Shore Sails - COMET TUNING GUIDE To be succesful in sailboat racing, you have to have boatspeed, We are confidant that you will find superior speed ever all conditions with your new set of Comet sails. This tuning guide has been compiled through experience gained testing and racing, When rigging your Comet, we feel that you must make an effort to KEEP IT Simple. The following is a list of the main speed controls, in their order of importance: 1. Main sheet tension/Jib sheet tension. 2. Vang (if vang sheeting), or Traveler w/normal sheeting. 3. Mast ram or Lever. 4. Cunninghan. 5. Jib Vari-luff. 6. Outhaul. RIG SETTINGS Aft edge of mast to Centerboard pin - 19 1/4" Rake (with jib up) - 21'10" Jib lead aft - 71" Jib leads off centerline - 13 3/4" Rig Tension - TIGHT Spreader length - 19 1/4" SAIL TRIM LIGHT AIR (0-8) The basic premise you should follow when sailing in light air, is to have the air pass over your sails as quickly as possible. To achieve this you must have a free leech And a fine entry. To achieve this shape, pre-bend your mast apppox. 1/2" at the deck level, using blocks or your lever. This will flatten the entry to allow the air to pass easily over the sail, and will also open the slot to prevent the air flow becoming too constricted. Avoid either over vanging or over sheeting as both will cause a tight leech. Sheet the main easily to achieve a slight twist to leeward of the top batten. Your crew should sheet the jib only enough to duplicate the twist of the main. MODERATE AIR (8-15) As the wind increases, so do the seas. For this reason you have to power up. Keep the boom as centered as your crew weight will allow, as this will allow you to point higher. Sheet the main enough to have the top batten parrallel to the boom. Sail the boat flat and do not be afraid to point the boat up into the wind in the puffs. The flatter the water, the better this technique will work to effectively make you point higher. HEAVY AIR (15 plus) Now it's time to de-power. First, pull the main outhaul on all the way. Next induce mast bend with your blocks, lever, vang, or a combination of all three. Your cunninghan and vari-luff should be pulled to their max settings to keep the draft forward in the sails. If you also set up your rig tension tighter, you will reduce jib luff sag for higher pointing as well as help the rig bend more. You may now see wrinkles running from 1/3 up the mast, back to the clew. They may look bad but are popularly termed speed wrinkles since they help de-power the lower leech. Some additional techniques which I've found successful in heavy air are: 1. Sail the boat FLAT. 2. Steer the boat through every wave. 3. Be Agressive with the main sheet.