RL 24

RL 28

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RL24, RL28, and RL34 Trailable Yachts from Rob Legg Yachts

Tuning your RL for Best Performance

by Rob Legg

The RLs are some of the most enjoyable and best performing trailable Yachts available, and these notes are intended to give you the opportunity of increasing your performance, make the boat easy and safe and. above all, very enjoyab1e to sai1.

Setting up:

The mast should be set up with a mast rake of 150 to 200mm when the forestay is taut. The lower shrouds should be slightly slacker than the uppers; this will allow some forward movement at the spreaders when the mainsheet or backstay are tensioned.

The headsail:

The luff of the headsail should be set up hard enough to remove any wrinkles or sags between hanks ... as the wind 1ncreases in strength, it will be necessary to increase the halyard tension to flatten the sail end move the paint of maximum camber further forward; (the port side sheet winch can be used for this purpose). The headsail sheet dead eye should be just forward of the bisected angle of the foot and leach (see sketch 1.)
This position should be moved aft as the breeze increases. Where possible, sail with the wool tufts streaming. In light to medium breezes, DO NOT SHEET TOO HARD, as some twist in the leach is desirable.

The Mainsail:

Both the luff and foot of the mainsail should be tensioned enough to remove all wrinkles (usually requiring up to 40kgs. for medium breezes and more in strong winds). NOTE: It is easier to hoist the main all the way first, cleat it, and then gain the necessary tension by pushing down on the gooseneck fitting. In light winds, the sail should be lightly eased with the traveller amidships, and as the wind increases, some backstay tension is applied and the sail sheeted in until all leach ribbons are flowing.
In very strong winds, the backstay can be tensioned quite hard to flatten the sail and free the leach; the traveller can then be moved out wider as required.

Centreplate:

In light to median breezes, the centreplate should rake aft 15 degrees; approximately 1500mms of wire should be let go to achieve this. As the wind increases, the plate will probably need to come up as much as 300mm to retain good balance. When reaching or running, about half plate makes for good balance and reduced wetted surface.

NOTE:

You will f1nd that your boat will sail very well under main alone if you raise the centreplate half way and ease the sail a little.

GENERAL:

To achieve maximum speed and minimum heeling, always sail with both main and jib just filling (i.e.) with tufts and ribbons streaming horizontally, and particularly, when not beating, ease both sails until they start to luff, then draw them on Just a little. Remember, if a mainsail leach ribbon streams behind the sail or leeward jib tuft is standing up or either streaming forward, you are either sailing too low or have the sails on too hard.

BACKSTAY:

Use it to flatten your mainsail and support your jib luff, but DO NOT have it on TOO hard when running, or it may over stress the mast.

IMPORTANT:

For best performance NEVER sail your boat at more than 15 degrees of heel, ease the mainsail until the boat stands up again. USE YOUR MAINSHEET, THAT'S WHAT IT'S FOR.

GENERAL:

The rudder blade while sailing should always have the leading edge in line with the pintles, if it angles beck, the helm will feel heavy.

LAUNCHING:

When launching, make sure the centreplate is fully housed and that the boat runs off stra1ght, usually it will do this if it goes off quickly, but don't forget the bow line. Normally, it is only necessary to get your trailer tyres wet. The trailer bearers should not be up too hard. If launching is difficult, lower them a little at the back end. If launch1ng is still difficult and the rollers aren't turning, a little Vaseline on the hull just forward of the back two rollers should do the trick.
Your boat will sail best if you keep your crew well forward when sailing to windward in all conditions, and further aft when reaching or running in strong winds.