Articles -
MALIN BURNHAM ON TUNING AND TECHNIQUES
(September 1966 / May 1967)
Malin Burnham and Lowell North won a Gold Star in 1945
Early in 1966 Malin Burnham gave a series of lectures in Australia by invitation of the Pittwater Fleet and the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club. Because all of our members are interested in the advice and suggestions of so successful a Star sailor as Mr. Burnham, we are publishing here the first part of a report of his lectures compiled by officers of the sponsoring fleet. It should be understood that there is no official Star Class literature on rigging and tuning, and that the opinions expressed herein are those of Mr. Burnham.
Fundamental Principle
There is no perfect way of doing any of the items encountered in Star boat racing, but when one way of carrying out a certain item is related to the many other items then perfection is achieved. The three factors requiring attention for efficient and successful racing are: (1) hull; (2) sails; (3) skill of skipper and crew.
The Hull
A glass smooth finish is required, not necessarily with a high gloss. It is essential to remove the boat from the water when not in use in order to keep a good hard enamel or epoxy finish. Should even the smallest of cracks appear they must be filled with epoxy filler in order to prevent the timber absorbing water.
Should fine specks of material appear on the hull, or orange peel remain after painting, they are removed by rubbing with wet and dry paper. The use of compounds on the hull is not considered essential; however, if used, a parting agent and not wax is required.
The keel flange must be faired to the bottom of the boat using timber strips and fibre glass in order to form a continuous smooth curve into the fin. The flange should not be pointed at the leading edge but a little rounded and gradually tapering for one third of the length until a parallel section ensues for the next one third distance, with the remaining one_third similar to the leading edge. This section is referred to as "laminar flow." The keel weight should be minimum (870 pounds); however, with the new minimum weight requirement there will possibly be a movement toward a maximum weight with the lightest possible hull.
Keels are located as far aft as possible while the rudder post should be brought forward on the bottom in order to reduce the wetted surface by having a shorter skeg.
The shape of hulls varies slightly from one builder to another; however, it is considered that these slight variations are not as important as setting the sails, mast and fittings to suit the shape being used.
Rounding of the chine reduces the wetted surface. However, opinions vary greatly on this point; some have sharp chines in order to give better weather working, while others meet between these ideas and round the forward two thirds of the chine.
Rig and Fittings
- Mast
The mast must be as light as possible, but stiff enough in order that the mast does not fall off at any one place. Fittings on the mast must be as light as possible and the spreaders require only a light section, sometimes laminated, about half an inch thick on the inboard end of an aerofoil section (curved on top, flat on bottom) narrowing in the middle. A 15" forward movement of the spreaders is required in order to be clear of the mainsail when sailing downwind. The control of movement aft is very important and should not exceed two inches at the outer end.
- Boom
A stiff boom is required, of section four inches deep in the centre, tapering at each end. The section of the boom aft of the main sheet blocks should be flexible enough to allow the leech to soften in a strong breeze.
- Traveller
The traveller is located just aft of the rudder post, since the boat is wider at this point; hence the traveller track must be equal in length to the beam of the boat at the point.
- Barney post
The main sheet should be located in the boat by a Barney post in which the top of the block is just below the deck level. The main sheet lock is located beside the block.
- Tiller
Must be as long as practicable (at least up to frame 7), with a tiller extension always attached.
- Runners
The best type of runner is the ratchet type located with the aft end of the track on the gunwale at frame 6 1/2. Rope lines should not be attached to the runner slide.
- Vang
The circular vang fitting is not favoured as it restricts the movement of the boom to the square position when running downwind. Without the circular vang the runner track may be positioned well inboard at the forward end, thereby reducing the possibility of the runners [backstays] moving to the forward side of the spreaders when [sailing] downwind The recommended vang arrangement is a slide about 36" long located on the gunwale from the shroud plate aft. The vang wire should start at the boom adjacent to the forward sheet block position, pass through a hook, then to a pulley at the gooseneck and down to a wheel_and_axle type fitting for operation. The wheel should be about 10" in diameter, and the axle which carries the vang wire about 1 1/2" in diameter. A light cord is wrapped around the drum, passes to a pulley on the keelson, then up to a lock at the forward end of the cockpit hence; the crew lifts up to operate the vang drum. A rubber cord attached to the vang wire under the deck and stretched to the bow at the other end will ensure that the slack vang wire will remain tensioned under the boom.
- Jib track
With the latest sails, the jib track should be located at an angle of 9E to the centre line at the bow. A second jib track position for heavier winds is not considered necessary. The length of the jib track should be approximately 15" in order to have sufficient foot, leech and pocket of the jib adjustment for all conditions.
- Shroud plates
The location of the shroud plates should be such that the cap shrouds be placed at a point 4" forward of the front of the mast with the lower shrouds as close as possible behind the cap shrouds. Intermediate shrouds should terminate at the spreaders and not proceed to the deck level.
- Headstay or jumper strut
The jumper strut is considered the better arrangement since the headstay tends to hold the mast forward and take some load away from the jib luff. The jumper strut requires very little adjustment.
- Sail battens
The sail battens must be straight, reasonably stiff, of full length and always varnished.
Setting up and Sailing Techniques
The mast must be positioned and raked in the boat such that a full length boom, when located at the coloured band and lying on the deck aft, will rest one inch short of transom. The rake of the mast is in the range of 18" to 30"; however, the best way to obtain the correct rake is to have the mainsheet operating block to block when tacking on the wind.
The forestay and runners are first positioned tight, then the cap shrouds tensioned until the top of the mast is pulled forward and the spreaders are angled forward (this adjustment made without the runners in their full on position). With the mast in this reverse bend position the lower shrouds are tensioned. (This makes certain that the centre of the mast is supported by the lower shrouds when sailing downwind.) The intermediate shrouds are used to prevent the upper section of the mast from falling to leeward and should be adjusted to the correct length by using a turnbuckle above the spreaders. A new length of wire may then be cut to the required length and replace the length containing the turnbuckle.
When sailing the mast must have an even curve over its all length. This is achieved by the use of (1) the lower backstays and (2) blocks at the deck. The blocks are added with the runners set until the even bend is obtained, then under sail the lower runners control the additional bend produced by the mast compression. The modern mainsail requires a seven to nine inch bend between the top of the mast and the gooseneck. With the tendency toward mast movement further aft, the tack at the bow fitting is being moved aft accordingly.
The traveller setting is normally in the centre in winds up 10 miles per hour, then movement out in order to keep the gunwale out of the water when on the wind. Since the traveller position depends so much on the nature of the leech and the fullness of the sail a set position is difficult to state. The best position is determined by match racing against another boat, who is leaving his equipment in a set position, then make adjustments until the boat is moving faster than the standard boat.
Tell-tales are very important both upwind and downwind particularly in light air. The best type of tell_tale is a length Nylon hose 12" long and 3/4" wide, located 5 to 6 feet above the deck. A tell_tale at the top of the mast is considered unnecessary. The tell_tale is advantageous when sailing to windward in order to locate slight wind changes; however, they are equally as important downwind in order to sail as close possible to a dead downwind course.
The use of a compass cannot be under_estimated since they will quickly indicate a wind_shaft particularly when the wind-shaft is a gradual let_down. The best location for the compass (where two are being used) is immediately forward of the helmsman, that is, on the deck just forward of the end of the runners. The other alternative is hanging under the forward end of the cockpit; however, this is not considered satisfactory since the skipper must take the compass bearings. There is a strong tendency for the helmsman to allow the boat to fall away from the wind when the wind lightens, thereby giving away a lot of weather position. This tendency is easily checked by the use of a compass.
A tiller extension is considered essential since it allows the skipper and crew to move forward, particularly downwind.
When sailing on the wind the skipper should he just aft of the runner, with one hand on the runner, while the crew is sufficiently forward to have one hand on the shroud. When changing from one tack to the other the skipper slides under boom but over the tiller, thereby not entering the cockpit.
When sailing downwind the Cunningham eye [a grommet just above the mainsail tack, Ed.] is raised 6" and the boom outhaul allowed to move inward 4". In breezes less than 12 miles per hour and sailing on the wind the Cunningham eye must be raised slightly until horizontal wrinkles appear at the luff and the boom outhaul allowed to move inward, which produces a tighter leech. Pulling the Cunningham eye down brings the pocket in the mainsail forward, thereby reducing the weather helm. When the Cunningham eye is adjusted the jib luff is also adjusted in proportion to the size of the sails, e.g., 4" up on the Cunningham eye, then approximately 1" up on the jib luff.
The runners should be moved forward when sailing downwind, in order to bring the mast to the vertical position or leaning a little forward in light air. This allows the pocket in the main to hold its shape and filled with air due to the tendency of the wind to blow down on the water. When the surface of the water is irregular it may be necessary to hold the runner by hand in order to tighten the rig as required or to attach a guide rope from the bow to the mast.
It is essential when sailing downwind that the lower shrouds be located forward of the mast at the deck and tight enough to prevent the mast at the spreaders moving aft and forming a dangerous reverse bend. Should this reverse bend appear when reaching, the main sheet should be pulled in and the traveller out at the gunwale in order to tighten the leech and pull the top of the mast aft.
It is essential when close reaching to let the traveller out before letting the mainsheet out, in order to keep the sail flat, working, and stretched out. Letting the sheet out causes the sail to "belly out" with not as large a surface area exposed to the wind.
Before the start of a race the crew should sail the boat while the skipper, viewing under the boom on the leeward side, inspects the jib lead position. The leech and foot should have equal tension and this is best decided by a look at each, not by a feel. Since there is a lot of material in the foot of a modern jib, the "accordion effect" produced must not be confused with too much tension in the foot.
Sails
It is recommended that one suit be used for all conditions, since with the latest fabrics and sailmaking techniques the sails may be varied in shape to suit all wind velocities.
With a new sail the pocket should be approximately in the centre of the sail and with use this pocket moves aft thereby placing a larger strain on the leech. It may be necessary after one year to (1) have the sailmaker loosen the leech (not considered advisable since the required adjustment is very small); (2) bend the mast more to relieve the leech; (3) raise the sail at the boom outhaul fitting by using a shackle in order to loosen the leech; (4) let the traveller move away from the normal position. A tight leech can easily act as a "leech brake," without showing any appreciable change in weather helm or general appearance of the sail; however, the boat will lose speed. It is necessary to frequently view the whole leech from the transom any sign of cupping of the leech to weather or any point where the after section of the sail is not parallel with the centre line of the boat should be immediately rectified.
The fastest sails are not necessarily the best looking sails. Leech flutter is not very important, and in the case of the jib is not to be interpreted as jib luffing, when sailing close hauled.
It is essential to have the mast position and the sail pockets in such a position that the boat has some weather helm and the use of two fingers only on the tiller pulling to weather is a fair assessment of the required force.
In the choice of a new sail, between a full and a flat sail, it is considered that the flatter sail is preferable since as the wind lightens the main should be eased to allow more draft to form in the sail; also the boom outhaul fitting should be let in and the Cunningham eye raised.
A high cut foot on the jib is not desirable, since the lower the cut the larger the amount of air trapped by the jib; hence when setting the jib at the bow the clew must be as close as possible to the deck.
Halyard locks are considered essential for both sails in order to reduce mast compression.
Sails should always be folded for storage since the smoothness of dacron is one of its many advantages. When folding sails it is essential to always fold at the same points in order to have a regular position for the crease in the sail. Fresh rater washing of dacron sails is necessary in order to remove salt deposits which would absorb moisture and make the sail heavier, also the salt particles cause the surface of the sail to lose its smoothness, thereby increasing wind resistance.
Racing Techniques and Tactics
- Starting
This phase of racing is vital, since an effective cover at the start in close class racing is all that is necessary to win the race, hence the advantage of many short races formed into a series and repeated at regular intervals. It is necessary to test the starting line in order to select the favoured end. This test is carried out ten minutes before the start and checked just prior to the start to detect any wind shift. The boat is brought head to wind at the centre of the starting line; then when sighting across the thwartship frames of the boat select the end which is ahead of abeam: this is the favoured end. After selecting the best starting position, it is suggested that with two minutes to the start move away but between the starting marks for one minute then return to the line in the second minute.
- Sailing close hauled to weather
The helmsman concentrates an four items: (1) the main luff, which should start to luff just before the jib and hence is a handy indication that the jib is about to luff, (2) the jib luff, (3) the tell_tale, particularly in light air, when it quickly records a wind shift; (4) the water and the approach of a series of waves or chop will require the helmsman to ease the boat a little away from the wind and move through the disturbance.
Should horizontal creases appear in the main luff, the Cunningham eye must be pulled down until they are removed; should angled creases appear the lower runners must be tightened in order to reduce the mast bend. In the case where a full sail is being used and the breeze strengthens it is preferable to have some angled wrinkles in order to have a flatter sail. When strong gusts of wind prevail the main sheet should not be eased but the boat pinched a little to weather. In the lighter winds the jib and main sheet should be adjusted frequently in order to allow for wind changes.
Long windward tacks are preferable except when there is a sudden "knock" or it is required to cover the opposition. An effective cover of the opposition is achieved by staying between the opposition and the weather mark, hence it is as important to sail against the competition as it is to attempt to sail to the weather mark by the fastest course. A safe leeward position is obtained when the bow of the leeward yacht is more than three feet ahead and the leeward yacht is at no greater distance from the weather yacht than half a boat length.
When boats are approaching on port and starboard tacks the starboard boat should not automatically use his authority, since the starboard yacht may be on the favoured wind shift and calling will bring the opposition onto the favoured tack. This may even require bearing away behind the port tack yacht. When approaching the weather mark, it is necessary to overstep the mark in order to keep the opposition covered and in disturbed air. When changing tacks to weather, look astern in order to observe any S_trail, which wastes at least half a boat length of weather position.
- Downwind sailing
This is not a time for relaxing. The helmsman must sit on the weather side of the yacht with his weight well forward (hence a tiller extension is essential). The runners are allowed to move forward allowing the mast to be vertical (or forward in light airs) and at the same time slackening the forestay, thereby allowing the jib on the pole to be out further and enable the boat to run a little by the lee. When overtaking a yacht downwind, it is preferable to attempt to pass to leeward or if this is not possible run the opposition off course to weather then jibe, when the opposition will be effectively covered.
- Selection and operation of the crew
The following points should be considered: consistency, alertness, observation, anticipation, strength, weight, hiking. Teamwork and the crew knowing how to anticipate the future moves are developed through the basic requirement of practice. Alertness will frequently prevent equipment failure. Observing the position of the opposition will require frequent verbal communication with the helmsman, since it is preferable for the skipper to concentrate more on boat speed than looking around the course. Where a compass is being used the skipper should make the observations, not the crew. The crew should attempt to clear the skipper of as many equipment operations as possible, enabling the helmsman to concentrate on the work of the tiller only. It is necessary for the helmsman and crew to hang over the topsides in order to reduce wind resistance and also improve the moment of the forces. In light airs the crew should be positioned on the leeward deck.
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TUNING TO WIN by LOWELL NORTH*
(June & July, 1967)
*Reprinted with permission from the April, 1967, One Design and Offshore Yachtsman Magazine, 159 E. Chicago Ave., Chicago, Ill. the copyright owners.
There is no way to circumvent the problems in getting the best out of a Star. The matter of boatspeed must be met head on with a discussion of travellers, Barber haulers, downhauls. and so on. So in an attempt to take up the challenge in a logical way let's begin with the weather leg and start at the bow of the boat.
Many Stars these days have an adjustment for the tack at the jib. It can be moved forward or aft, plus or minus two inches, from the standard spot. In light and medium air we sail with the tack fitting at the maximum aft position. In harder winds we move it forward for two reasons: (1) when pulling hard on the sheet in strong winds the leech of the jib will hit the spreader, by moving the tack forward the leech stays clear of the spreader, and (2) we have a suspicion the boat is faster with the jib forward as weather helm is reduced and the boat balances better.
However, in extremely heavy air (over 30 m.p.h.) the situation reverses and the boat develops lee helm. But we don't normally try to adjust for this as the condition usually arises suddenly and we simply try to trim the sails to allow for it.
Frankly, I am not too good at this. In the 1966 world championship at Kiel, Germany in which Finn sailor Peter Barrett crewed with me, we did not seem to have really good speed to weather when the wind was blowing over 30 m.p.h. (which it did too often). It was in the 20 to 30 stuff, just before the helm came on, that the boat seemed to be tuned about right.
The best way to alleviate lee helm in the extremely heavy air is to switch to a smaller, flatter jib.
In the worlds at Kiel we found the most important adjustment on the jib was the "Barber hauler." This device was invented by the Barber twins, San Diego Lightning sailors, and is simply a lanyard with a fairlead on the end of it through which the jib sheet passes forward of the normal jib lead. The lanyard leads through the deck out near the gunwale and is controlled from below the deck. With the Barber hauler the lateral position of the jib lead can be accurately controlled and easily adjusted.
In smooth water and light winds we sail with about a 10 degree angle on the jib lead. As the water gets rough, and particularly if the wind velocity increases, we begin to move the leads outboard. At about 12 to 15 m.p.h. the angle is 11 degrees, at 18 to 20 the angle is 12 degrees, and at 25 to 35 it is out to 13 or 14 degrees. We also do a bit of fore and aft adjusting on the jib sheets, but not as much as in and out. In really light air our leads are about three inches forward of where they are in heavy air. We generally move the lead a little bit forward of the normal spot in very light airs, back to the standard position for most weather, and a little bit further aft in extremely heavy weather.
It is interesting to note that with the low_cut jib, which has a clew about six inches lower than the standard jibs we used the year before, we had better results with the sail trimmed about one inch further outboard. The correct jib trim is difficult to determine, but a good rule of thumb is to trim it so that the middle batten is parallel to the center line of the boat. In smooth water you can trim a little tighter than this and in rough water not quite so tight.
The luffs of Star jibs are made adjustable these days in one of two ways. One is the sliding tack arrangement developed by Dick Stearns, and the other is what we call the sleeve jib where the jib stay is fed through the tape in the luff of the jib. In either case the tension in the luff of the jib is adjusted either by downhauling at the tack or, in the case of the sleeve jib, either from the tack or by the halyard.
As materials change and stretch less, less adjustment is required. These days probably one inch adjustment is as much as we use going to windward. It is better to think of it as stretching the luff just enough to compensate for the extra leech stretch that occurs from heavy winds and trimming hard. This keeps the jib in balance. Another adjustment that will affect the shape of the jib is the tension on the backstays on a Starboat. By slacking the backstays you can change the shape of the jib. This affects different jibs in different ways. Generally speaking in light air it is better to slack the backstay so the jib luff can sag.
We have found it best on the Starboat to stick to one mainsail. And it is probably true that the best sailors also stick to one jib, with the possible exception of a small, very flat jib for extremely hard winds. At the 1966 worlds and European championships we measured in just one mainsail but we measured in three jibs. We used the same jib in all of the races except when we used an older, smaller, very flat jib when it was blowing quite hard (although this was not the heaviest race). The one time we did use the smaller jib we found our speed about the same as it had been in similar breezes with the larger, fuller sail; but we might well have been better off the day it blew steadily at over 30 m.p.h. to have been using the little flat one.
Far more can be done to change the shape of the mainsail than the jib. The bend in the mast, the tension on the luff, the tension on the foot, traveller position and the trim of the sheet are the basic adjustments. The bend in the mast is the most difficult and the most critical. The sailmaker usually has instructions on the amount of mast bend the sail is to be cut for and the skipper will begin from there, trying always to increase his knowledge of sail shape so that he can get the best out of his mast sail combination at all times.
Because of the lower stretch in dacron in the past few years the change in bend from light winds to heavy is much less than it used to be Four or five years ago we had our mast straight in light winds and had an 18 inch bend (chord depth of bend measured at the center of the mast) in heavy air.
Now we are using a six inch bend in light airs and an 11 inch bend in hard winds. In other words there is less than one-third as much difference from light air to heavy air bend. Of course different sails require different types of bend. Our Star sail currently requires more bend at the top of the mast and less at the bottom, which is not unusual. One reason for not having too much bend down low is to keep the spreader from pushing forward into the leech of the jib.
Besides the fore and aft bend in the mast the sideways bend will also effect the shape of the sail and the way the boat performs. By holding the mast to windward down low, for instance, you can open up the slot between the jib and main and reduce backwind. As yet no one has been notably successful in the Star class with extreme sideways bend. This is in contrast to recent form in other classes - Snipe, Flying Dutchman, International 14 - where sideways bend is considered desirable.
With our present Star rig, while bending about 11 inches fore and aft we are bending from two to three inches sideways. One thing that does seem certain about sideways bend is that "reverse" curve, where the tip of the mast is further to windward than the middle, is definitely not good. On a Star the bend comes naturally, so that the rigging is an attempt to prevent too much bend. The jumpers keep the top from bending too much, the lower backstays and the blocks at the deck (and the spreaders in some cases) keep the lower part of the mast from bending too much. My mast is so limber that I never have to change the wedges at the deck. It is important to keep the mast wedged tight at the back of the deck partner so that the spar does not have a tendency to reverse bend when reaching and running. One of the most common causes of mast failure in Stars is when the top of the mast bends far forward and the bottom part of the spar kicks aft causing a break between the deck and the spreaders.
It is easy to overdo the tension on the luff of the mainsail whether the adjustment is done by means of the gooseneck or use of a Cunningham hole or both. In general the tension: should be just enough to keep distortion wrinkles out of the luff. Care must be taken especially when the sail is new as there will be a tendency for the draft to be too far forward the anyway and too much tension on the luff will pull it eves further forward. The draft should be allowed to go back a least to the middle of the sail.
The outhaul is primarily to control the fullness of the blah' and the correct setting for it in various winds will have to be found by trial and error. Usually in smooth water with the wind at more than seven or eight m.p.h. the sail should to out to the end of the boom. On reaches and runs it should be slacked off six to eight inches
The traveller adjustment is another variable about whiff one cannot be dogmatic. Its use will depend on such things as the roughness of the water, the flexibility of the mast, the fullness of the sail, the weight of the crew, and of curse the strength of the wind. Currently we are sailing with the traveller out further than we used to in winds of six to eight m.p.h. With this amount of air the traveller is allowed lit slide six to eight inches, in 12 m.p.h. winds we let it off eight or nine inches, in 15 m.p.h., about 12 inches and in 18 oomph about 15 inches. In even stronger winds the traveller might be allowed out as far as 24 inches, but when the wind gets Lip over 30 the traveller must be brought back in and the sheds eased_to keep the boat from developing lee helm.
A Starboat seems to go best with the mast raked so that the boom is very close to the deck. This is probably the most certain: thing that can be said about tuning a Star as I have seen no exception to the rule for some years.
Mainsheet tension is another one of the "indefinites" if, trimming a Starboat, but a good starting point is to pull until the top batten is parallel to the boom in moderate air. In light winds it should be trimmed a bit harder than this and in hard weather not so tight. There should be a very small amount of backwind in the luff of the main just a slight lifting near the mast. In very heavy winds it will not be possible to stick to this "slight lift" and under these conditions we try to achieve what is known as a "sleeping action," where the sail carries quite a large, but permanent and steady backwind. The sail should take on an S shape, but should not flap or shake.
The rigging on a Starboat (and the same must be true for any sailboat which is to be raced seriously) must be kept to a minimum. This is particularly true for all "perpendicular rigging" such as shrouds, halyards, jumpers. All above the deck gear must also be kept as light and as clean as possible. Currently there is a difference of opinion on how the jumper stay should be arranged on a Star. Most of the top boats for the last two years have had a V strut arrangement which was developed by Skip Etchells. This would appear at first glance to be more rigging than is necessary, but I switched to it because it works easily and gives better control of the mast head than is possible with a single strut (especially on a very light spar).
The single strut tends to bend off to leeward especially on the tack where the jib stay and halyard lean against the jumper stay. On a very light spar this can cause serious problems. The cleanest arrangement of all is to have the top of the mast unsupported on the forward side with no headstay or jumper at all. But this requires a heavier mast and you lose that masthead control which seems to be so important. Few successful boats have been without some sort of forward masthead support in recent years.
Next to nothing at all, the cleanest arrangement would be a single headstay going from the bow to the masthead, but this system seems to be dropping from favor as most of th top skippers feel that, like the single jumper, it does not give sufficient control over the tip of the mast.
The jumper wires on my boat are solid 072 wire; whereas the rest of the rigging is 1 by 19. The upper and intermediate shrouds are 1/16, the lower intermediates (from spreader tip to deck) are 3/32 and the lower shrouds are 1/8. Quite a few of the European boats (and a growing number of American boats too) are now using solid rigging all the way through. My jibstay is 1/8, and as mentioned earlier the jibstay is fed through the sleeve of the jib, but a recent rule change requires that the jibstay be kept outside the jib, so now when this gem is used it is necessary to have two jibstays, one that ds through the jib and one that remains outside to meet rule. The extra stay is still valuable, however, as it serves pull the mast forward on a run to keep it from slopping around when the backstay is eased to straighten the mast up.
The main halyard lock is conventional on the outside of the sail and the halyard is left loose down the front of the spar. It would be better to have some clips or something to keep it stowed neatly out of the wind, but nobody seems to bother about that.
Boats with very light spars have to carry backstays from the top of the mast to avoid losing the spar when broad reaching and running in strong winds. We added these after the first race in Kiel after we nearly lost our mast on the final leg.
One sixteenth wires were fastened to the top of the mast and led down the after side, taped to the spar every few feet keep them out of the way except when brought into use on the final run to the finish. Then we led a 1/4 inch dacron one up through the after deck just aft of the rudder post. This had a simple, but strong, snaphook on it. When we rounded the weather mark for the last time Pete would reach forward and pull the backstay away from the mast, handing it back to me, I would clip the end of the rope to the thimble on the end of the stay, and that was it. It probably took less an five seconds to set up. If necessary it could be adjusted on a cleat to the keel near the aft end of the cockpit.
Another system often used is a 1/16th wire which is hoisted with the halyard, being fastened just above the headboard of the mainsail. These come down and fasten to the regular backstays about two feet above the deck.
Now that Stars have a minimum weight of 1460 pounds there no need for superlight hull construction and in many of the recently built boats it is possible to add 10 to 20 pounds of fancy gadgets below decks. At Kiel my boat weighed in at exactly 1460.
There are certain tolerances in the lines of a Starboat, so that boats are not exactly alike. In past years boats have been built different ways by different builders and there has been a tendency to think that it was necessary to have a new boat every year or two to remain competitive. Perhaps in years gone by there was some truth in this, but I sincerely believe now that enough development work has been done on Star hulls that if you can find a reasonably new and competitive hull it will not be outdesigned in the next few years. My boat was completed in March, 1963. and I believe it is as competitive as any in the world. I have no intention of buying a new one for a few years, and when I do it will undoubtedly be fiberglass.
As far as hull finish is concerned I am a believer in the sanded surface about No. 400 wet and dry, or a little finer.
My cockpit and deck layout are reasonably standard, with the exception of the console in the center of the cockpit, taking the place of the normal barney post. This is, in effect, a large barney post and instead of just having the mainsheet attached to it I have the mainsheet traveller control, the jumper stay control and the Cunningham hole line. This seems handier than having these lines on cleats at the side of the cockpit and it keeps them out of the way of the whisker pole when it is being stowed.
There is a Com_tek type pump down in each chine, and in the hard going at Kiel they were invaluable. I think it is an advantage to have the boat nearly dry when you approach the weather mark so it can jump up onto a plane a little quicker. We also have an Elvstrom suction bailer on each side.
In summing up I would point out that there is plenty to keep two people busy on a Starboat and it is the many sided tuning problem that makes this the most satisfying and rewarding class in which I have ever competed.
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SOME THOUGHTS ON UPWIND SPEED by BILL BUCHAN
1980
Bill Buchan, by a consensus of his major competitors, is the top Star sailor in the world right now. He has won back to back Bacardi Cups, the 1979 Baltic Regatta, 1980 Spring Championship and the U.S. Olympic Trials. His formula for winning is no secret -- he simply strives to constantly improve every aspect of his sailing. His thirty years of Star sailing he insists, have clearly taught him that there are no magic buttons to press or hidden rules to beat, that make a Star go faster. To win in the class, he says, you must examine the total effort, i.e. mast, hull, sails, crew, layout, training etc. and constancy try to learn what is best for you.
This all translates into a word which is synonymous with Bill's style of sailing - consistency; the consistency of knowing where your settings are the consistency of knowing how to set up the boat in all conditions and change gears if conditions change, and finally, the consistency of making the correct tactical decisions with the idea that winning a regatta is more important than winning an individual race. Here he offers some helpful insight about his approach to tuning a Starboat.
Mast Rake
The mast should be set up in the boat so that the band on the boom is 3" to 4" beyond the transom with the proper amount of rake and about 4" of prebend forced into the mast by raising the lever. The jibstay/deck attachment should be within 1 inch of being all the way back from point A. I personally don't like to use a measurement for determining rake. I prefer to set up the rig so that I can have the maximum amount of rake and still trim the main hard in 10-12 knots of wind with at least 2_3 inches of room for some extra trim on the mainsheet in case it is needed.
This, of course, requires experimentation. In light air the rake might be increased slightly from this and reduced in the 12_18 knot range. In the really heavy winds, those over 25 knots, have had good luck by drastically increasing rake. I think the reason for this is that in that wind range you will probably want to ease the main sheet to reduce power which in turn will cause lee helm in any gusts. I combat that with the greater amount of rake to help keep the boat in proper balance.
Shrouds
The shroud cars for the lower shrouds should be more or less in line with the face of the mast so that their tension doesn't change as the bend and/or rake of the mast is adjusted. The uppers probably want to be from 3"_6" ahead of the lowers. I personally don't think their placement, as such, has much bearing on speed. Basically they should be forward so that the uppers tend to loosen when the mast is raked forward on a run. Having the uppers forward will also help so that when you are sailing upwind the uppers will tend to tighten as mast bend increases, which should keep tip sag to a minimum.
As for shroud tension, I am currently sailing with a slightly loser rig than I might have had last year. My reason for doing this is that when the rig is super tight the mast seems less responsive to changes in wind strength in that the mast acts like it is pre bent which in fact it is. At the same time, however, I am tightening my backstays very hard as soon as the conditions are such that a tight jibstay is in order. That time of course is dependent on wind velocity, water conditions, type of jib being used etc.
The Jib
For determining proper jib trim and lead position I like to duck under the boom (before the start of the race) and sight up towards the clew of the jib with my eye more or less in line with the leeward cockpit coaming. What I like to see is the lowest batten turned slightly to windward of this line with the next batten pointing straight back and the top one falling off slightly. Most fibs can be set up to conform with this guide line by a combination of proper sheet trim and jib lead position both fore and aft and athwartships.
I have found recently that I can sail with my jib sheeted harder than I used to think was proper if I am careful with my steering. Most people will find that their speed to windward will increase if they tend to trim rather hard but as I just stated your helmsmanship better be excellent or your sails will be stalled a good part of the time.
If you get caught with a jib up that is too flat, particular near the luff, some relief can be gained by letting the jibstay sag. This idea isn't revolutionary but what may be, is that the leads should move outboard at the same time. If you don't, then the effect of sagging the jibstay will be similar to moving the leads inboard which would be totally wrong if you are sailing in the conditions where you need more fullness, such as rough water and/or light winds. Taking a little tension on the forestay to steady the rig is also helpful and it allows you to trim the main without having the effect of tightening the jibstay at the same time.
The Main Traveler
I have a difficult time arriving at firm conclusions regarding main traveler settings. I guess what seems to be best for me is to consider the traveler as something that needs to be experimented with constantly. A few years back the sails being built by the various sailmakers were too full down low with lots of leech twist built in as you neared the top of the sail. With this sail the traveler was nearly always in the center. Today's mainsails seem to be much flatter down low with relatively less twist allowing the sail to be sheeted tighter without over tightening the leech in the area of the lower batten. With this type of sail much more is to be gained from proper adjusting of the traveler. I guess what all this suggests is that there are reasons to adjust the traveler but I wouldn't attempt to prescribe what the settings are. In fact what seems to work one day may not work the next under what may seem to be identical conditions.
Being able to keep a Star in proper balance through the proper combination of mast bend, main and jib sheet trim, jib lead position and traveler setting is far more important than any other group of items in attaining winning speed. Unfortunately, in trying to solve this riddle, I haven't been able to find any short cuts other than spending lots of time sailing under racing conditions in a fleet of good, competitive boats. I think you have to develop a sense for when the boat is moving well then keeping it going through a wide range of conditions. I have always felt that a Star is the easiest boat in the world to steer once everything is set up properly.
The Hull
It has been stated over and over again that the hull of any racing yacht should be light, rigid, fair, and of the proper hull form to be competitive so I will try to keep from mentioning the obvious items. What isn't widely known is that there are certain peculiarities with regard to Stars that should be pointed out. For instance, the chines of a Star need particular attention. It is my belief that they should be rounded to the maximum (~2~) radius from the stem back to the area between station 7 and 8 where they should be gradually sharpened.
The Keel
The keel of a Star, being of a rather unusual shape, also has problems not encountered in other classes of boats. Without getting into a discussion about the different shapes of keels, I think that there are a few items that are important no matter whose keel you have. One is that the fin should be near minimum thickness 3/4" with the leading edge reasonably circular in shape and reaching maximum thickness about 4" back. The back end of the fin and the bulb should be tapered gradually forming relatively flat surfaces that meet to form a really sharp edge. The attitude of the keel flat seems to make some difference. It seems that for most boats a reliable measurement would be to measure 48" down vertically from the knuckle of the stem and then to sight from this point along the bottom of the keel. The keel should be in line with this mark or slightly down at the back end. It helps to be in a slightly nose_up condition for heavy air off the wind speed for some reason.
The Rudder
The rudder should be near maximum thickness (1 1/8") particularly in the area immediately below the skeg and the leading edge should be a little more parabolic in section than the keel, reaching its maximum thickness about 30% of the way back from the leading edge. The top of the rudder should be squared off and lots of attention given to making it as close as possible to the hull bottom. Some advantage might be gained with a more vertical rudder post so that the rudder can fit more closely to the hull without hitting. Another advantage with the vertical post is that the leading edge becomes more raked aft so that it catches less grass.
These are a few ideas that I have developed over the past several years. From time to time new techniques have come along and will continue to do so, that have replaced what seemed so definitive. The one thing that hasn't at least in my experience, is that the sailors who spend less time worrying about gimmicks and more time concentrating on the basics of sailing usually come out ahead.
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