As is obvious from my screen name, I am a cat sailor, and I have some questions about how to tune a monohull RC boat. The boat in question is a Seawind. The available controls are Backstay, Spreader shrouds, jib luff tension, lower mast shrouds… I was sailing my boat in moderate air today (10-15 knot winds) and was having a lot of difficulty keeping a steady course… my question is, is it the backstay tension that has the most effect on this (i.e.:mast bend) or are the other shrouds just as important. I know from my cat sailing experience that we make the rig looser in lighter air and tighter in heavier air to spill more air and de-power the rig. Does this principal apply to monohulls and an RC boat? Other classes have ‘tuning guides’ but the Seawind is a young class and no one has created one yet… Any ideas? I also played around with the outhaul on the main (which creates mast bend when tightened) and the jib, and the luff tension in the jib and the main. Not sure what good it did… Any suggestions would be appreciated…
Andy