If you really want to point, best thing to do with the jib on a Nacra 6.0 is to install a zipper fore-and-aft and open up the zipper when you're going upwind so the jib doesn't mess up the main.

Did you ever notice how much better a sloop rig goes upwind in a breeze when the leech of the jib rips open?

Actually, I'm sort of serious.

I appreciate everyone's advice. I'll keep these things in mind the next time I'm out.

Alec,

(To everyone else - I was Crew that night)

Physical - crew weight - 225lbs
Winds - +20's that night
Seas - 1-2ft (wouldn't you say?)

Guys,
This was the first time I had ever crewed on a 6.0na. One thing we were trying to do was point as well as another 6.0na also! (we were close). I remember Ricks rules "Weight, wind, waves" "keep the power on when all are heavy.

The jib car was in the rear most position, and yes, I was traveling in on the jib. I kept an eye on the main, checking for backwind conditions - I evened lossened the jib up at times to double check - that big jib would luff up in a heart beat! I did use the barberhauler on the down wind legs - she was fast there. I though maybe we were running to tight and I eased the downhaul to almost nothing (hoping to help her power up) but she seemed to run just as fast on the blade.

There has to be something else - or maybe you guys are right and I was choking the slot do to much (that was the only position were the jib had good shape)

I tried to get my weight as far forward as I could (front beam or better - until the waves knocked my feet out from under me).

Like Rick said Alec - I'm a pincher - sorry Dude, but thanks for the ride Tuesday night shes a blast to sail - great power!

Hang in there - you'll run down Keith on that H20 before to long!

Ballast

I sure wish we could find a couple of 6.0s reasonably near by that would want to spend a weekend testing and tuning (I'm in Greenville, SC) - or maybe we could get together a couple of days early before a major event.

Hi Alec,

Where is the crew when you are pointing ?
I other words where is the crew weight ?
My experience is to place is as much to the front as possible, experiment on that.
Please klet me know what happens.

Isn't that terribly light?

Andrew - The crew alone was 225 lbs and the skipper must be an easy 180 for an all up of 405 lbs. The chop was pretty good in some places and a good head of steam was needed to power on through. Winds were mixed, no trap, single trap and double trap. Alec is doing well with this boat having just started on it this year and he is usually in the front mix but of course has a tough Portsmouth number to deal with. It won't be long before we're seeing more of his transomes. Then we'll have to start throwing things at him.

An easy 180 huh? Wow, being tall cetainly has a sliming affect. I'm now pushing 208. Thanks for the encourageing words guys, I appreciate it.

Jake, we've got 3 Nacra 6.0's in our fleet, feel free to come up to the annapolis area and race with us sometime.

Also I found a 6.0 original jib to work better than the NA jib on windward leeward courses. A new rig Tornado jib (self tacking) should work and since this is an Olympic run year the used ones should be fairly cheap

Carl has raised a point that I have been pondering (thinkin bout) lately. Does a larger jib i.e. low aspect with a somewhat longer foot hinder pointing ability verses a high aspect jib with a shorter foot i.e. Tornado (new) and I-20? Other than windage would you be better off with the jib furled and going uni to weather? The second one is a bit extreme but hey, what if? Don't tell Alec but we are overipening tomatoes this weekend in case he passes us Tuesday night.

Thank you for this post, it has been very informative. We will be moving our jib car all the way back tomorrow night. I think our upper slot is closing on us.

I believe you or Bobby was referring to our 6.0 from last Tuesday. Tyler was driving and had the a-cats commenting to him after the race about how well he was pointing upwind.

A very accomplished big boat sailor friend and I were talking about mast prebend. He felt that the right amount of mast prebend was critical to going up wind effectively.

We asked Jim Boyer, before the Ice Breaker Race, how to determine the right amount of prebend. If I understood him correctly, he said to set it then go sailing on a closehauled course for your boat. As you apply mainsheet, look up at the leach, the leach should stand-up just when the draft looks right and the telltales are flowing. We left our spreader rake where it was from last season, then set our outer diamonds to Rick Bliss's numbers of #38 to #39 (450#s - 500#s) and the inner diamonds to #20. These numbers appear to be working for us, based on Jim Boyer's suggestions, our pointing and speed comparison with other boats. We have not adjusted it from these numbers. Our crew weight varies between 380#'s to 400#'s.

Two months ago we, Alec and I compared our rig tensioning devices. We found that Alec's, the professional model, read a little over half of what ours, the standard model, reads. Is there a conversion I am missing?

Regarding Mary's zipper suggestion, our jib is bigger than an NA jib and it has a leach line installed. We do adjust this line for the wind conditions. However, whenever it is about double trap conditions, the line always comes out of its plastic cleat causing our leach to flog. It is incredible annoying, destracting, and is probably quickly destroying our sail, but it may be helping us point upwind.

Alec, if we get there early enough tomorrow night, we can measure spreader rake and rig tensions.

>However, whenever it is about double trap conditions, the line always comes out of its plastic cleat causing our leach to flog. It is incredible annoying, destracting, and is probably quickly destroying our sail, but it may be helping us point upwind.<

Another way to get rid of Leech Flutter is to 'hollow out' the leech more,
to the point where you will not require a leech line.
When I have done this, I have hollowed it one inch at a time, until it stopped fluttering.
If you can sacrifice some sail area.
This is done on monohull Genoas, ask you sailmaker.

Jake,

Nice Mugshot! Is that how you look when you're stoned? J/K

NO-ONE has even mentioned the 4-way system in opening up the slot! If it's way inboard, it better be light air. Start with it most of the way out towards the hull, and pretty much leave it there. Sure, you get get infinite adjustments:fore-aft, in-out board, unless your leech, or foot is flapping when sheeted hard, it's probably OK where it is.

I've raced against 6.ona's that have gotten rid of the 4-way system for tramp cleanliness, and don't seem to point qyuite as high, with the same speed as me. (mine's still on) So, I think you point a little higher, with speed with the 4-way jib system, and leaving it most of the say outboard. My jib block is about the length of putting my pointer finger and pinky out, probably around 8 or ninw inches (what she said), from the inboard of the hull.

Good luck, theres some great advice here.

Todd Bouton

naaah - that shot is after a few beers / playing with epoxy all day.