1 The MastFitting (For most a 2man job)

1)Beforefittingthemast,ensurethatallropeendsarepresent(notlostinmast!)andarenottangled.Thisisbestdonewithmastvertical.

2)Standmastverticalbesideboatandliftintoboatandensureitsbaseiscorrectlyslottedin.

3)Leanmastaftandfiteachshroudinturninthemarkedholes(yesyoudidmarkthemattheendoflastseasondidn’tyou?)

4)Returnmasttoverticalandcheckthatmastisapprox.25mmaftofmastgatepositionwithshroudstaut.

5)Pushmastforwardandengagemastgate.6)Checkmastpre-bendbypullingdownmainhalyardtighttogooseneck.Thegapbetweenmastandhalyardshouldbe15-20mm.Ifnot,moveshroudpinsup(toreducebend)ordownuntilsettingiscorrect.

7)Attachforestayusingthepinmostforwardofthetwoonthebowdeck.Thisshouldbefittedusingropeasthemainattachmentwithapieceofparallelshockcordtopreventsagwhentensionisappliedtorig.

BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO RIGGING THE GP14

IntroductionBecausetheGP14isnotatrueone-designboat,ithasmanyvariationsinthewayitcanberigged,althoughthishasbecomemorestandardisedinrecentboats.

Thisguideisdesignednotonlyasabeginner’sguideforthosenewtotheClassbutalsotohelpmoreexperiencedsailorstofindeasierwaystooperatetheirboat.Itisimpossibletorepresentallthemanypossibleriggingcombinations,butIhopetheseexampleswillhelpnewcomers‘puzzleout’theirboat’srigging,whichinmanycaseswilldifferindetailfromtheillustrations.Iwelcomeanycommentswhichmighthelptomakethisguidemoreusefulormoreaccurate.

Highfield lever tensioning system Pulljibropedownuntilthewireloopofthejibwireisexposedandengagethisontheleverhookandengageleverpivotinrequiredslot.Ensureropeismoveduptheloopsothatitdoesnotbecometrappedbetweentheleverhookandthewire.

Withonepersonapplyingtensiontotheforestay,pulldowntheleveruntilitisvertical.Notethatsomeboatshavetheleversysteminvertedanditisnecessarytopushtheleveruptotensiontherigwhichissomewhatmoredifficult.

CAUTION!Highfield levers are notorious for injuries to fingers if not operated safely It is essential to keep fingers well clear when “closing” the lever, and to positively control the lever when “opening” it. Push it home with the ball (or base) of the hand, and when opening it use the ball of one hand to prevent it suddenly flying through its full travel.

2 Jib/Genoa

Rig tension Thefront(luff)oftheforesailshouldbeattachedtotheboatusingtherearofthetwopinsonthebowdeck.Afterithasbeenraised,thejibwiremustbetensionedtoapre-setvalue,whichcausesthemasttostraightenandtheshroudstobecometaut.Correctrigtensionisessentialtopreventluffsagandtomaintainthenecessaryamountofmastbend.TheusualdeviceforachievingthisonolderboatsistheHighfieldlever,whichonmodernboatshasbeenlargelysupersededbyamultipurchasepulleysystem,whichallowsjibtensiontobealteredonthewater.thisdevicealsopermitstheforesailtobeloweredandre-tensionedwhilstonthewaterintheevent,forexample,ofthespinnakerbecomingfouledonthejibshackle.

Multi purchase pulley tensioning system

Thepositionsofthewireloopatvarioustensionlevelsshouldbenotedbymarkingthemastinpermanentinkorbyuseofaselfadhesiveproprietarycalibrationscale.

Inordertoobtaincorrectsettingsinthefirstplace,theuseofarigtensiongaugeisessential.Thenormalrigtensionis400lbsmeasuredontheshroudforSeries2boatsandseries1boatswhichhavehadthemaststepconversion.Series1boatswiththemaststepconversioncanbeeasilyidentified,sincethemasthasatenonatthebottomratherthanasquareend.ForotherSeries1boats,itiswisetolimitrigtensionto350lbs.Particularcareisnecessaryifthereisanydoubtaboutthesoundnessoftheareaaroundthemastbase,astherewillbealotofforceonthebottomofthemast.

Standard modern arrangement using a combination of rope and wire

System retrofitted to series 2 Don Marine FRP boat.

Rigging of jib and genoa sheets

Theuseofajibratherthanagenoarequirescleatswhichareclosertothecentreoftheboatthanforagenoaandtheyaresheetedinsideratherthanoutsidetheshrouds.

Genoa sheeting–sheetendswithintheboat(mostcommonsystem)

Attachsheettosailbythreadinga loopthoroughthecleweyeand

bothtailsthoroughtheloop.

Leadthesheetsoutsidetheshroudsandthreadthroughthetravellersandcleats;tiefigureofeightknot

Through-deck sheetingWhenthreadingthegenoasheet,remembertoensuretheropeisfedthroughthebelowdeckpulleybeforethreadingitthroughthesidedeckhole.

SettingofgenoasheettravellerpositionThetravellerpositionissetsothatwhenfullysheetedinanimaginarycontinuationofthegenoasheetfromtravellertosailluffintersectstheluffmidwayupitslength.To check on the setting, sail the boat fully sheeted close-hauled and luff up (head up to wind) until the telltails on the mainsail begin to break. If all telltails break at the same time then the traveller is correctly set.

3 Mainsail

Thereareanumberofalternativeriggingpossibilitiesincludingtheuseofcentreortransommain,theuseofwireorropehalyardandkicker,andthevariouspossibilitiesforpositioningofkickerandouthaulcontrols.Transom Main

Centre main Thetailsofthemainsheethawseswhichareattachedtotheboatcornerarenormallywhippedintothemainsheet.

HalyardWireHalyard

Therearetwomethodsforhandlingthemainhalyard:

Usingaloopedwirepulledthroughthemastbyropetail(asforthejibhalyard)andretainedbysecuringthelooponatoothedrack.

Lower end of mast showing rope tail, wire loop and toothrack.

ByuseofafullropehalyardusingDynemaorKevlar.Thisisretainedwithaclamonthemastandispulledupviaapulleybelow.

Lower end of mast showing rope, cleat and pulley

KickerThekickerisamultipurchasepulleysystemwhichcontrolstheboom(preventsitlifting)andallowstheshapeofthemainsailtobealteredtosuitvaryingwindconditions.Itdoesthisbytighteningtheleechofthesailandapplyingmastbend.Forracingitisimportantthatthekickerisaccessibletothehelmatalltimessincethiscontrolplaysavitalpartinefficientsailtrimming.Inordertoachievethistheboatisnormallyberiggedsothatkickercontrolscometotheseatoneachsideoftheboat.

NoteregardingreinstallingkickerWhere2controllinesareusedforthekickerandCunninghammakesurebeforeattachingkickertomastthatthekickerassemblyiscorrectlyroutedbetweenthetwolines.Itiseasiertoinstallthekickeriftheboomisinstalledinthegooseneckandheldinahorizontalpositionbytemporarilyattachingmainhalyard.

Cascaded pulley system (this can be a combination of wire and rope or all rope)

Cunningham

Thisisadeviceprovidingextraflatteningforthemainsailinheavyweatherandconsistsofaropewithaloopontheendwhichpassesthroughtheeyeorpulleyontheluffofthemainsailapprox300mmabovethegooseneck.Theendisanchoredtothemastbytyingtheendtothegooseneck.Theotherend,afterpassingthroughthesaileye/pulleyisattachedtothefixedendofapulleyinordertoallowcontrollinestobedirectedthroughthepulleytoeachsideoftheboatviapulleysonthefloor(thisisessentialsincetheCunningamonlytendstobeusedinhikingconditions)

4.Spinnaker Thisguideconcentratesontheuseofatwotoonegearingforthespinnakerhalyard.Somepeoplehaveusedonetooneandothershaveusedfourtoone,buttwotooneisthenorm.Theuseoftwinninglinesiswellestablishedandagreataidtoracing,butcanbeconsideredoptional

HalyardInordertofacilitaterapidhoisting,thehalyardisnormallyhoistedusing2:1gearing.Thisallowsthehelmtohoistthesailmostorallofthewayupinasinglepull.Thegearingcanbeprovidedusingapulleyandringsystemrunninguptheforestayorviaapulleyrunningalongthebottomoftheboat.Series1boatsnormallyusetheformermethodsincethefloorconstructionmadeitdifficulttouseapulleyalongthefloor,whereasmostseries2boatsusethelattersystemasitallowsfasterhoisting(lessrope).Whenattachingthesailtothehalyard,astopperknotandbobbleapprox100mmfromtheattachedsailisusedtokeepthesailawayfromthemast.

Onseries1boats,thehalyardisnormallytakenbacktoacleatonthecentreboardcasing.Onseries2boatsthehalyardnormallyrunsviaafloormountedpulleybeneaththetransomtoafloormountedcleatandpulleybehindthecentreboardcasing.Thisgivessufficientlengthforthe2/1pulleyonthefloortooperate.

Picture showsarrangementforsailhoistedvia2:1gearingpulleyrunningupforestay.Theredropeisthehalyardandisattachedtothesail.Thewhiteropepassesviathemastpulleytothecleatingarrangementwithintheboat(frequentlypositionedonthecentreboardcase).

Gearingpulleywithinboat(normalonSeries2boatspictureabove).Thegreen/blackropeintheforegroundgoestoapulleybeneaththereardeck(picturebelow)andreturnstothefloatingpulleyThepinkandyellowropegoingthroughthispulleyisthespinnakerhalyard.Oneendisattachedtotheboat(preferablythemast)andtheother(viathepulley)tothesail(viasheavesonthemast).

Spinnaker SheetItisnormaltouseataperedsheetconsistingofthickropewithtwothinnertails.Thesheetspassbehindthecrewandacrosstheboatviacleatsoneachside.Thesecleatsarerarelyusedwhenracing,butareveryusefulwhencruising.

TwinningLines Twinninglinesareoptionalforcruisingbutconsideredessentialforracingsincetheypermitrapidsettingofthesailandpreventcontactbetweenpoleandgenoaluff.Thestopperknotonthespinnakersheet(whichallowsthesheettobecontrolledbyastainlesssteelringtiedtothetwinningline)shouldbesetsothatthepoleisapproximately50mmfromthegenoaluffwiththepoleatitshighestpositionandthelinefullyengaged.Notethatwiththrough-decksheeting,aknotcannotbeused.Itisnormalinthiscaseeithertousecottonwhippingonthespinnakersheetor,withtaperedsheets,tosetthetwinnerssothattheyaresetcorrectlywhenthebobbleisstoppedbythechangeinropediameter. Theotherendofthetwinninglinehasanidenticalarrangementontheothersideoftheboat.

Picture showsthespinnakerflyingwiththepoleinanormal(nonlightwind)position.

Pole uphaul /Downhaul

Thepoleshouldbeadjustablesothatitcanberaisedfromlowposition(horizontal)tohighposition(90degreestogenoaluff).Normalriggingusesaropeuphaulandelasticdownhaul,andincorporatesadevicebelowthedecktolimittheropetraveltoallowthepoletogojustabovethe‘highposition’inwindyconditionswhenupwardwindforceexceedselasticstrength.Thebestarrangementistoemployanarrangementwithelasticrunningviatwofixedpulleysalongthefrontsidepanelwitharoperunningviaapulleytothelowerpartofthepoleloop(thelowerendoftheropeisattachedtotheboat,andthelengthadjustedduringset-uptolimittheupwardpoletravel.

Analternativearrangementfortheelasticistotieit(belowfrontdeck)tothepoleloopropeandtorunitviaasinglepulleytoafixingpointontheboatfloor.Inthisarrangement,asuitablypositionedstopperknotintheropebelowthefrontdeckisusedtolimitpoleheightinhighwinds.

Theuphaulcontrolshouldbeaccessibletothehelm(orcrewifpreferred)andisnormallypositionedonthecentreboardcasing.Pole loop

Theloopinwhichthepolesitsshouldbejustbigenoughforthepoletofitatitsbroadest.Theloopshouldformtheupperendofthelowerrope(theoneconnectedtotheelastic)andshouldbeattachedtotheuphaulbyathumbknotandloopwhichisuntiedduringde-rigging.Thismeansthatthepoledoesnothavetoberemovedfromtheloopduringde-riggingandthatcarefullysetrope-lengthsettingsaremaintained.

PolestowageduringsailingItisnormaltostowthepolewiththefronthangingfromitsloopanditsrearinadoubleplasticcoveredwireslingattachedtotheboom.

Picturepolestowedwithuphaulsettonormal(nonlightwind)height.

MauriceCooperJune2010

©TheG.P.FourteenClassInternationalAssociation

Email:admin@gp14.orgTel01257251222