How much Halyard tension is too much?

I've always understood that the jib halyard on the 16 is what really powers up the boat. But I think that my "understanding" of what tight actually is has gotten tighter and tighter to the point of too much. Today I was having trouble sheating, and when I let out a 1 1/2 to 2 inches it was much easier. I can go block to block fairly easily and still get a good shape out of the main. The boat prior to the change on the water felt kind of unresposive, and not lively. After the change the boat accelerated better going to weather and there seemed to be less weather helm, everything altogether felt much better. I've been just setting this on feel, I never remember to bring a sharpie for the days when the boat just feels right and mark it.

I've also been getting what looks like almost excesive bend in the mast espescially at the joint where the comp tip meets the mast. Once in a while, but I think this is too much downhaul, the mast will want to counter rotate as well.

I'm trying to work out a few kinks in my boat setup as well but are you using an aussie halyard???

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Happy Sailing,

David

Hey Karl go easy on all that practicing before the Muddy waters regatta.You have to be a gracious host and let us Canucks look fast.Less then two weeks away can't wait

Davidbell - Aussie Halyard.

Mike - I don't know. I gotta bring it this year. Everyone else decided I'm outta B fleet. So I really got learn how to dial this thing in well.

The 16's jib halyard doesn't need to be ultra tight - that inhibits mast rotation and will put undesirable pre-bend in the mast.

Before people jump in and start talking about forestay sag - the mainsheet controls that. Think about it - going upwind, the forestay, weather shroud and mainsheet are the three points that support the mast. The leeward shroud is always slack.

Lots of downhaul also makes the mast hard to rotate, by putting pre-bend in the mast. It has to straighen out to rotate past center, so it wants to stay to one side or the other.

I think I went from one extreme to the other. When I first started sailing I think I was too loose. The jib halyard and the downhaul are the only things that I change but I get such a wide variety in performance. Some days I'm rockin' other days it just feels like I'm bobbing around the lake.


The physics of sailing is a borderline mystery to me.