GS 45 '92 Rigging set up help needed

[stevsail]

Hi there to all you magnificent sailor, I've been reading you for ages, and now it is time to get into the real part....
I've just bought a Grand Soleil 45 '92, amazing boat, old style manufactured with good quality material.
At the sale check the technician told me to change the fixing rig because it is 30 yrs old almost, but it is in very good shape without rust and crack anywhere.
I'd like to have some advice from the more experience sailor about their experiences and on how to set a correct rake.
Mast seems to be already raked even if the back stay is not so tensioned.
Does anyone have any reference on how much tension should I give to the shrouds, back stay , baby stay?
Many thanks in advance and if any Gs 45 owner wants to share his/her knoledge i'll be more than happy to listen to.
regards
Stef.

[psk125]

Technicians often suggest changing the standing rigging because they get sued if the rig comes down and they didn't warn you. Cracks in rigging can be microscopic, and difficult to detect even with dye tests and x-rays. Some insurers in Europe call for replacing standing rigging every ten years, though it is generally designed oversized, to allow for a safety factor and longer work life. Setting the rake depends on the boat and sails. It impacts how the boat handles and how much weather (or lee) helm the boat has. In French the term is 'ardent'. Shroud and stay tension is usually determined as a percentage of the safe working load of the wire or rod, modified so as to keep the mast shaped the way it needs to be for the sails to set properly. Again, each boat is different. Getting a rigger to go over the boat with you in person would be better than trying to guess who might be right over the Internet.

[stevsail]

Thanks Psk125, we tried to get a technician consultation but we didn't probably meet the right one.
As for the rigging, we know it is almost 30 yrs old but still in very good condition: no crack, ne rust...
we are going to sail this coming august and we would like to set the second forestay.
we currently have the front stay with furling genoa and a baby stay.
we have the option to set another forestay for the trinchetta, but it doesn't reach out to be set.
my mast is already raked back and also releasing the back stay we do not reach.
Should we think to add a forestay turnbuckle?
How much should be a medium shroud tension?
thks so much for sharing your infos.
stef

[double u]

...when cutting off a swaged eye on a (then 3 year old) Feeling 446 to install a backstay insulator, we discovered 3 or 4 of the INNER strands of the 1x19 wire broken...damage impossible to be seen from outside. There were no rust stains or anything else visible from outside that indicated any problem.
Replacing all of the standing rigging on a boat your size is costly, sure, but still much cheaper & considerably less inconvenient than losing the rig...
good rig setup-guide from Selden

[stevsail]

Thank you so much