User guide

Hobie Tiger Tuning Guide - 2006 Edition - Mitch Booth 15/03/2006

Tuning Guide

MAST SET UP

Mast set up is critically important to the performance of the boat.

Firstly set the spreader rake to suit your crew weight. Spreader Rake is measured

between a line between the tips of the spreaders and the back edge of the mast (as

shown diagram 1).

Spreader rake that is perfectly suited to you can only be determined by practice and

experiencing different conditions however this is what I go by as a rough guide:

♦ 40 – 54mm Spreader Rake For Medium Heavy Crews (155 – 170kg)

♦ 55 – 64mm Spreader Rake for Moderate Crews (141 – 154kg)

♦ Over 65mm Spreader rake for light crews (under 140kg)

The principle is to increase spreader rake for lighter crews and reduce for heavier

crews between this basic range.

Once deciding upon a suitable spreader rake tension the diamond wires. The

diamond wires can be adjusted to suit the conditions. The method I use to measure the

tension is using a Wire Tension Gauge which you can obtain from a local yacht shop.

Measuring the pre-bend is preferred by some people but if you adjust the tension

between races it is impossible to measure the pre-bend. This is where the tension

gauge comes in handy.

The settings I usually follow are:

♦ Under 36 for light wind (under 8 knots)

♦ 36 – 38 for medium wind (8 – 18 knots)

♦ 39 – 42 for strong wind (over 18 knots)

Basically I wind the diamond wires up to de-power (increases mast bend) and reduce

diamond wire tension to power up (reducing mast bend).

To test whether I have the correct mast set up I go sailing against another boat or boats

and go testing. I look for height, speed and power against the other boat. I find if I am

slower than the other boat, possibly struggling to hold the boat flat and having to point

very high (assuming the other variables are eliminated) the sail is too full. Increasing

Cunningham and reducing rotation comes to a limit and if I reach the limit before

reaching the same speed I increase the diamond tension to further bend the mast. If still

we are slow after reaching maximum diamond wire tension I then adjust the spreader

rake, which of course can only be done on the beach.

This then works in reverse also. If I find the boat is underpowered, maybe not

flying a hull when the other boats are, or fells sluggish and does not accelerate when

even without Cunningham and maximum rotation reducing the diamond wire tension will

PAGE 1
Tuning Guide MAST SET UP Mast set up is critically important to the performance of the boat. Firstly set the spreader rake to suit your crew weight. Spreader Rake is measured between a line between the tips of the spreaders and the back edge of the mast (as shown diagram 1).
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help. But this also can only go so far and if the diamond wires become too loose you risk damaging your mast so then reducing spreader rake is the go. This will straighten the mast and increase sail depth and therefore power. BATTENS I recommend using the battens supplied with the sail. The top two really should only need to be adjusted with slightly lighter or heavier battens depending on crew weight and conditions.
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vertical. I recommend very loose rig tension in light winds under 8 knots and slowly increasing as the wind does (loose means that the wire is straight not flopping while on the beach). MAST RAKE The mast rake using the trapeze measurement method (taking the trapeze to the forstay bridle fitting and then swinging it aft to a point on the rear deck) . The range is somewhere between the from of the inspection hatch and 10 cm down the transom. For light winds further forward and heavier wind more aft.
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Mast Spreader Rake String Mast Rudder set-up Rudders up Hobie Tiger Tuning Guide - 2006 Edition - Mitch Booth 15/03/2006