Blaze Class Association
The home of Hartley Blaze, Fire and Halo sailors
Set-up and tuning
Carbon Mast Rigging Guide
(optimised for Hartley main)
Updated December 2023.
The settings on this guide are based on settings used by experienced Blaze sailors for the Hartley sail, we recommend these as the "basic setup" from which you should then tune to suit your own sailing style and weight. The North sail requires a slightly tighter lower tension, as the sail suits a stiffer mast.
Mast Position at base
Forward face of mast to forestay U-Bolt - 1072mm
Spreader Length
From side wall of mast to shroud - 385mm
Spreader Defection
Distance between mast track and a straight edge connecting the outer ends of spreaders - 191mm.
Mast Pre-Bend
Measured @ Spreader - 10mm - 20mm
To measure the mast pre-bend, put the rig tension on with the sail down. Take the end of the main halyard and pull it tight to the gooseneck. This creates a straight line with the Halyard from the mast crane to the gooseneck. The mast bend is then the amount of forward bend in the middle of the mast. If you can, measure the distance from the halyard to the mast track to determine the mast bend.
Mast Rake
Mast head to bottom of transom - 7000mm to 7060mm
To calibrate your tape measure, ensure the tape measure is pulled to the top of the mast. Measure to the deck, next to the mast foot with the tape measure and ensure you get a reading of 6512mm. Adjust how the tape measure is pulled to the top if you do not get this reading. Once you get a reading of 6512mm at the deck, take the tape measure to the transom and measure to the bottom edge, either side of the rudder post. 7000mm for a more depowered rig. 7060mm for a more powerful rig.
Rig Tension
Measured on shroud - 120kg (264lbs)
Lowers Tension
Measured at mid-point of lowers – 30kg (66lbs)
The softer the lowers, the more mast bend and depowered the sail will be. However, too loose and the Vang won't work effectively. Too tight, and the sail will not have enough luff curve.
Aluminium (M7) Mast Rigging Guide
(optimised for Hartley main)
Updated December 2023.
The settings on this guide are based on settings used by experienced Blaze sailors for the Hartley sail, we recommend these as the "basic setup" from which you should then tune to suit your own sailing style and weight. The North sail requires a slightly tighter lower tension, as the sail suits a stiffer mast.
Mast Position at base
Forward face of mast to forestay U-Bolt - 1072mm
Spreader Length
From side wall of mast to shroud - 380mm
Spreader Defection
Distance between mast track and a straight edge connecting the outer ends of spreaders - 140mm.
Mast Pre-Bend
Measured @ Spreader - 10mm - 20mm
To measure the mast pre-bend, put the rig tension on with the sail down. Take the end of the main halyard and pull it tight to the gooseneck. This creates a straight line with the Halyard from the mast crane to the gooseneck. The mast bend is then the amount of forward bend in the middle of the mast. If you can, measure the distance from the halyard to the mast track to determine the mast bend.
Mast Rake
Mast head to bottom of transom - 7020mm to 7060mm
To calibrate your tape measure, ensure the tape measure is pulled to the top of the mast. Measure to the deck, next to the mast foot with the tape measure and ensure you get a reading of 6512mm. Adjust how the tape measure is pulled to the top if you do not get this reading. Once you get a reading of 6512mm at the deck, take the tape measure to the transom and measure to the bottom edge, either side of the rudder post. 7020mm for a more depowered rig. 7060mm for a more powerful rig.
Rig Tension
Measured on shroud - 100kg (220lbs)
Lowers Tension
Tension the forestay. Set lower to allow 90mm - 100mm movement sideways at midpoint of lower.
The softer the lowers, the more mast bend and depowered the sail will be. However, too loose and the Vang won't work effectively. Too tight, and the sail will not have enough luff curve.
Further tuning guidance (North main)
Below are some further tuning tips from the old website forum archives. Please note, some of the following details may differ from the above tuning guides. However, most are still relevant to the aluminium mast and North sail.
The Blaze aluminium M7 rig works best set up to be 'sloppy' it seems - therefore the spreaders work in a different manner to those found on 'tight' rig tension boats. The M7 'hangs' off the windward shroud and the spreader merely inhibits it inverting to windward towards the supporting shroud. From memory, my own are shorter than most at about 26 or 26cm and are relatively 'forward'. This allows the boom out further off-wind and when coupled with the sloppy rig - you can run deeper…
Kicker
The thing to realise is that the rig is powerful and the mast a trifle too stiff, so the kicker DEPOWERS upwind in the Blaze close-hauled, this is because kicker (upwind) shunts the boom forward into the mast increasing bend which depowers the rig, so we do need to be able to use the kicker to DEPOWER - it pushes the lower mast forward when applied and this opens the leach near the top and flattens the sail lower down as well.
So it all works upwind so how do you drive it off-wind?
You also need to increase it off-wind to MAINTAIN the power and reduce sail twist.
Pull the kicker ON when off-wind (not what you might have been taught is it), this stops the boom going too far towards the sky but don't overdo it as you want the leach to fall forward on occasion so you can sail by the lee.
Mainsheet tension
If everything set up right will close the leach and increase power without shunting the boom forward - it just pulls down. Off-wind you have much less ability to use mainsheet tension to power up of course and the leach will drop away very easily - especially if you have a little kicker on. So you then have to put it on MORE, particularly if the sail is not getting linear flow over it as in dead running (i.e. drive through drag like a parachute)
Lowers
with mast set up but without sail and boom in position these should also permit a fair amount of movement - measure at mid-point and set so that 5-6cm of sideways movement is possible. With some lowers supplied they are either too short or the adjusters are too short. Either way, you must change this fitting if needed to get this amount of slack..