Forestay tension

[allene]

Answers below:

>Are you always measuring the forestay tension with the backstay off? If not this can
>radically change the forestay tension.
I adjust the forestay tension with the backstay. The last set of measurements I took with 14 turns (1.4 inches) in addition to the fairly slack in the dock setting.


>When you measure with the same instrument in the same place on the wire do you get
>the same or different measurments? Moving the gague can induce different results, and if
>the gague is reading differently on different measurements then it isn't a calibration
>problem it is a repeatability one.
The gauges are repeatable as long as you make the measurement the way they suggest. There does seem to be some resistance in the wire so you can get different readings if you measure differently but as long as you follow the instructions, it is repeatable.

>What points of sail does this guy beat you on, all the way around the race course or just
>upwind or downwind?
He beats me upwind, my boat is faster on all other points of sail. I have pulled away from him 4 boatlengths in a mile sailing on a close reach. That makes this all the more frustrating. Our race course is mostly reaches but I lost a huge amount on the beat by being out pointed. Like I said, several reasons and I am addressing them all. This is just one factor but it is a factor.

>Is your pre-bend and rig placement right? Either of these can alter the headstay tension if
>you set it initially by length.
Not set by length. I had the initial set done by a rigger when he put the new wire on. This was done when the new mast step was put in as that raised the mast up and all the wires had to be made longer.

Allen