Check that the bridle ropes are equal in length by lining the block up along the centreboard. (The bridle length is changed with mast rake like this because the boom height alters with mast rake). It is also safer to buy shroud plates that the shrouds cannot come out the top of should things go wrong! 420 Rigging Guide. A committed sailor with a supportive family in fact make it easier as there are two of you offering support to move boats, move sailors, chaperone trips, etc. (Again, note the chart at the end of the tuning guide.) the Mirror) but in the 420 it helps to achieve a faster jib slot / leech shape. Putting marks on your jib sheets in both the sheeting positions and the barber-hauler positions will help you to judge how much jib sheet and/or barber hauler you have on. Barber hauling makes the jib fuller and therefore more powerful. Pull the main in block to block and look at the leech. They affect the pre-bend and as a result affect the amount of power you have in the mainsail: Less pre-bend = Straighter mast = Fuller mainsail = More power Learn How to Sail: A Step-by-Step Guide to SAILING - YouTube The airtight foredeck has taken weight out of the bow, increasing performance and safety, without sacrificing the durability Zim Sailing's boats are known for. This is your strong wind setting. It will teach you how to sail in an environment of partnership with your crewmate, adding another significant element to your development as a sailor (and as a person). More pre-bend = More curved mast = Flatter mainsail = Less power. It can be rigged to be sailed single-handed or double-handed. Choose a day with a force 3-4 wind & set up your light wind mast rake. Speed – 32mm Read 10 Nautical & Sailing Terms to Know NOTE: If you are very overpowered in very strong wind then you can remove one of the neutral chocks (-1). (Make sure the kicker is off all the time). Gaining experience in the 420 increases your sailing ability and means it is easy to switch across classes, whether you are a skipper or a crew. Then, do the same again but to get 19’8½” using 31-32 on the rig tension. The Club 420 Association was established to promote, foster, encourage and sponsor one-design sailing. The only time I consider sailing in a bad lane is when the wind is very shifty and the potential gain from the next shift outweighs the loss of speed from sailing in bad air. The class is managed at a global level by the International 420 Class Association, and … Prepare the kite by finding the corner and making sure the sail isn't twisted; Run your spinnaker sheets and guys before attaching to tack and clew; ... but the principles of setting a symmetrical spinnaker are the same whether you're on a 420 dinghy or a fifty foot racer. Go ‘heave-to’. You can measure pre-bend by following these steps: Different makes of sails require different pre-bends, these are: Pinnel & Bax – 35mm The cloth of the 420 jib is seized to the wire at the tack and tied off at the top to the thimble in the wire. We are aiming for a reading of 19’11” here (with 30 on the rig tension). In wiring conditions before flat-wiring you again want power, so it is good to pull on about an inch and a half. The sail “slugs,” fittings on the sail's luff, slide up the mast in this slot. The 420 is a stable boat to sail which planes upwind easily, the trend in modern yachting. Some young sailors may never be big enough to sail a Laser Radial or other one-person international classes, or may take a longer time to grow, so getting into the two-person classes via the 420 makes sense to develop your skills and keep future options open. So the more chocks that you put in the straighter the mast becomes and the more power you achieve. Record/remember this number of chocks. Familiarize yourself with them before ever setting foot on a boat and you’ll be ahead of the game. your crew is flat wiring and you are having to play more than 6” of mainsail. Sailrite offers FREE rig and sail dimensions with featured products and canvas kits that fit the boat. If you set up your light wind setting you will notice that your mast has a slight bend/curve going up it, this is called the pre-bend. If the leech is very bowed/slack and all the telltails are flying then your bridle is too long. 1. This will make the leeward shroud go slack. If it is choppy as well up to two inches is good. As delivered, tension from the jib hal- yard automatically puts tension into the cloth of the jib and is equivalent to having a jib Cunningham tightened all the time. You apply barber hauler simply by pulling the windward jib sheet and cleating it. The 420 is a pure racing machine , high tech , and from a later era when semi-submerged sailing in frogmans suits became fashionable among the poseur jocks around the sailing club boat-ramps . If the wind does change in a race such that you need to change the chocks then the best time to do it is on a run – there is less forwards pressure on the mast on a run & the crew is in the boat and able to reach the chocks. The 420 is an International class recognized by the International Sailing Federation. Once achieved mark the mast with ‘M’ and again record the hole number (which is usually a hole down from the light wind setting). i.e. A 20- … Barber hauling is the name given to tensioning the windward/slack jib sheet. Adjust your bridle until this perfect leech is achieved, making sure you make equal adjustments to each side so it always lines up with the centreboard. When you are well out on the wire (but not flat wiring/overpowered), and especially in choppy conditions put two extra chocks in (+2) for maximum power. This is not done in all boats (e.g. Complete Sail Plan Data for the International 420 Sailboat. Then change to medium wind settings. Although the two boats are different in a number of ways, many of the Club 420 sailing principals and handling characteristics are similar to the International 420. the Mirror) but in the 420 it helps to achieve a faster jib slot / leech shape. Once achieved this is your light wind bridle setting. If we can help a bunch of 420 sailors get more passionate about their 420 sailing because they cross-trained on a multihull, I’m all good with that. Use this only in very windy conditions. This is your medium wind setting. Chock are the small ‘mushroom-shaped’ plates that you can put in front of the mast. Sailboat and sailing yacht searchable database with more than 8,000 sailboats from around the world including sailboat photos and drawings. Mark this as ‘S’ on your mast and record the hole number, (which is usually a hole down from the medium setting). From this position, you then adjust the deflection (D) to create the desired pre-bend. This is your light wind setting. Spreader Deflection Due to the base helm characteristics of 420, you need to put the mast step almost max forward in the rule which is 2830mm. Then, repeat steps 1-4 but to get a measurement of 19’9¾”. Go To: Sailing - Rigging Guides Posted on Saturday, March 14, 2009 7:26 PM. By Staff. main, jib, spinnaker together) like no other boat can. As with any boat, if you are planning to buy a second-hand 420 then there are some top tips to ensure you buy the best possible boat for your money. Set up your light wind setting & make sure there are no chocks in. If you are then having to play more than 6” of mainsail all the time on medium settings then change to strong wind settings. The 420 is an ideal platform for learning about tuning a boat and the consequences of tuning, teaching in a relatively simple way the trimming of sail combinations (i.e. Your boat came equipped to rig a mainsheet bridle. Chocks alter the pre-bend by pushing back on the lower mast, therefore straightening it. The Club 420 design incorporates a number of modifications for intercollegiate sailing in the US. This is not done in all boats (e.g. If it does not read 19’11” then take the rig tension off & move the shrouds down the chain plates if the reading is above 19’11”, and up the plates if it is below. June 19, 2003. The 420 has a bermuda rig and an optional spinnaker and trapeze. Introduction to the 420 Class; I-420 Sailing Academy; New 420 Tuning Video; 420 e-Book - Performance Training; 420 To The Max; Learn to Sail - Recommended Boat; Technical . Sailing has its own glossary of terms that you’ll need to know. In very light winds and when you are overpowered you want the jib flat, so none is needed, however it often pays to put on half an inch in strong wind because it makes the leech more stable. I would encourage you however to make a table of your own personal settings built up through trail and error. The following is a general table on how you might set up your 420 for different conditions. The bridle is the piece of rope that holds your mainsheet block and joins onto each end of the bar behind the centreboard. in light winds, to a maximum tension of 360 lb. Then re-measure the pre-bend using steps 1-4 and keep adjusting until its right! Simple for beginning sailors and yet challenging enough for collegiate champions. If you set up your light wind mast rake you will find a gap in front of the mast where the chocks go. Repeat steps 1-4 until you achieve 19’11” with 30 on the rig tension. A good, top competitive, second hand 420 is relatively inexpensive, usually with lots of sails and gear. The Club 420 is the second most sailed boat of college sailing. I join up with my friend Sam, a retired Air Force pilot and retired Delta pilot. It is a good idea to tie your shroud plate pins onto the plates so that you do not loose them whilst changing holes on the water. Our Blue Ribbon Line of 420 sails is designed for college or high school teams that demand the ultimate in … It is not always practical to change chocks in a race so make sure they are right before you start. To make the strong wind setting just tie two loops 7cm up from where the ends of the bridle join the clips on the bar. Then lower it slightly until it measures 16’1½” at the top of the black band at the gooseneck. A similar slot can be seen in the top of the boom, to hold the foot of the sail. So if it is 19’11” leave it and put a pen mark on the mast lining up with where the rig tension block/hook is. Unlike Optimists, most boats you will sail in the future will have downwind sails. About Club 420. About the 420 sailboat Calculations Help SA/Disp. During the Summer of 2011 I spent some time at the RSGYC training in Feva’s and 420’s with Adam Hyland. The 420 offers great development for sailors in the two-person disciplines – most of the World's top sailors sailed in this class and easily moved on to succeed in other classes, and enjoy Olympic and big boat careers. Sailing the MiniCat 420. A smaller version of the olympic 470 class, the 420 was formerly a youth development class (i.e. (Back the jib, let the main sail go completely & put the tiller down to leeward). However it is useful to be able to do before a race and in between races should the wind get up or die. The lengths of the bridle are very important because they control the mainsail leech tension when block to block. Pull the tape measure to the transom & take the measurement at the top edge of the transom. 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