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If you sail on a lake or in light conditions anywhere it is the most important indicator. I also use it for gybing angles downwind.
Wind direction in light conditions frequently is at a different angle than lower down where most shroud indicators are located…ramifications for mainsheet and twist settings.There are some people who still think that a mast wind indicator is useful. It is very difficult to guage downwind wind angles from shroud ribbons and impossible to know when the wind direction is significantly different at the mast to the direction at waterlevel. This becomes very important in light conditions both at sea or on lakes and rivers.
Phillip Johnson
1644Hi Alan,
Glad to hear you have joined in the fun of Sabre sailing. I go reasonably well in heavy weather, so I thought I’d share my thoughts on making a Sabre go fast in these conditions.
1. Rig tension: I don’t have a Loos gauge (I’ve made my own rig tension gauge, but how it calibrates to the Loos settings I don’t know!), so I can’t help you with specific settings, but I can tell you that I sail with a very tight rig all the time. The more rig tension you use, the more mast bend you get when you apply mainsheet or vang tension since the mast is already under a compression load. How much tension you actually use depends mostly on your mast-sail combination and is a balancing act between upwind and downwind sailing. A fuller sail will probably benefit from a higher rig tension so that it flattens more for upwind. Beware of too much tension because when you go downwind all that happens is the vang bends the mast sideways too much which gives you a very flat sail and little leech control! I use the same rig tension for all wind conditions (so does the national champ, Wayne Bates. Wayne is heavier than me, so he doesn’t use anywhere near as much rig tension).
2. Heavy air sail trim: everything should be on very tight, except the outhaul and the traveller. The downhaul should be on to the bottom black band (make sure the sail hasn’t sagged down from the top black band though!). The vang should be on so hard that the sail is just on the edge of inverting due to overbend on the bottom half. You are using vang sheeting in heavy conditions, so the mainsheet really only controls the in/out movement of the sail. The outhaul should be on tight, but not so tight that you pull a crease in the bottom of the sail. Particularly in waves, I find that a little bit of shape is still needed in the bottom of the sail so there is still a gap of about 1.5 – 2 inches between the boom and the sail at its deepest point. However, if you are a real lightweight I’d pull it on as hard as I can get it! The traveller doesn’t really do much on a Sabre, most of the good skippers have it set fairly high in all weather. Just make sure that in the lulls you can get enough mainsheet tension to stand the leech up if necessary.
3. Centreboard: I don’t raise the centreboard when going upwind. The Sabre centreboard is relatively short and very thin board. I find that if I raise it a bit, I start making too much leeway and can’t point as high as other boats. Most of the time I have the centreboard in the front of the centrecase and I use a piece of shock-cord to ensure it is vertical. When it is really windy letting the board rake aft balances the boat a bit better.
4. Steering technique: The most important thing is to always keep the boat FLAT and moving. The centreboard is small, thin and flat so it is easy to stall it. Similarly, the bow of the boat is very full so it tends to slam into waves. So don’t concentrate on height, concentrate on keeping the boat FLAT and moving. If you have good speed, good height will generally follow because the centreboard will be working better – otherwise you get a good dose of the slow, sideways bob-up-and-downies! You can also help the boat in waves by steering up and leaning back as you punch through a wave, then bear away and lean forwards as you go down the back of it.
5. If you were in 20-25 knots you were doing well getting only 25% backwinding. When the wind is that strong you can’t use all the sail upwind so flatten it as much as you can, sheet in as much as you can handle, and let the rest flap. You might benefit from a stiffer top batten. I use a Hooper sail and these seem to need 2-3 pound battens. Irwin sails use stiffer battens, but I don’t know what weight. I have found it best to use the same battens in all conditions.
Will we see you at Eden for the Nationals?
Alan Riley
Sabre 1564My understanding is that basically if it is not covered in the rules and building notes then it is not allowed. There is no mention of fixed rudders in the rules.
Andy,
BRYC conduct thur racing – 6:00 or 6:30pm start and there are usually are number of sabres participating. Not sure when it commences, but I think it is once daylight saving commences.The number should be engaved or carved into the keel just forward of the transom at least 40mm high. Painting is not sufficient as the markings are required to be permanent.
Phillip Johnson
National MeasurerAnyone may enter a National or state championship as long as –
1) Your boat has an “A” class measurement certificate.
2) The sail and foils to be used in the championship have been measured by your State Measurer in the current sailing season.
3) You are a current financial member of your State Sabre Association.
4) You are a member of an AYF affiliated yacht/sailing club.This web site contains contact information for measurement and membership. Use the online membership form within your State (ACT is part of NSW for membership purposes) to register your details.
A Notice of Race is currently being prepared by the NSW Sabre Assoc who are the host state for the 2004 Nationals. It will be published on this site and a printable version will be available. The NOR will be mailed to those without e-mail access.
Andrew,
Plot the relationship between the Australian Grand Prix and the Sabre Titles and the Long Weekend.
When the grand Prix is on the long weekend the Sabre numbers are down.
When the Grand Prix isn’t on the long weekend the Sabre States are well attended.
We had this discussion at the McCrae titles in 1997, trying to anticipate whether to change the Titles to another weekend other than the long weekend.
Fortunately for some years recently the GP has moved to the weekend after the long weekend and the numbers were strong.
Unfortunately this year the GP moved back to the long weekend and the numbers were down.
Now with 8 years of experience we should be able to make an informed decision about the suitability of the Long Weekend being used for the State Titles.Hello,
We are currently in discussion with clubs for the States for 2005. A firm decision has not yet been made. As soon as it is all signed up it will be posted on the website.
Regards
Fiona
(Sabre Vic President)Thanks John, I’ll have a good look at what you recomended.
I get the feeling this is going to turn into a long term project to get it done properly, so I am currenlty still researching costs, time to complete, brush or spray etc before I dive in.
I appreciate your input.
UV resistance isnt really necessary unless you intend to leave the boat upside down in the sun. The idea is good but use a varnish that can be removed easily and completely (soft) when you come to do the final finish. Try to use a varnish that will be compatible with the final finish in case you miss removing some of it.
If you are using 2 pack finish it is probably best not to use an oil based varnish. I used a water base interior varnish (Acrylic ?) in the same situation when my final coats where 2 pack (Epoxy)John Dixon
If you sand back to raw wood an epoxy sealer/preservative like International Everdure or Bote Cote thinned with their thinning agent can be used. These products penetrate the ply and contain a preservative that stops rot.
If you use these products you should check that the paint you use is compatible with them.
There are many choices for the top coat of paint and the nuumber of coats is dependant on the characteristics of the paint, method of application and the finish you require.Usually 1 litre will cover the hull (sprayed).
If you indicate the exact products you will be using, the method of application an the finish you you require i can give more specific advice
John Dixon
If you watch the top boats they have one thin g in common. In almost all conditions – (except for very very very light) they sail the boat flat. If the boat is heeled then the shape becomes asymetrical. This causes the boat to want to round up. What you do is pull the helm up a bit to sail it straight. The end result is a HUGE amount of drag on the rudder and the boat goes slower. Unfortunately all this drag makes you think the boat is going faster as you can now feel the water moving past the rudder blade as the water moves past it. To increase this feel instinct tells you to heel more and as a consequence you go slower. With the water turbulence you also tend to drift sideways hence not pointing.
I agree with what has been said beforeabout pointing but there is another quirk that comes about. What is important is the relative wind not the actual wind. so if you are going faster you have a higher relative wind speed and can go faster. So you need to keep up speed to windward if you are going to point high. Boy does this get confusing.
A number of things you can do is this.
– Balance rake and step position
– set the vang so that the top leach telltail strams about 90% of the time. (This will mean the leach is as tight as it can be without causing turbulance and loss of height and speed)
– Sail the boat FLAT and when you think it is flat sail it flatter.
– Practice and Practice so that you can keep it flat and quickNever claim you are too light as Maree Early and David Wood are both in the 60kg or just above division and both finish towards the top in a breeze.
Stephen Early 1437
