Specifications

SECTION FOUR
SAILS: CARE AND MAINTENANCE, BENDING ON AND HOISTING
Your new Clipper has come equipped with a set of working sails (a main and jib). If this is your first
boat and you are just learning to sail, the main and jib sails will be all that you will need, but as you
become more proficient, you will probably want to add more sails. Optional sails that are available to
you from Clipper Marine include a spinnaker and a 150% genoa and reacher/drifter. If you add
these you will be equipped to sail in just about any conditions.
JIBS AND GENOAS: So that you will understand the difference in genoa sizes, the percentage indi-
cated an a genoa refers to the longest perpendicular (LP) of the sail. This is the distance along an
imaginary line running from the clew of the sail and intersecting the luff of the sail at a right angle.
In the case of Clipper’s 150% genoa, the distance is 150% of the J dimension (horizontal distance
from the front side of the mast at the deck and centerline to the headstay).
SPINNAKERS: The Clipper spinnaker is of nylon and the kit includes a spinnaker pole, topping lift,
halyard, sheets, foreguy, cleats and blocks.
HOISTING SAILS: You are now ready to begin bending on or attaching the sails.
1. The boat should be moved around the dock until the bow of the boat is pointing as close into the
oncoming wind as possible. There is nothing as unpleasant or frustrating as trying to hoist sails with
a cross wind or the wind behind you.
2. Starting with the mainsail, insert the battens in the four pockets, being careful the ends are tucked
in snugly. The mainsail should be put on the boom before attempting to hoist it, and the gooseneck
fitting (fitting on the boom closest to the mast) should be attached to the mast. The outhaul should
be tightened just enough to take cut the wrinkles in the foot (bottom edge of sail).
3. Now you are ready to hank on or attach the jib. Starting with the tack, shackle it to the first hole
behind the headstay. Working from the tack upward, attach each hank to the headstay, making sure
the sail doesn’t get twisted. The jib sheets should now be run aft through their respective blocks and
the halyard attached.
You are now ready to hoist sails: Beginning with the main, hoist the sail so the top or head just
clears the backstay. Now apply downward pressure on the boom at the gooseneck to just remove
the wrinkles from the luff (leading edge of sail). The gooseneck on the boom should now be below
the opening in the mast which accepts the gooseneck. Tie the down haul line off on the cleat provid-
ed.
HOIST_THE JIB: When the jib is hoisted it will probably need additional tension to remove the scal-
lops from between the hanks. You don’t want the hoist too tight, but just enough to completely
remove these scallops (sags in the sail between hanks). As the wind velocity increases you may
note the scallops begin to/reappear, in which case, apply additional tension. The necessary tension
will either require a small winch on the mast or a simple trucker’s hitch. (With the sail hoisted to the
top, tie a loop in the rope section of the halyard two feet above the cleat. Take the remaining halyard
down around the cleat, up through the loop and then tie off to the cleat.) You are now ready to
adjust the jib sheet lead positions.
Generally speaking, the working jib will lead to the forward end of the track and the genoa to the aft
part of the track. For optimum performance, the position of the fairlead is best determined by