usually results not only in poor boat speed but also in poor pointing when compared with that competition. The boat is hard to keep in the ‘groove’ needing too much concentration to keep it going.

   If it happens too late in the wind range then the mainsail becomes too powerful. The boat is hard to keep upright. The helm will feel ‘heavy’ and the front of the mainsail will be backwinding excessively. The impression is that the boat is trying to go but there just isn’t any forward urgency despite all the crews sitting out effort.

2. If the sailors find that they are very fast off wind but have poor windward speed and heel over more when compared to their opposition then their mast is too stiff.

   If they find the exact opposite and are definitely not working as hard to windward as their competition then their mast is too bendy.

3. If the mainsail luff dissolves in a mass of diagonal creases as the mast bends then the mast is too bendy for that particular sail.
4. The golden rule of mainsail leech setting is that the last few inches (centimetres) of the top batten should be parallel to the centre line when viewed from astern. As this is hard to judge from inside the boat an easier guide is that the whole mainsail luff should backwind at the same time. If the upper luff backwinds first then the leech is too open. If the lower luff backwinds first then the leech is too tight.

If the sailors find that they are having to use what seems excessive kicker tension to control upper luff backwinding then the mast is bending too much sideways. What usually happens then is that as the kicker is tightened the mast bend thus increases and the upper luff backwinds so again the kicker goes on and the cycle continues. …This will be accompanied by lack of power and by poor to appalling pointing.

Once the problem has been analysed it is then only a matter of working through the solutions by increasing or reducing spreader angle and or length according to whether the mast is bending too much or too little.

This should be done gradually and in small steps. There will come a time when this control has gone too far and the mast will be doing exactly the opposite of what it was doing at the beginning of the procedure. That is exactly right because the sailors now know the limit beyond which they cannot go. All that is needed is to come back slightly from that limit.

Once the ideal spreader setting is found the shape of the mainsail can then be controlled throughout the wind range by accurate use of the kicking strap; the mainsheet; clew outhaul; deck level control and perhaps even the cunningham.

– Happy Tweaking,
Auntie Alb.

Editors’ Note

Wow, it’s been a year already. It’s hard to believe I have been the editor of Shackles and Cringles for an entire season. I want to thank everyone who has taken the time to write articles and submit them to me for publication, without you this would be a pretty tough job. I hope that all of you are planning to contribute to future issues of Shackles and Cringles, by way of written articles or even suggestions about the newsletter in general. I’m always looking for new ideas about content and format.

This summer brought some new faces to some of the albacore regattas, and the CAA is very excited about the prospect of a larger, more challenging fleet. I hope the newcomers to our class are excited about the 2003 season, and planning to participate in future events.

Please visit our web site at www.albacore.ca for updates and news throughout the coming winter. Even though there may be snow here in Toronto, there is still plenty of information regarding the boat show and the mid winters, plus interesting articles for those cold winter evenings when all you can think about is getting your boat rigged and out on the water…

Have a great Autumn, and I really look forward to seeing all of you out on the water next Spring!!

Karen Piatkowski

photos courtesy of Teresa and John Miolla

2002 Albacore North American Championship

Hosted by Hampton Yacht Club — October 12–14, 2002. Class Code 275, Sanction No. 1061, Club Code 02, Area 1.

Photo by Becky Harris.

Canadian Albacore Association Executive

Canadian Albacore Association
47A Harbour Square, P.O. Box, 81047 Toronto, Ont. M5J 2V3
www.albacore.ca

Save the Date: 2003 International Albacore Championships

Kingston, Ontario, Canada (at the Cork site). Sunday July 20 (practice race) to Saturday July 26, 2003.

In addition to incomparable sailing conditions, Kingston boasts an impressive concentration of quaint buildings and historic sites which give it an ambiance quite unlike other North American cities. It has a great variety of night spots, pubs and restaurants. Accommodations range from inexpensive university residences, intriguing B&B’s and fine hotels.

Mark your 2003 calendars and be there! For more information on sailing at Cork, check out the Cork web site at www.Cork.org.