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WINDSONG GUIDE

WARNING

Windsongs are performance boats

Do not stand or kneel on there foredeck or board the boat over the foredeck

RIGGING YOUR BOAT

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  1. Mount the bowsprit and lock in place using the captive drop nose pins (located in the Mast Partner)
    Clip and tension the bobstay.

  2. Insert the mast through the aperture in the mast partner and locate the heel into the mast step.

  3. Pass the main and jib halyards through the double turning block, on the starboard side of the mast, and into the respective clam cleats.

  4. Set the jib and tension the downhaul before setting the mainsail.
    It takes practice, but play with the height of the jib so that, when fully tensioned, the jib tack is nice an low.

  5. Attach the boom to the mast.
    Clip the Tack Downhaul strop to the lower eye, under the forward end of the boom.

  6. Wrap the Boom Preventer (Bleater) around the mast and clip to the lower eye under the boom, either side of the Tack Downhaul.

  7. Attach the Kicker to the deck eye located just aft of the mast

    • Make sure that the Tack Downhaul is fully eased​

  8. Hook the Main Halyard onto the Mast Traveller.

  9. Hook the Yard Halyard Strop onto the Mast Traveller.

  10. Heave up the Mainsail to its highest extent and make fast.

  11. Tighten the Kicker.

    • The Kicker on the lug rig Does Not control sail shape.

    • The Kicker has only two purposes: To oppose the Boom Preventer (Bleater), and to prevent a Chinese

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CONTROLLING SAIL SHAPE

Sail shape is controlled through the balance of just two control lines...

 

The TACK DOWNHAUL and the CLEW OUTHAUL

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The mainsail is loose footed on the boom, which allows a better, more fluid sail shape. This means that the Clew Outhaul's adjustment is even more effective than a sail that is laced to the boom.

TACK DOWNHAUL

Orange, port side of the Centreboard Case

This is the most critical line on the boat for performance, and therefore the most important adjuster of sail shape. 

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The Tack Downhaul is used to tension the sail, pulling the creases out and providing the optimum shape - It is the most highly loaded rope in the boat

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The Tack Downhaul is adjusted via a 6:1 purchase tackle, which makes it very powerful.

CLEW OUTHAUL

Purple, under the boom, by the kicker

The Clew Outhaul is initially set, approximately, according to wind strength.

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Firm in light winds and tightened as wind strength increases.

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Fine tuning can be don on the fly

Guide To Tack Tension

MEDIUM FIRM for light winds - until the boat is moving reliably

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VERY FIRM once the boat is moving well, but is becoming difficult to sail flat.

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EXTREMELY FIRM as it starts getting harder to hold the boat upright

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When creases appear at the throat, tighten the tack downhaul until they disappear

 

If creases appear at the clew, then ease the tack.

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If creases then immediately appear at the throat or at the tack, increase the tension by re-adjusting the tack downhaul. If that doesn't do the trick, adjust the clew outhaul.

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If creases appear at the clew, ease the Clew Outhaul.

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If the Tack Downhaul is not removing creases, then transfer your attention to the Clew adjustment.​​

Although adjusting the Tack and Clew is quite straight forward, it is quite difficult to explain. So, use the above guide as your starting point. Play with the Tack and Clew adjustment and observe until you get the hang of it. There is a Telltale high on the leave, which may assist.

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For further information about setting up and tuning the lug rig, Micheal Storer, the antipodean King of the Lugger, has compiled an invaluable collection of information on the subject

HULL TRIM AND WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION

Keep the hull upright and horizontal.

In very light airs, heel the boat slightly

Do not let the boat bury her head too much, even on a beat to windward.

As the boat bears off the wind, ease the weight aft.

The optimum crew position for the helm and crew is either side of the thwart.

The crew can ease slightly forward upwind and the helm can ease slightly aft when off the wind

MAINSHEET TRAVELLER

Unlike modern Bermudan rigged boats, the kicker is not used to control mast bend and flatten the sail so Windsong uses a mainsheet track and traveller, 1970s style.

In high winds, sheet the mainsail in tight, to flatten the sail, and use the traveller to de-power the rig.

Sail the optimum course to windward and, rather than luffing, use the traveler control lines to de-power the mainsail in the gusts.

Reefing Your Windsong

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"IF YOU THINK YOU OUGHT TO PUT A REEF IN, THEN PUT A REEF IN AND HAVE A CUP OF TEA"

THERE IS NO SHAME IN REEFING!

In fact, by putting in a reef, you are balancing your crew weight to the wind strength

In high winds, you will maintain stability and have better control, thereby sailing faster and safer

Windsong has the ability to put up to two reefs in the mainsail

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To Reef:

  1. Lower the mainsail

  2. Un-cleat the Clew Outhaul

  3. Clip the Clew Outhaul to the reef crinkle at the leach

  4. Move the Tack clip to the reef crinkle at the luff

  5. Roll up the excess sail and tidy by tying with the reef pennants 

  6. Tighten the Clew Outhaul

  7. Haul up the mainsail

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DO NOT

Tie the reef pennants around the boom​

INSTEAD​

Tie the reef pennants around the foot of the sail only

By not taking the reefed mainsail all the way up to the masthead, you will lower the centre of gravity, for easier control

Bear in ,mind that reefing does alter helm balance

If you think you need to put two reefs in the mainsail, you would probably be better off changing to the CAT RIG OPTION and reefing from there.

Changing from Sloop

to the Single Sail

(Cat Rig) Option 

1. Lower the sails.

2. Remove and stow the Jib.

3. Unclip the Bobstay, remove and stow the Bowsprit assembly.

4. Unhook the Yard from the Mast Traveller.

5. Detach the Kicking Strap from behind the mast.

6. Move the double halyard turning blocks to their forward position.

7. Step the Mast in the Forward Position.

8. Attach the Kicking Strap to the fast point just aft of the forward mast position.

9. Re-attach the Boom to the Mast with the Bleater and attach the forward Tack Downhaul Strop to the boom.

10. Hook the Yard onto the Mast Traveller.

11. Move the Mainsheet jamming block to the forward position, on the centreboard case.​

12. Heave up the Mainsail, set the Kicker, and get underway.

SAILING TIPS

WINDWARD SAILING

While luggers don't point as high to windward as the Bermudan rig, they do have power.

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Don't over pinch when beating to windward, keep the power on and sail for speed rather than height. Snicker to windward, using boat speed, but no pinching.

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The distance sailed may be a bit longer but speed will be greater.

Use the mainsheet traveller to bring the close hauled boom towards the centreline and play it until you feel some lee helm and then ease off slightly.

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DOWNWIND & THE ROLL OF DEATH

One of the advantages of the lugger is that the mainsail, particularly the yard, can be allowed to set well forward of the mast when sailing on a run. allows a balancing escape route for the wind in gusty conditions.

 

This, along with adjusting your weight aft, increases downwind stability.

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An added advantage is that you can sail slightly by the lee. Useful when sailing downwind in a narrow channel.

Weight Distribution

BEATING TO WINDWARD

Ease the crew weight forward but don't over do it. Burying the stem too much will increase resistance and reduce boat speed

SAILING OFF THE WIND

Ease the crew weight aft to the thwart

Ease the helm weight aft but don't over do it and bury the transform

DO NOT BURN THE TRANSFORM

Too much weight aft will cause excessive drag from the transform

The boat will want to lift onto the plane naturally. So rather than forcing the bow up, help her by easing the weight aft gently to find that sweet spot

PUTTING THE BOAT TO BED

Wash down thoroughly with fresh water, including sails and spars

IMPORTANT

Relieve the tension on the Clew Outhaul

Keep sails under tension, when not in use, deforms the sail shape and shortens their life

Detach the jib

Slacken the tension on the bobstay

Unclip the Bleater and Tack Downhaul Strop from the mast

CLOSE THE SELF BAILERS

This should have been done before putting the boat onto the launching trolley

Reset the Tack Downhaul by un-cleating and pulling the forward block towards the mast.

This can also be done by pulling out the Tack Downhaul Strop as you detach it from the boom

The boom and sails can then be stowed.

Flake the sails loosely, avoiding hard folds and creases.

Once dry, fit the cover

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HAVE FUN

HAVE FUN

AND ENJOY

AND ENJOY

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