Uppers

[Graham Bridle]

Being the non-vigilent type, I now struggle to remember the answer to this.

What do people use to tension thier uppers, and secure them ? are you using purchase and cleats or prebending and securing ??

[simon_jones]

We started with adjustable uppers being pulled into a single cleat at the base of the mast. This seemed to allow a lot of lateral movement, so now they are pre bent and fixed with bottle screws. A little heavier than rope but so much easier to get the tensions right.

[phil_kirk]

We also started off with adjustable uppers but went to fixed ones attached to the gooseneck and adjusted with a lashing. Adjusting the tension/mast bend is not easy. We take a line from the top of the mast to the mainsheet bridle when the boat breacker is eased right off.

Boat breaker is then pulled on bending the mast and taking the pressure of the uppers allowing them to be adjusted.  Takes a bit of trial and error but once you have settings right you don't need to adjust them again.

[Stuberry]

I have adjustables that work by both coming down to a trapeze adjuster type cleat at the base of the mast.

We tend to use them as part of our "gear" changes.

When we beast on the cunno to de-power the uppers go slack, then we can pull on a bit more to keep the top of the mast supported, then let off a bit of cunno to tension them up again.

Also, if it turns out to be horribly gusty (3rd day at Weston) we can let some off to give us a bit more response from the top of the rig.

In short, we have adjusters, we use them and we like them.

[roland_trim]

If using the adjuster then the key is to have the "return" at the bottom fixed to the mast, or as Dean says they give no lateral support. We have 2 eyes and then a 4-1 for the adjustment. In reality this needs to be 16:1 or more.

I think the amount you want to adjust them depends on the rig. From playing with the last 3 masts we came to the conclusion that the stiffer rigs want more adjustment than the floppy ones. For the floppy masts the pre-stressed spring effect is crucial to the rig, but for the stiffer tips it is simply about how much power is lost from the head flopping sideways.

[Phil Alderson]

To stop the lateral wobble with adjusters you need to lead the run of the uppers through an eyelet on the mast and then to the adjustment.

On Aqua, I started with lashings, and then had adjustable which i liked.
On Primal I had the uppers going to the shroud points 49er style, and used to adjust them quite regularly when rigging.
Now on PR I just have lashings, but would prefer something eisier to adjust, and get right.