Mast rotation

[Bradk]

hi Guys

having just bought a 5.8 and not really understanding what mast rotation does or doesnt do . only having sailed a windrush and a hydra any help in understanding this would be great.

thanks

[Claws]

Hi,

I am new to Nacra too, infact, my new boat, a 5.8, is yet to hit the water!

My son and I rigged our boat in the back yard the other day, as a dry run. The previous owner said he did not worry about the mast rotation, and whilst it is all fitted, did not set it up and use it.

I found an article somewhere on this forum that describes it. Basically, one can rotate the mast the fine tune the leading edge of the sail to make it more aerodynamic. (I am a pilot in my "spare time" when I am not sailing, so I can see how this works)

However, when we rigged our boat the other day, I noticed that the mast rotated on it's own accord quite well with shifts in wind direction on the sail. I would assume that unless one is dong some serious racing, and wanted to get every bit out of the boat, that connecting up the mast rotation system is possibly not necessary, and just let it find its own angle depending on sail position.

Happy sailing.

Claws

[REV YUKKA II]

you only really use it when you are tacking down wind, you need to put it at 90 dec so it in line with the main beam. be carful to let it off before tacking as it can break your mast in half if you don't. some use it to also depower the boat up wind in heavy breeze. i have never used it up wind and when club racing don't even hook it up. (just one less rope to confuse crew). samw as i don't use barborhals when club racing.

[Bradk]

thanks for the help . can u just lock the mast in the center and leave it there or will that slow the boat down ? Claw u picked a bugger of a place to go sailing i can only hope that they have done some road works out to the lake since the last time i was there .

[Village Idiot]

don't lock it in the center ,just let it float and find it's own position,,I rarly use the rotation controls only going down wind in light to moderate conditions..

[warbird]

The Hydra has a rotating mast but it was early and not very sophistocated. The Hydra was fitted with a stop to set the mast in its rotated position up wind. Many sailors would have removed this stop once it was found that over rotating was advantageous.

The tear drop shape of the extrusion and the rotation of it allows the wind to "join" the outside edge of the sail and stay conected. With the round section of your Windrush the early part of the outside of the sail was just spoiled air.

Boom fitted boats have more control of the placement of the mast section. Superwing masts like the Tiapan use have to be set carefully for full advantage. Telltales near the luff of the sail dictate where to set the mast. A boom fitted boat with an over rotator will actually force it past the 90 degrees.

Boomless boats have a self setting system up wind. If you run the inhaul as far forward as possible and pull hard on the mainsheet this has the effect of limitting the rotation. Iin some instances the mast wil over rotate going up wind and the air will break away form the sail.

The rotation device fitted to boomless Nacras is an over rotation device so that the mast can be forced to the 90 degree angle for downwind sailing.

Cheers

\

Originally posted by Village Idiot:

don't lock it in the center ,just let it float and find it's own position,,I rarly use the rotation controls only going down wind in light to moderate conditions..

[warbird]

yes it would have that affect.

w

Originally posted by Bradk:

thanks for the help . can u just lock the mast in the center and leave it there or will that slow the boat down ? Claw u picked a bugger of a place to go sailing i can only hope that they have done some road works out to the lake since the last time i was there .

[Claws]

Bradk

Bitumen all the way to the water line now!! Even with the dam at 50%, there is still enough water to have a great time.

Claws