-> On 10-13-95  17:47, Robert Rayfield got back to Dan Ceppa 
 DC> RR> Just feel how tight the windward shrouds are when you are 
iling!!!!
 DC>You have to look at the whole picture.  Too tight to begin with
 DC>puts even more strain on the shrouds when stressed in a wind
 RR> Not true!!!!  Imagine two boats sailing to windward in 12 knots of
 RR> wind. Boat A has the tight shrouds, and boat B has the looser shrouds.
 RR> On boat A the leeward shrouds are just barely begining to go slack;
That's true....
 RR> On boat B the leeward shrouds are flapping like overcooked spaghetti
True as well..  
 RR> Thus, the tension in the windward shrouds is the same in both
 RR> boats (becasue the same amount of wind is pushing the mast sideways)
However, you still have to take in the account the pre-load.  If 
the pre-load is set as if for 10 knots and you are getting less, 
you are creating more of a strain on the hull.  When the wind 
excedes that rate, it blances out, to an extent.  However, the 
bend in the mast head will be less, thus creating more of a 
sidewards force on the mast, due to the lack of bend that 
would spill wind.  
 RR> looser shrouds because the mast would have moved farther off centre
 RR> and the moment arm would be less.
Only until the point where the wind begins to spill...  
 RR> I appologize for the dreadful English above, but the physics is
 RR> correct. 
It may be different on different boats.  Mine is designed to 
allow quite a bit of lee bend to the mast.  
 DC>subsequnetly higher down forces on the mast as the shrouds are
 DC>moved towards the center of the boat.
 RR> the uppers, a greater spreader length reduces the tension needed to
 RR> stop the mast from falling to leeward.  Surprizingly, the location of
That could be the difference in your view, as I only have single 
stays, as well as no backstay.  
 RR> toerail, and the boat is fairly wide.  Thus, the shroud loads are low
 RR> (thus the compression loads in the mast are low) and I can use a nice
The compression on the mast is critical.  I think that that is why 
a too tight of a rig will add to that load.  
 RR> lightweight bendy mast with tons of sail area.  (This makes up for the
 RR> fact that I can't have a jib bigger that 119% becasue I must sheet
 RR> inboard of the shrouds to get the correct sheeting angle.)  Further, I
We have a 135 that we'd like to bring in closer, but the spreaders 
get in the way.  The 100 allows us to sheet closer.  (Those are 
on the boat I sail on Thurs.)  
 DC>... Don't stand up under a gibing boom!
 RR> OK.
 RR> * S2S Toronto, Ontario  (416) 975-1547
Hmmm, noticed you are from Toronto..., yet:  
 RR>  ! Origin: Ship to Shore, Vancouver,BC [604]540-9596  (1:153/7064.0)
The origin line says Vancouver....?????  
... Dandelion:  Pretty yellow boat crossing the line way ahead of you!
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