[Rhodes22-list] Self-Tacking R22 traveler

[Peter Thorn]

Steve,

> 1/4" line is hard on the hands.  In heavy wind, you
> would never be able to pull it tight.

The main idea with any traveler is to enable adjustment of leech tension
(mainsheet) and boom sheeting angle (traveler) for the conditions to control
mainsail twist and/or flatness.  i.e. centerline with twist for light air,
leeward and flat leech for heavy air.  In heavy air you would not want to
"pull it tight".  Rather, the control tail would be uncleated to allow the
boom to fall off to leeward.  Although I did not show it on the first
schematic, many sailors tie a 5-6" bowline loop on the tail to form a hand
hold for uncleating purposes, like Laser sailors do with travelers and
Cunninghams.  Line thickness is clearly a personal preference item, but I
can tell you from experience this is not a difficult control line to release
if a gust should hit.  Rigs like this one have been used for years to
control many Tanzer 16s (100 sqft main - same size as IMF R22).


> Maybe I'm missing something but it look like the mainsheet is
> connecting to what you call a loop that is sliding on
> the 1/4" line.  This is just not something that I
> would do and go sailing in 20+ knots of wind.

Sorry.  Perhaps this was a little unclear.  I've improved the schematic
sketch with another drawing showing both light air and heavy air adjustment
positions (see attached). The mainsheet tackle connects to a fixed point on
the top of the traveler loop with a knot.  At equal distances (going either
way along the loop) there is another knot opposite and  between the blocks
on the bar.   The distance from this 2nd knot to the eye on the bar is the
traveler adjustment.

> Better to leave the traveler as is and just lock it
> down in the middle of the bar and not use it.  Leave
> the mainsheet loose and you will get the same effect.

Centerlining the traveler in heavy air is NOT the correct trim to depower
the main.  Doing this and releasing the main will open the leech and power
up the boat, (unless you release so much mainsheet that the sail luffs).
The boat will respond by "heeling and dumping, heeling and dumping" as the
sail powers up with an open leech with lots of  twist, then you luff the
main, then sheet in again and start the cycle again.  Instead, the traveler
should drop to leeward, enabling the mainsheet to be tight, the mainsail
flattened, and depowered - with everything nicely under control.

The self tacking rope traveller works well for racers who want to set their
sails for the conditions, but feel the need to focus on the race on the
water instead of the adjustment line of their traveller immediately
following a tack or gybe.  Like Stan's self-tacking jib, it's kind of like
an automatic vs. stick transmission.  Mostly, I thought Bob Weber might find
it interesting for his club racing efforts.

Like many things in life, trade-offs are involved.  This traveller works
very well and makes tacks much simpler (KISS), so many racers like it.
However, it is marginally more difficult to pull to windward while
close-hauled.  In light air (when you would actually want to do this), it
shouldn't be a problem.

PT
s/v Phoenix


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