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3rd Post

WORDS OF WISDOM:

Everything you ever wanted to know and dare not ask!

The 2.4mR is a heavy boat with 180kgs of lead in the keel. It runs quite a long way when you stop sailing so be aware of this when coming into a jetty. Much the best thing is to pull sails down before coming in.

The visability in a 2.4mR is not tremendous and it pays to always look out for other boats and to know where they all are.

The boom is low so look out for your head on gybes - some people wear crash helmets.

2.4mR boats do not capsize but will swamp in extreme conditions either on broad reaches or running downwind. If this happens the boat floats with about 50mm of freeboard but is a stable platform. All boats should be tested for adequate bouyancy every couple of years and this is a requirement for all boats that wish to race at international level.

There may be two pumps - one hand pump and one electric pump - to exit water taken on board. No 2.4mR should be sailed without the hand pump as a minimum working.

Background:

The 2.4mR class is a restricted metre boat class so it allows for any design providing it complies with the restrictions of the metre boat rule. Current rules can be found on either the ISAF or the Class Association websites.

Part of the rules are called Appendix K which cover all boats sailing in IFDS or Paralympic competition. They specify the Norlin Mk3 as the only admissable design and also restrict the amount of lead in the keel.

The boat designs used in the UK fall mainly into two categories or designs: The Swedish designed Stradavari 2.4mR which is now very competitive in terms of speed and price, but would not qualify under Appendix K and the Norlin 3 which is available in two configerations - Standard and Modified for Appendix K rules. Unfortunately, the Norlin 3 boats are becoming increasingly more and more expensive and there is not a dealer in the UK.

Rigging:

The main and jib are hoisted on halyards and cleated or put onto racks. The Stadavari has a main halyard lock at the top of the mast and a jib halyard which locates on the rack on the back of the mast. Both of these methods locate each sail in a precise position.

Where halyards are cleated off using a rope tail and a cleat it is advisable to bring these up above deck level on the mast so that in the case of a boat being swamped they are readily to hand and not below the water where it is difficult to locate them especially in a lifejacket.

There is an outhaul control to stretch the foot of the main out to the black band on the boom but no further.

There is a cunningham control which stretches the main luff to bring fullness forward and to open the top of the sail.

There is a cunningham control for the jib to adjust the depth of the sail section.

There are barber haulers on each jib sheet and these are adjusted up and down to place the leach of the jib at about 1 - 1 1/4 inches outside the spreader end. The position of the barber hauler depends on the wind strength. In very strong winds the barber hauler is raised to its maximum so that the distance between the jib leach and the spreader end is very wide and this helps to depower the boat.

There is a main kicking strap which holds the boom down to maintain sail shape offwind but is also used in choppy water when it pays to allow the main to 'breathe'. In normal conditions the leach of the main is opened and closed with the mainsheet so the kicking strap is left with a little play in it.

There is a backstay which puts tension on the forestay and jib luff but also bends the mast to open the mainsail leach to aid depowering.

There is a traveller on the aft deck for the mainsail. In normal conditions this is left in the central position but may be used as a depowering aid by letting it off in the puffs - returning it to the central position as soon as the puff has subsided.

Sailing:

Upwind:

The use of laminate sails as opposed to dacron sails has lead to a different method of sailing. On dacron sails the major depowering tool for the main was the active use of the backstay as the sails could take a lot of mast bend without sail distortion. Therfore upwind the boat would be depowered with the backstay being pulled on to open the leach. It was common to cleat the mainsheet upwind and to play the backstay as above.

However with the advent of laminate sails there is much less margin for the use of the backstay before the mainsail distorts and the practice now is to either use the mainsheet to depower - that is let it out in the puffs - or to use the mainsail traveller by letting it drop down to leeward as the puff hits and to return it to the centre position afterwards. When the boat is heled there is only a small amount the boom may be freed before it hits the water and causes drag.

You will note that much above addresses depowering the boat. This is because the boat is very easily overpowered and can reach maximum hull speed in windy conditions without use of the full sail. However because the boat is heavy and 'carries' well the sailor must be aware of a drop in speed caused by incorrect sail setting which if not noticed will take some time to build up again.

With a boat which carries so much weight the way the boat is driven to windward involves 'scalloping' to windward. That is pointing the boat higher on the wind to gain height and then moving slightly offwind to maintain boat speed. Scalloping can also be an effective way to depower without adjusting the sail positions.

Downwind:

There is a whisker pole which booms the jib out on the opposite side to the mainsail for use downwind. Added to this as soon as the boat is turned downwind the backstay is released to move the head of the mast towards the bow. This allows for the wind to exhaust better off the sail so that there is not a 'choking' effect on the following wind. Care must be taken in windy conditions as moving the head of the mast forward can be the cause of the bow burying and a consequent swamping.

It may be necessary to release the main shrouds below the deck to allow this movement. Different boats have different shroud tension arrangements. On the boat you are using they are controlled jointly with the one control line. Newer boats are constructed to be very stiff and to allow high rig tensions to be used. The two sets of shrouds serve to give a stiff sideways rig important when the shroud base is so narrow i.e across the boat.

There is a beneficial effect on the jib with the mast head moved forward. It allows the jib sail to billow out better and is a more effective sail set further away from the mainsail.

Care must also be taken in keeping some tension on the backstay such that if the boat is gybed it does not result in the boom catching on the backstay. It is normal for a knot to be put in the backstay control so that this required tension is automatically put on the backstay.

The whisker pole has an elastic return to reposition it beside the main boom for upwind sailing.

Boat efficiency:

There are a full range of controls in a 2.4mR which allows the sails and mast to be set in any position to maximise wind conditions. These are only of use if the boat is rigged efficiently so that each control works properly without snagging.

Tactics:

The 2.4mR is a very tactical boat. It is only raced on upwind and downwind courses i.e no reaching legs. With the keelboat shaped hull it does not plane as a dinghy would therefore nothing is gained from reaching legs. Keelboats speed is restricted to a maximum speed for a given hull length.

Much can be gained on the race course with attention being paid to windshifts particularly important in a close winded keelboat.

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many thanks to Steve Bullmore for this content

Second Post:

Where are the GBR Norlin and Strad's ?

We are now in the same position as the States, we have a shortage of boats and with the new price of boats, the entry level into the class is now quite expensive.

We need to find a cheaper way of allowing people into our fleet, that is we either need a cheaper new boat or we need to find and bring back to life all the older boats which are lying in boat parks and not being used. If you know of any boats that are not being used, please email the association. If you have the owners details, please let them know about our " for sale" service. Maybe we can keep these boats in the UK and get these boats back on the water.

Is now the time for an alternative to the Norlin 3 to come out of hiding and allow people a cheaper method of getting into this exciting class?

Author: Simon Hill

The comments made in this specific section are published for discussion and to give a personal opinion to the membership as a whole. The comments by the Author(s) and are not endorsed by the Uk 2.4 Class Association:

Reply from Hasse and builder of Stradivari: (who will be at the Grafham open meeting)

Heard of good old amateur building in plywood. Friends joining together to build a couple of boats in a common effort. Used to work. Good Old England must be full of examples. Fireball, Cadet. Cherub, OK, Mirror, Miracle is what comes to my ignorant mind at the moment

Problem is nobody wants to stick his/her head out and start the ball rolling.

It cannot be impossible to get some of the very competetive dinghy builders in the UK to have a go at building a couple of hulls from any of the available moulds (Stradivari Mk II, Södergren Mk V, Howlett). I belive any of these would be competitive given the mouldings where competitively built.

Dedication is key. -Keep on sailing, Hasse/SWE335 -- Hasse Malmsten phone +46 738 226601 www.wallhamnmarina.se-www.malmstenboats.nu

Author: Hasse Malmsten

First Post:

Should open meetings be segregated?

What I mean by this is that the 2.4 is an equal opportunity boat, Male, Female able or not sailors can race on equal terms with each other.

Should meetings like Sail for gold in Weymouth be open to all? Why shouldn't an able bodied sailor like myself be able to go to Weymouth and get beaten by the disabled competitors.

Who is being disadvantaged? Is it the able bodied sailors by not being able to sail or is it the disabled sailors because they are being disadvantaged by not having the opportunity of beating the able bodied people?

Mind you, the way Megan is sailing at the moment, do I want to be finishing a race after she has won, packed up and been in the bar for 30 mins!

Author: Simon Hill