Racing - general Hi

Hi...........would like to generate some dialogue with racing enthusiasts........anyone in?

actually there is something I want to know, is it safe to put a horn cleat on the mast for the jens rig? by safe I mean that the mast wont break

Matius..............the use of one cleat on the mast is class legal.............it is intended for the halyard............the Jens is technically to be tied off at the eye of the top of the mast with half hitches...........the 4' piece of 1/4" line recommended for the Jens I have found to be a bit long.............uncertain about the safety aspects of this application ...........perhaps another viewpoint would be helpful.............dennis

The attachment of a horn cleat is legal (as long as its no more than 4ft from the bottom). Also it is "safe". The cross sectional area taken out when drilling holes for a attachment is tiny compared to the cross sectional area of the the mast. Use a 4" cleat and self tapping SS screws.

There are several variations of jens rig. Sometimes the horn is used for jens line, sometimes it is used for the halyard and sometimes both lines use the horn. This all depends on personal preference.

One huge benefit of using the cleat for the halyard, is that i takes some stresses of the deck of the boat. Picture this: When rigging the halyard normally one is essentially pushing the mast into the hull while simultaneously pulling up on the deck. Using a truckers hitch and ones weight to get the halyard tight can put large stresses on the boat. It is not uncommon for decks to separate at the mast step because to this design. The use of the mast cleat eliminates this problem

Thanks dennis and fbjru I will try both setups and ill tell you later wich one Fits better my needs, I sail in Paracas, Paracas ia a bay 300km south of Lima, Perú and it has average winds of 25 kts so I always need a jens rig

A cleat on the mast is a great addition to a racing rig. A horn cleat with an eye opening of some kind is advised (for purchase). Ask away!

Here's a look at a mast cleat example...

Wavedancer said:

As a follow up to the original question from dbstoner, discussion of racing issues is encouraged. The Forum is fortunate in having several knowledgeable racers among its members.

Regarding Jens rigs, about a year ago we had a lengthy discussion of the newfangled 'one-string' modification, better known as the Gust Adjust:

http://www.sunfishforum.com/showthread.php?t=28208

Note to Matias: Wish I could sail in such winds once in a while. I sure need the practice...

Click to expand...

Wavedancer...........would love to hear and see more about the "Gust Adjust"......
dbstoner

dbstoner said:

Wavedancer...........would love to hear and see more about the "Gust Adjust"......
dbstoner

Click to expand...

that is a link to the video of how to rig a gust adjust