File - Canadian Wayfarer Association

All your numbers and settings regarding mast and spreaders and rig tension are basically only a
means to getting this desired sail shape. In the final analysis, nothing else really matters.
Former Fireball World Champion, Joan Ellis, once said that all their rig changes across the
spectrum of conditions were simply aimed at making sure their sail kept the shape the sailmaker
designed for it. In Wayfarers, I would suggest that it is necessary to make slight adjustments
to the basic shape as follows:
1 when consistently overpowered: flatten the sail but keep the even curve. To do this, you
use the vang to bend the mast more than usual (4 to 6") and then add sufficient main
cunningham to drag the draft back forward until your fore/aft curve is even 9 .
2 when sailing in difficult steering conditions: sail with a draft further forward shape to
create a larger, more forgiving steering groove. This is usually done by underbending the
mast and/or adding lots of cunningham.
How the aforementioned is achieved on “Shades “
Our spreaders are 50,8 cm (1’8”) long, measuring from the side of the mast to the inside edge of
the shroud, and their fore/aft angle is adjustable by means of the blue Proctor spreaders with
the wing-nut bolt at the inboard end. Mast bend of 5 à 7,5 cm (2 - 3”) at spreader height makes
our main set in the desired shape under average conditions. We measure the bend by means of
inch marks (indelible magic marker) going out from the aft edge of the luff rope at spreader
height, and coloured whipping thread stretched from the masthead to the gooseneck with a loop
of shock cord at the lower end 10 . I’m not good at judging stuff like draft position and sight up
the sail using a little plastic gizmo called a Sailscope put out by North Sails as part of their
North U. Fast Course which has a grid marked on it (see image below). (I bought a couple of
these separately as spares from the North Sails loft in Toronto in the early 90's but am not
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also see the stuff about spreaders, it is easy to let the mast bend too easily which decreases
leech tension and kills pointing!)
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Al Schönborn’s note: This system is my own invention: Using indelible black magic marker, put
four “inch-marks” on the luff of the sail at spreader height, starting at the luff rope. Fasten
about 18-19’ of coloured whipping thread to/near the aft edge of the top of the mast. Tie a 6”
loop of thin shock cord to the other end. The thread should be of such a length as to put some
tension on the thread once the shock cord is looped around the gooseneck or its wingnut. We do
this so that the thread runs down the starboard side of the mainsail. With this system, we can
adjust mast bend (spreader angle mostly) out on the water before the race(s). We then sail
close-hauled on starboard and see which inch-mark the thread passes. In medium airs, our
mainsail has its max. draft nicely at 50% aft when we have 2-3” of mast bend. Other sails may
be slightly different.
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