On the home page of this site under "tips and tricks" there is a section for tuning a fish. Under the section describing goosneck adjustment, there is a wind chart with corresponding goosneck adjustments. My question is: are these adjustments still accurate or are they obsolete!!? Do the new daggerboard and rudder make them obsolete?
Goosneck Adjustment
- Thread starter David1st
- Start date
mike4947
Member
Nothing is absolute. Even the day it was printed it was a guide to relative positioning rather than an absolute marker.
It's a starting point for the individual to use to determine his/her best positions for the gooseneck under differing conditions.
As examples a 120 pound skipper would start moving the gooseneck back earlier than a 220 pound skipper and in my case I'm a pincher rather than a pointer so I keep mine foward longer than most.
It's a starting point for the individual to use to determine his/her best positions for the gooseneck under differing conditions.
As examples a 120 pound skipper would start moving the gooseneck back earlier than a 220 pound skipper and in my case I'm a pincher rather than a pointer so I keep mine foward longer than most.
Alan Glos
Active Member
David,
There is a center of effort somewhere in the middle of the sail, and moving the gooseneck fore and aft moves that center of effort fore and aft.
The further forward the gooseneck, the more power in the sail but also the more heeling moment you experience. Hence, moving the gooseneck aft
depowers the rig and makes it easier to keep the boat upright and moving fast in heavier air. At the extreme, you need to go to the Jens rig (see FAQ) that attaches the halyard lower on the gaff, lowers the entire sail relative to the deck and allows the top of the gaff to bend off to leeward, spilling air and depowering the rig. With the race sail and the new, plastic dagger board, most racing skippers start with the gooseneck at about 16" from the intersection of the gaff and boom and then move it aft in increments as the wind strength increases to the point you can't hike the boat flat.
Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
There is a center of effort somewhere in the middle of the sail, and moving the gooseneck fore and aft moves that center of effort fore and aft.
The further forward the gooseneck, the more power in the sail but also the more heeling moment you experience. Hence, moving the gooseneck aft
depowers the rig and makes it easier to keep the boat upright and moving fast in heavier air. At the extreme, you need to go to the Jens rig (see FAQ) that attaches the halyard lower on the gaff, lowers the entire sail relative to the deck and allows the top of the gaff to bend off to leeward, spilling air and depowering the rig. With the race sail and the new, plastic dagger board, most racing skippers start with the gooseneck at about 16" from the intersection of the gaff and boom and then move it aft in increments as the wind strength increases to the point you can't hike the boat flat.
Alan Glos
Cazenovia, NY
mike4947
Member
As always (and it's were I really got a LOT of my facts on fish and reduced the learning curve immensly) I recommend buying a copy of the Sunfish bible, especially if you intend to race.
billmcinnis
Member
Most top sailors are currently sailing with the gooseneck quite a bit further forward than the locations given in tips and tricks.