[alejandroe14]

Given the interest in the rule changes (over 1000 views) it would be great if someone would clarify exactly what the changes mean especially change no. one.
eg do you have to have a towel rail?
Can you use an alternative means of securing the vang purchase to the boom ie lug or webbing strap?
Given the Nationals coming up it would be good to get some clarity.

Cheers
matt
1697
Zahir

[alejandroe14]

Hi Matt

I too seem to have trouble raising the mast . I have tried the way suggested by Phill but seem to have to strain….getting old!
Another way i have found works well for me is to attach one side stay and the forestay(but about 50 mm looser than where it finishes up).
You then lift the mast up from the side, putting the base into the step as it comes upright. Having the forestay looser allows the mast to flop over and sit there by itself on the two stays. Then it is easy to walk around, connect the other side stay and then tighten forestay. I had to try a few times to get the forestay length just right but is now marked with texta and i find it real easy. Where it doesn’t work so well is when the rigging area is small and the boats are close beside each other.
Lowering is easy using Phill,s method. Something about the way my muscles work i think.

Matt Westland
1697
Zahir.

[alejandroe14]

Hi Eliza,
I’m not an expert but will have a go.
Moving the board foward will give you more weather helm.
Moving the board aft will give you more lee helm.

If you move both mast and board together in the same direction the boat will still be balanced……except if you start to move them a significant distance. This is because the hull itself provides some lateral resistance which is combined with the c/board to give the total lateral resistance.

My experience with dinghies suggests sliding the c/board foward in light winds helps give a little more weather helm to make the boat climb upwind.
In heavy air move it back to minimise the excessive weather helm which occurs when the front part of the sail is luffing.
But then again I’m new to Sabres and others may know better.
Matt.
1697
Zahir.

[alejandroe14]

As a new Sabre sailor the proposals seem fine to me. The requirement for a plate and key type vang fitting on the boom which costs over $40 is only adding to the cost of a new Sabre when a simple rope or webbing loop will work better with less corrosion.
Similarly the requirement for mainsheet blocks of a max. size is an outdated requirement. Large blocks were fashionable for a time to reduce friction before roller bearing blocks became available.
If the intent of the rule is to keep costs low the rule (if you are going to have one) should also restrict blocks to plain bearings.
Here’s hoping for some changes that will keep the Sabre cheap to build.

Matt.
1697
Zahir

[alejandroe14]

Thanks for the info Mike. I wasn’t trying to alter the rocker but rather to check it fitted in the rules. The template shapes i used for my previous Sabre made the rocker come out very close to to tolerance.
Thanks again.
matt.
1697
Zahir

[alejandroe14]

Thanks for the clarification Alan. I had meant 8:1 vang. I have tried the 1:1 on the main downwind and kept getting into trouble with one rope slipping . I have since discovered washing up gloves which give outstanding grip so I should try it again.
Just as an aside I had rigged my boat with the vang lead routed via the centrecase onto the side deck. I have recently removed this and just have cam cleats on the bulkhead. This has been a great improvement-more space in light winds, less accidental uncleating and easier to give it a good yank as needed.

Cheers
Matt
1697
Zahir

[alejandroe14]

Hi Liam
Another way of helping is to use some silicon spray on the luff of the sail. This will also make hauling it up easier. Caution though as the stuff has the ability to go everywhere making things slippery when you want them to stick.

Cheers
matt.
1697
Zahir

[alejandroe14]

Good point Alan. I always enjoy your posts as you are consise and informative. I suspect that I wasn’t using enough vang tension to control the leech. I have since upped the ratio to the 6:1 allowed with vectran lines for better control.
To explain to Andy re “reversing the mainsheet” the trick is to hold the main sheet from the first pulley off the boom which will give you quick response and 2:1 ratio. When going upwind again you can grab the sheet from the ratchet block to get 4:1 purchase again.

Cheers
matt
1697
Zahir

[alejandroe14]

I tried the off boom sheeting upwind in 25knots (accidently as ratchet block shackle failed). It turned out to be real slow as the boom is pulled in too close to the centreline without enough leech pressure. Unlike Sabres , skiffs have very powerful vangs which hold all the leech tension.
Down wind is a different proposition as less vang is needed and off boom sheeting will work on a Sabre. Just depends on preference.

matt
1697 Zahir

[alejandroe14]

Re Cruiser class

At first thought this seems a good idea. It might help get some of the heavier sailors sailing again. However comparing it with the NS14 doesnt seem valid. They have this group due to the design development aspect of the class ie older boats are just slow and have lost their value as top boats. This allows budget sailing in the cruiser class which is a good thing. The Sabre differs in that it is much more a one design. A 10 year old boat which is minimum weight and well built ie no bumps will be just as fast as a brand new Sabre.
When it comes to skipper weight the Sabre is quite weight tolerant as you can buy fatter sails to suit heavier skippers unlike other boats like Lasers which have a very limited weight range. The current OZ champ is over 80 kg and seems to go okay.
Maybe a cruiser class for Sabres ought be the combined weight of skipper and boat. Say 45kg for boat and 85 for skipper giving a Cruiser class for over 130s. Then again Sabre sailors don’t seem to care much for complicated stuff.

Matt
1679
Zahir

[alejandroe14]

Hi Ronny
Yes Steve does make a good sail. His workmanship is excellent. He is also very helpful and willing to help get the best performance from sails. I too had good service from Steve when i sailed Mirrors.Having said that there is a lot of stuff about which sailmaker is best. Top sailors can easily start a trend towards a particular maker as people believe because someone is fast it must be the sail. I reckon people like Wayne Bates and Alan Riley would be able to sail fast with an onion sack.

Cheers
matt.

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