SEAMANSHIP
Refining a rig
After helping an owner get his Jeanneau going
better to windward, David Harding returns to
see the effects of some new improvements
S
ometimes you have to be
cruel to be kind. When, back
in 2014, I saw the mainsail on
Peter Kewish’s Jeanneau
Sun Way 21, I found it hard
to be polite about it. In fact, as Peter
reminded me, I recommended it be
recycled as a dust sheet.
In the end it did rather better than that,
finding a home with someone who wanted
a nautically-themed shower curtain
complete with sail numbers. So everyone
was happy and the modest sum Peter
made from the deal went towards the one
thing without which his boat would never
sail properly: a new mainsail.
During our outing three years ago (see
PBO April 2015) we discussed many ways
in which the boat’s balance and
performance could be improved. In thespace of a couple of hours in Poole
Harbour before the rain and wind swept
in, we had limited opportunity to improve
matters but covered enough ground to
satisfy ourselves that Jenn-Oh could be
encouraged to sail a great deal better than
she had been.A problem of pointing
As with many boats, Jenn-Oh’s problem
was making upwind. She would fly along
downwind at an impressive lick, but pace
and pointing on the wind were where she
let herself down.
This had been evident in the Round the
Island Race in 2013: boats she passed
around the back of the island left her
languishing in their wakes on the long
beat to the finish. She pointed lower and
struggled for speed, carrying substantialweather helm at the same time.
Peter had been conscious that the lack
of a mainsheet traveller wasn’t helping. He
was also concerned about the way the
headsail was sheeted. Our assessment in
2014 confirmed that both these factors
presented problems.
We found other issues too – principally
that the rigging was too slack and that the
mainsail, even though we managed to
improve its shape by some judicious
tweaking, was ready for retirement.
I left Peter with a number of ideas to
consider. Most of them did, unfortunately,
involve spending money, a new mainsail
being at the top of the list.
A permanent solution was also needed
for the headsail’s sheeting arrangement
to replace our temporary fix – either that
or a new headsail of a different design
sheeted in a different way, which would
cost rather more.
Another area we addressed was how to
sheet the mainsail. Given that travellersystems can be expensive and, on a
family boat, in the way as well, I rigged up
a temporary bridle to demonstrate a
low-cost alternative.
And then there was the rigging. I rarely
find rigging that’s as tight as it should be
and on our first outing I had to set to with
the rigging tools before we could assess
the effects of any other tweaks. It’s
impossible to carry out a thorough rig
assessment when you’re under way and up
against the clock, so we did what we could
in the time, left the rake as it was and
accepted that more work would be needed.Time for an update
After our sail I spoke to some sailmakers
to see what ideas they had about the rig in
general and the headsail in particular. The
mainsail simply needed replacing,
whereas the headsail’s configuration and
sheeting arrangement called for rather
more thought. We left it that Peter would
let me know what he decided to do, on
the understanding that he wasn’t keen to
spend more than necessary. It would be
easy to invest more than the value of the
boat in making improvements.
Some owners might have done nothing
further, but Peter covers a fair few miles in
his little boat and was eager to get her
going better, so he didn’t just leave it at
that. And that’s why Peter, Jenn-Oh and I
met again on the same stretch of water
three years later.
We had more sun and no immediate
threat of wind and rain this time, but still
had to watch the time so Peter could get
back up the river and on to his mooring
before water gave way to mud.As she was: Jenn-Oh
during the Round the
Island Race in 2013,
when she struggled
on the upwind legsJenn-Oh could be
encouraged to sail
better than she had
➜