Center mainsheets?

[JODA]

Having just acquired an old 12 (N2999) to sail with my son I found the aft sheeted mainsheet to be somewhat confusing (my other boat is a Phantom). Also the sheets seem to wrap themselves around everything!

Any advice on technique or is it ok to convert to center sheeting?

If center sheeting, should I retain the aft purchase and lead to a take off block on the boom at center or install the purchase from the center thwart to center boom.

Any advice would be welcome.

[Tim L (Guest)]

Hi Joda,

welcome to the class.

The centre-vs-aft dilemma is a common one for new 12 sailors.  While there are certainly a few boats that use centre sheeting successfully, generally off-the-boom style, I'd recommend you try and get the hang of aft main if you can.  

With such a short boat centre-main forces the helm too far aft during tacks and gybes, digging the stern in and slowing the boat - absolutely useless if your usual sailing waters are venues with light winds and lots of tacking.  However if you sail on the sea then this is less of an issue.  The other problem with centre main is that it has a tendency to try and garotte the crew offwind and if it is led to a block on back of the board case, will be in the place where the crew will be crouching in strong winds on a reach.

Aft main does tend to catch under the transom corners if you give it too much slack during gybes and when heading up.  Some boats have the transom corners rounded off to try and overcome this though I'm not sure it works any better.  In light airs a quick fix is to get the crew to pull the main in to the centreline momentarily, leave the mainsheet slack and it will drop into the water and be pulled off the corner - you can then quickly trim in and then ease the boom back out.

For roll -  tacking I usually change hands as I stand up to cross the boat, with gybes put both helm and sheet in your aft hand.

Cheers

Tim
N3497 'Shiny Disco Balls'

[tedcordall]

Has anyone tried having the mainsheet come off the centre of the boom like the niner boats. I was very sceptical til I sailed the 29er then the 59er, but actually it works very well. Not having falls in the centre it doesn't restrict the tiller extension, and having the crew work the main upwind was a good thing. (ok, so perhaps you can do two things well at the same time, but me.........)  

After an blowy afternoon in the 59er I was fresh as a daisy, I thought it was great. The crew however, declined to come again!!

[Teacher (Guest)]

[quote by=Tim L (Guest) link=Blah.cgi?b=Cool,m=1127729334,s=1 date=1127738506] While there are certainly a few boats that use centre sheeting successfully, g[/quote]

Pay attention at the back there!
 

[teacher (Guest)]

[quote by= While there are certainly a few boats that use centre sheeting successfully, generally off-the-boom style, [/quote]

helps to have the whole quote...

 :B

[MikeDay]

[tedcordall]

Obviously I can't read either!

[Sean Clarson (Guest)]

On the whole I would agree that aft main creates alot more space in the boat, and with a little practice makes the boat much more user friendly.  

The helms weight is more central whilst going about with an aft main because your backside and torso is further forward.  

If you are moving from a centre main then it definately will feel strange at first.  I think the most obvious  difference is that when going about, or Gybing the helm moves to the other side of the boat facing backwards, and as you cannot see the front of the boat you soon develope a feel for when you have gone about far enough.  However,,, you can see the main sheet and so can control it through the manoever.

Always keep the tiller in the back hand and mainsheet in the hand nearest the bow whilst sailing, as with centre main, but swap hands just before going about as a general rule.  If you do this it will all feel very natural and you can see the mainsheet as you go round.

I do think with aft main you need a powerful cascade kicker to get the sort of sail shape you want though in windy conditions, and attention needs to be paid to ensure you do not oversheet the main in light winds. As you have much more leverage on the end of the boom.  

When Gybing, the sheet can catch on the corners of some boats - not just N12's.  If your main sheet is hanging down, or if your boats corners are very prominent.  If this only happens in light winds you could grasp the main above the block on the transom and throw the whole lot to the other side of the boat  when Gybing  I have seen laser sailors do this.  

I would also say however that if the system doesn't suit you why stick with it?  - Surely that is one of the benefits of the N12, we can customise our boats within reason to suit ourselves.

Sean N2154.

[Jimc (Guest)]

Its interesting to note that when I did an eval for the Toppper association when they were considering centre mains the transom sheeting came out fractionally but statistically significantly faster. However just about every parent seems to have splashed out a hundred quid or so on a centremain for their kid's boat anyway!

[John Meadowcroft]

if you have a centre main it is easier to pump offwind.  Not sure if this makes it statistically faster.  I had one for a while a few boats back.  Not only was it easier to pump, it was also hard to resist!
John M