J/30 Class Association Forums J/30 Forum The Boat, Sails and Equipment Headstay too long - how big a problem?

Tuned the new rigging this weekend and discovered that the headstay was cut too long. With my turnbuckle (which is a Harken furler) all the way tight, I am still ~4' longer than class max.

Of course I need to work this out with the rigger, but in the meantime we have an offshore race this weekend.

The rake does not seem excessive, and I imagine this could be desirable to a degree, but want to make sure this inst too big a problem for now, and wondering if I should make any other changes to compensate and still be fast.

Thanks - Dan

could actually help in light air. Could be a helm problem in heavier air though. Is there still enough tension on the backstay to spill air off the top of the main when you crank it down tight?

Sailed with mine too long for one season. Make sure your spreaders look ok in the brackets. Watch out for the boom. It'll be quite a bit lower. Knocked me in the head real good once that way. I don't think it's fast...too much prebend.

I suspect also that your mast is blocked all the way back in the partners to compensate for the long headstay. Also check where your mast step is located. Along with the forestay length these three settings will conspire to create a frustrating boat with a lot of helm that is hard to get the main trimmed right in different conditions.

You can't imagine the difference when you get them dialed.