The Big Things by John Needs
These are my ideas. I always think of prioritising what to do or change on a boat as the ‘big things’ and the ‘little things’. I think like this so that I don’t waste effort or time on the little things (which can be more fun) until the big things are dealt with. Take what is helpful and throw the rest.
Hull
This sounds too simple but the hull has to be basically fair and smooth. It also has to be about the right weight...I reckon 360kg +/- 20kg maybe 25 at a stretch. Whilst lots of people think that 10 or 15 kgs is simply a few extra beers and pies, I think this is probably an excuse because all other things being equal.... with the same sail size and breeze...the lighter boat will usually win. All the top boats are close to or underweight so if you want to compete with these...you need to be somewhere there too. Whilst some people like Neil go for a mirror finish, at our level of sailing I’m not convinced this is necessary...but there must be no rough or uneven surfaces under water. Anything obvious like paint runs or screw dents are obvious problems. Alloy rubbing strips on the bottom are likely to lift over time.
Foils
Rudder and Centreboard together make close to ¼ of underwater surface area. Clean and smooth. Galmet gloss on an iron board is good but probably only lasts a season without attention. The other thing is that the iron board should be straight. Boards do warp or perhaps they weren’t straight in the first place. High and low spots (use a straight edge) clearly also should be faired.
Mast
Is the mast straight...look up the sail track. Side to side is also important as it will have an impact when you try to get it to work in different breezes. Main and jib halyards should exit front or rear of mast only. Side exits have an unpredictable impact on the ability of the mast to fall off or kick to windward...learned this the hard way on the glass boat.
Boom
I like the fat section because it doesn’t need strengthening to stop it bending too much. I don’t think it matters a great deal as long as your sail-maker cuts the foot to match the type of boom you are going to use. I’ve seen Bill Binks pull the bottom out of a bendy boom/sail combo and seen Craig use the mast section boom to an equally dominant effect. My thinking is a smaller crew combo might do better with the big boom and flatter foot and vice versa.
Sails
Boat won’t go if they’re no good. Equally, they probably don’t need to be new each year. If well looked after, 1½ to 2 years seems OK for a jib and 2 to 3 years seems OK for a main. In Sydney there is probably only two sail-makers to choose from...go with whoever is going to help you more.
Controls
Sounds obvious, but really important. In ‘small things’ you’ll worry about how much leverage, advantage, ratio’s etc to have on each control but for now anything that gets touched, played with, or adjusted during a race has to be really easy to do, in a panic, if necessary. If you can’t do this then it is effectively a control you don’t have at all after the ten minute gun. Vang, Cunningham, Outhaul, Rig Tension are good examples of this.
Marks and Notes
If you have marks on the boat’s major controls, even if you do no more than make notes after a good race, at least you will be able to reproduce those settings. Otherwise a good day on the water is nothing more. Do a good day over and over and you start winning things. Also as importantly, if you are using your good settings and you have a shocker then you both had a shocker...nothing more...not time for a new boat/sails.
If you’ve got this much right then it’s a good start, and as far as boat/equipment is concerned it’s only the little things to go, and then all you have to do is use it the right way.