Correcting weather helm

[Weyalan]

For those who have runners / checkstays, cranking on plenty of runner and backstay and easing checkstay can also help flatten your main which will help with your helm. Incidentally, added runner will flatten the headsail too.

[Joli]

Originally Posted by Weyalan

For those who have runners / checkstays, cranking on plenty of runner and backstay and easing checkstay can also help flatten your main which will help with your helm. Incidentally, added runner will flatten the headsail too.

I would say ease the check though so the mast head excentric can throw the panel further forward. But like you said keep the runner on too tension the headstay.

[speedoo]

Originally Posted by Weyalan

For those who have runners / checkstays, cranking on plenty of runner and backstay and easing checkstay can also help flatten your main which will help with your helm. Incidentally, added runner will flatten the headsail too.

Not sure tensioning the runners flattens the main in all cases. What flattens the main is bending the masthead aft with the backstay and the middle of the mast forward by easing anything that moves the middle of the mast aft. Tensioning the runners would tend to reduce the mast bend IMO, and therefore reduce the flattening of the main. On the other hand, to the extent the runners are going more amidships than to the stern, tensioning them might actually pull the top of the mast down, and thus promote more mast bend. So I think it depends on the boat.

I say "not sure" because my actual experience is limited to racing a fractional rig sloop. I own a cutter rigged Peterson 44 that I have not sailed much yet, but enough to know there is a weather helm problem that I have to solve.

[Boracay]

The RORC 32 that I built had very noticeable weather helm.

It was quite a good safety feature as the boat would round up if it became overpowered.

I met the designer of the sail plan, Chris Bouzaid, at a boat show many years ago and asked him how to correct the weather helm. He suggested an extra half ton of lead on the bottom of the keel.

So it is possible that when your boat is loaded to cruising trim the weather helm may not be such a problem.

[defjef]

I have a bendy fractional rig with a tapered top and aft swept spreaders. When you crank the back stay, you pull the top of the mast aft and it curves and flattens the sail allowing you to point a bit higher, less draft in the main and a bit less weather helm.

[Charlie]

Originally Posted by speedoo

Not sure tensioning the runners flattens the main in all cases. What flattens the main is bending the masthead aft with the backstay and the middle of the mast forward by easing anything that moves the middle of the mast aft. Tensioning the runners would tend to reduce the mast bend IMO, and therefore reduce the flattening of the main. On the other hand, to the extent the runners are going more amidships than to the stern, tensioning them might actually pull the top of the mast down, and thus promote more mast bend. So I think it depends on the boat.

I say "not sure" because my actual experience is limited to racing a fractional rig sloop. I own a cutter rigged Peterson 44 that I have not sailed much yet, but enough to know there is a weather helm problem that I have to solve.

Originally Posted by defjef

I have a bendy fractional rig with a tapered top and aft swept spreaders. When you crank the back stay, you pull the top of the mast aft and it curves and flattens the sail allowing you to point a bit higher, less draft in the main and a bit less weather helm.

Two different masts two different uses for runners. On The Frac boats the runners tighten up the headstay and bend the mast. On a masthead boat with runners they give the mast less bend and more shape to the main. That is if the mast bends. Mine doesn't. I have runners to support the inner forestay if I am in big seas and have the storm stays'l up.