Quick help needed for first race

[jon_old]

Hi, sorry to bother you with such a basic question but have at last got myself a nova and tried to set it up this afternoon for a race tomorrow. I set it up as it was when I bought it 4 holes down on the shrouds and five n the small ones. The forestay I just attached with the shackle. My only concern is that although the mast fits inbetween the bolts it only sits flat when I pull a lot of tension on with the rake adjusting sheets. Is this correct I would hate to become demasted on my first go.
Your help would be greatly appreciated

Jon Moreman
615

[tim408_old]

Hi Jon,
and a quick reply: I've raked back so that the boom is 12 inches from the rear deck and it hasn't popped out. I don't suggest you need this radical of rakes in fact I hardly ever rake back at all now but in the future if you need to you can either buy a mast wedge from Hartley's or twist my arm as I also make them and from Delrin.
Welcome the the class!
Good luck for tomorrow, Tim.

[jon_old]

thanks Tim,

can I take it then that the mast should not sit flat before tension is applied.
Sorry for being so thick
thanks Jon

[david1080_old]

Jon

Is your mast plate fix flat to the deck or does it have a mast ram? You can sail with some quite extreme rake mast rake without it slipping out of the plate.

If you do not have a mast ram under the plate it is not a problem, I sailed for years without one with the mast raked back. Just ment the foot of the mast got a bit worn.

The main thin is to check that the lower shrouds start to tighten up when the kicker is about half way applied. Do not sail with too much rig tension this has caused problems in the passed. It might look a bit loose on shore but once you are sailing with the wind and kicker everything tightens up.

I think you should be in the fifth hole down, but I could be wrong about this, anyone out there help?

What was your previous boat?

Good luck
David.

[jon_old]

Hi FDavid,
thanks for your reply. There is no mast ramp fitted at present but it sounds a good idea.
I have sailed Lasers and a Vareo for the last few years but have considered the nova since I started.
I have now raced on a couple of occasions, things have gone reasonably well, have really enjoyed the boat particulaly on the reach but am a little confused over the controls as the boat seems to respond in different ways to the vareo and laser.
I,ll get there in the end.
Hopefully !!!

Thanks again
Jon
615

[tim408_old]

Hi Jon,
As David said if you can get the lowers to be just tight when the shrouds get just tight that will give you the support you need when the loads come on. Unfortunately I can't help with the hole number as the 7 sets of lowers I have owned were all slightly different, even differing from side to side on one occasion. But with a little patience you can get them working for you.
Yes this boat is very different from the Laser and Vareo it is more akin to an RS600 or moth and sails in a similar way. It responds quite well to shed loads of mast bending upwind like the laser but with the sail being less flat at the same time. I am finding the rig tuning quite sensetive to wind strength and weight of crew, I think this is in main because the sail is fully battoned and quite low aspect.
Anyway good luck with it and I lok forward to meeting you on the circuit, Tim

[jon_old]

Hi Tim,
thanks for your reply,
could you give me an idea for medium wind settings as I will be spending some time this weekend marking my bits of string I understand this will depend on weight, rake etc but I do want to make some inroads into understanding the boat.
I look forward to getting to a event soon, when is the next one up this way ?
many thanks again for your help.

Jon 615

[Barry2312_old_old]

Hi Jon,

I'd echo everything everyone has said so far. Especially not too much rig tension. Bear in mind what follows if from a paid up member of the pie eating fraternity!

Start with the shrouds at the fifth hole down. Pull the rig upright so some (but not lots) of tension comes into the shrouds, the lowers should be quite tight-ish now giving maximum support to the rig. This would be my medium wind position for offwind sailing.

No cunningham, outhaul a la laser about 4" from the boom, Centre the main so it just begins to tension up and set the kicker (perhaps a tad more)

A number of us have some guide as to mast rake. I previously had three marks of tape on the deck in front of the mast. One set marking this position. The next two spaced about three and six inches in front of that marking varing degrees of rake. It will of course depend on your mast rake set up. I now have one of those 1-10 rigging strips. This is about setting 2. In medium winds I'd probably be at the front end of the middle bit of tape. I don't have any other calibrations.

Then go out and sail! and it will be a matter of preference how you depower upwind. I tend to go for small amounts of kicker, then mast rake then back to the kicker again. Others tend to go for lots more kicker sooner Lots of kicker can make the boat go into irons on the tack - and they aren't always the easiest of boats to get out of irons! When going upwind you can't pinch a Supernova like a Laser, it will just stall.

Make sure that you have a stopper know in the main to keep the boom just off the shrouds and don't let too much twist into the main on broad reaches.

Saturday 25th April the Supernovas have an Open Meeting at Bolton Sailing club. It will be well worth coming over and looking at the variety of set ups possible. I think some of the southern contingent are planning a trip up north - I'm hoping to be there.

Now back to the decorating....

Barry
SN464