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TUNING GUIDE FALCON F16 GENERAL RIG SETTINGS The spreader rake and diamond tension will provide prebend in the mast. It is important that this match the cut of your sail. With the battens evenly tensioned, and the sail raised on the mast, there should be no discontinuity in the sail as you look at the pocket all the way up the sail. If the there is too little or too much bend for the sail you will see the pocket change at or near the top of the diamond wires. In severe case a wrinkle in the sail at this point may even be present. A tight rig is recommended for all wind ranges. This is particularly true when sailing sloop to prevent head stay slop on the jib. Next set your mast rotation to 45 degrees and with just the downhaul pretension or with a very small amount of additional downhaul, sheet the main sail as you would for light winds. (Centered traveler and medium light sheet tension). Look up the leeward face of the mast. There should be a smooth transition of the mast section as it flows around onto the sail. This may vary slightly as you look up the height of the sail, but should be very close throughout the middle. If there is a concave transition, your sail is likely too full. If there is a convex kink in the transition your sail is a bit flat. – You can adjust this discrepancy to a point with changes to the mast prebend, or take note of where the downhaul and mast rotation need to be set to get a smooth transition with the sail and mast. This setting would now be your starting point for optimum power. Note as you apply more downhaul tension the mast rotation needs to be pulled more towards the center to maintain the smooth transition of the sail and mast leeward face. A general rule of thumb is that if you find yourself adjusting the down haul more than 2 inches as the wind is increasing or decreasing, you should be changing the rotation setting as well. The main sail foot on the Falcon was designed to provide for automatic adjustment. The outhaul tension will automatically increase as downhaul tension is applied. Therefore it is very important that outhaul setting be made after applying downhaul tension to the sail, otherwise it is very likely the foot of the sail will be pulled out of the mast track. In light air conditions there should be some belly to the foot of the sail 1 ½” – 2”. At max downhaul tension the foot should be tight along the boom. With the Glaser sail a single knot will work for this range. Other sail cuts may require a separate stopper knot for each major wind range condition. SAIL TRIM UPWIND
As the wind increases we try to maintain the following sequence of events for conditions up to just double trapping: 1. Move the crew weight outboard Once double trapping conditions have been reached the main sheet and jib sheet tension should be very firm. The mainsheet will be eased in the gusts to maintain attitude control. As the wind conditions continue to increase we begin to do the following: 1. Increase down haul tension. In steady wind this should be set
to keep the windward hull just flying with normal main sheet tension.
If it is gusty we typically add additional tension to the downhaul
when more than an arms length of sheet is required to be released
on a regular basis to maintain control. As additional downhaul tension
is applied the top of the sail will twist off and the top windward
tells will appear stalled. All others should still be flowing. Once you have hit strong wind conditions (Typically 15-20 knots depending on your crew weight and skill) Your downhaul tension will be maxed out and the rotation should be around 15 degrees. The top several tell tales will now appear stalled; the rest should still be flowing. 1. Jib traveler will be to the outer stops. One of the keys in sailing fast up wind is to minimize the amount of motion you have in your tiller. Control the sails with your sheet to maintain boat attitude. This means anticipating and reading the shifts and pressure changes. With a performance dagger boarded boat, let the boat accelerate with the pressure changes and lift on its foils. Avoid rounding up on a gust unless it is also a lift. SAIL TRIM DOWNWIND
Normally under spin we try to maintain a slight forward apparent wind. In very light conditions it often pays to take a slightly deeper course. Once the sails fill on their own consistently, sail to the apparent wind. If there is not sufficient wind for the skipper to notice the boat accelerating, it is very important for the crew to provide feedback to the driver when they notice increases or decreases in the sheet tension. (Turning off the spin ratchets will help with this ) Downwind reducing rudder motion is not as important as maintaining consistent apparent wind. Smooth gentle motions are required though. Crew weight positioning is extremely important. As the pressure increases the boat should accelerate. If the hull flies without accelerating the crew weight needs to shift out board. It is important not to sail a line to try and fly a hull, but to sail a line that provides increased acceleration, and then adjust your crew weight position to maintain a windward hull just free of the water if the conditions warrant. As you accelerate the forward apparent wind will increase and it will be possible to head lower. If the boat begins to slow or the crew indicates less pressure on the sail, you have gone too far. 1. As the wind increases adjust crew weight out board and rearward
as necessary to maintain a horizontal trim and the windward hull
light if not just flying. Once Medium wind conditions have been reached – usually right around 10-15 knots: 1. Crew on trapeze.
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