Two more questions: rig tension and registration numbers

Hi, two more things as I try to learn...

1. Rig Tension

I've read a lot of posts about the Wave liking a slack rig (one post said to grab a shroud and rotate your hand 90 degs!) but I've also seen some recent posts that suggested a bit more tension is needed. I want to make sure I'm doing it right.

When I first got the boat (it was new) I set the front adjuster in the 2nd hole down and set the side adjusters as low as I could, while my wife pulled the halyard as instructed. After that, I have left the side adjusters alone but when I raise the mast before each sail (I trailer), I can only get the front pin into the top hole on the forestay adjuster. So I'm one hole looser at the front.

I'm hoping that is OK. It would be hard to re-rig the side adjusters each time, especially solo with no one to pull the mast over.

Does it sound OK?

2. Registration Numbers

I bought a Shoreline Marine letter kit from Amazon but I read that the Wave hulls are a type of plastic that doesn't hold stickers well. I saw a recommendation to use 3M Primer 94, which I bought. I just want to make sure that's safe to use and also that it's the best way to get the numbers to stay on.

Thanks.... Andy

Making a rather comprehensive effort to get the best performance out of the Wave for the purpose of racing, safety considerations and overall desiring to get the best out of it, there are just a couple of things that seem to have paid off for me. Rig tension is one of the things I've toyed with. While everybody has their own theories and there seem to be a lot of ways one can go, I'm of the opinion that a snug rig is best. With that said, it also seems that the boat performs best with a healthy amount of mast rake. With the amount of differing opinions and theories, I can see that we can de-rig the boat easily amongst each other by following any of these ideas. Mast rake will, with a stock set of shrouds, make the rig loose. I rake the mast so that the clew of the mainsail is about 12 inches from the rear crossbar. This usually requires two chainplates on the forestay or a ten hole at least. Get the rig snug so there is no danger of the mast base popping off the step in a rigorous sail in breeze. To avoid this possibility I had to shorten the shrouds about 5 inches. With the rig snug, the boat just seems more responsive to me. I also recommend getting the sail head as close to the masthead as possible and replace the fiddle block mainsheet system with low profile blocks. Also, no cleat on that system so one can keep constant control of the mainsail's position as the optimum groove for sailing raked is quite fussy and narrow. It takes practice to maintain the groove and is impossible when cleated. Having to steer the boat to keep in the groove slows things down. Without cleating, the mainsheet can be continually adjusted to the groove, maintaining better forward progress. One can also feel the puffs as the sheet tensions up as well as release ones hold on the sheet in a hard puff, avoiding capsize in heavy airs. Home lake here is Lake Mead and it is known for it's strong gusts which we call 'poltergusts'. In a day of 20 or so the Wave sails fast and is an extreme sailing machine. However, one must always be ready for the 30+puffs in that kind of wind here.
Finally, since I race the boat in HCA sanctioned events, there are strict rules to abide by. Add ons the to the boat such as travellers, headsails kits, aftermarket sails and some other things are prohibited and protestable in racing within the class. On the other hand, if recreational sailing is what you're into, then have at whatever accessories you wish.

I feel that a raked mast and snug rig performs on the order of 5 to 10% faster than the conventional setup, and seems to be safer in high wind conditions.

Just to complete this for future reference. I used the 3M primer and it didn't seem to have any negative effect, so I guess it is safe to use. Whether it helped with adhesion is hard to tell since I didn't do any "control" sample without it to check the difference.

Concerning rig tension, the tension you perceive on the beach in not what you will see when the mast/sail is under load. No matter how tight you try to get it on the beach you will find the lee side stay flops when sailing. All components of the boat (hulls, beams, mast, stays) all flex and soften the lee stay. Your mast is only held up by the forestay and windward stay. When sailing downwind you may see the forestay flopping as the two sidestay are doing all the work.

The Wave racers like to have a VERY loose rig which allows the mast to sag back and to lee for greater speed. This scares me as the mast bangs badly in boat wakes and might jump off the ball in a capsize unless you tie it or leave the pin in.

Bottom line? Beach rig tension is not very relevant.

Now, how to tension it? Chainplate? 7-hole? 10-hole? NEITHER! Dump the chainplate and pin arrangement. Use a short line and tie a "Portuguese turnbuckle". Cheap, fast, no pins, any length, any tension, strong, and easy to solo. No brainer.

Read my post under the thread called "Suggestions needed for dropping/stepping mast on water".

PTB is a great alternative. I love the concept, though it will be outside HCA racing rules. Nevertheless, I've got some reasons to use it in the reacreational venue. More speed trials. Haha!

Why do you say that? Reading the only rules concerning forestay and adjusters I find:

5.2 Additional shroud adjusters may be added to the forestay bridle.
What prohibits me from using 3 feet of line as a "shroud adjuster"?

5.3 The clevis pin and ring on the forestay and/or shroud adjuster, as provided by HOBIE CAT CO., may be replaced by a quick-release pin or shackle.
Does 5.3 define the ONLY allowed replacement for forestay equipment? This only defines replacing clevis pin and ring.


Given that 99% of all Wave hours are recreational I'd say the line turnbuckle is a real solution to many of the comments about hard mast stepping and chainplate/shroud adjuster replacement.

shroud adjusters are chain plates by definition but if you were racing against me I wouldn't care, as I believe most wouldn't other than the occasional rule geek, which I have maybe seemed like with the comment. Whenever I race and somebody shows up with modifications that violate the rules I always say go ahead. I've raced against Waves with travelers, jib kits and other things and have never had a problem with it and about the only thing I 'might' protest would be an aftermarket sail. Truly, I really do like the 3 feet of line concept. No real problem. I am sorry if I caused offence.

Hey, no problem. It's all good. I don't race Waves but unfortunately I often have to struggle with Opti, Laser, 420, and Sunfish class rule interpretations. I did not know there was a definition of a shroud adjuster other than "that which adjusts a shroud".

This line turnbuckle solves the problem of solo stepping, tensioning and on the water mast lowering (like at a bridge). I can only say I use it every time I sail and it works perfectly. I hope the idea may help someone else.

As before, i intend to use it a lot. Have been doing some speed testing on the boat and need a reliable tensioner for the forestay. The concept seems perfect for my purposes. There is a conventional wisdom out there in the Wave racing that a loose rig is best, but i've yet seen evidence of that. Mostly, I've seen dismasting as a problem when the rig is loose. Thanks for putting the picture up.