Rigging advice

P

po-man sailor

Active Member
Can I get a little input on rigging the bridle?
Which is better and why?
The bridle with a single point of attachment like the original cable loop style vs a rope bridle with main sheet tied on with a bowline or traveler system...
I would like to know technical advantages of speed, maneuverability, easy of sailing if any apply.
Thanks guys
 
If you want to class race you will need the two loop cable bridle and bowline.

If not racing, I would do a rope bridle with a bowline. For a while sunfish came with a roller on the bridle but no real benefit.

The original 3 loop bridle would prevent the sheet from sliding to both side which hurt the sail shape.
 
I'm not comprehending the last paragraph.

Also i'm thinking also if it doesn't attach to a single loop in the middle it spreads the stress to 2 points of attachment instead of 1.
 
On a single-sail boat, you want to set the boom at a non-zero angle to the centreline in order to gain maximum VMG (best speed/height compromise) upwind. Also, you don't need very much twist (difference in angle between top and bottom of the sail) going upwind, so you want the sheet to pull more or less straight down. Therefore the sheet lead (the point towards which the sheet pulls) should be to leeward of the centreline at all times. The original Sunfish bridle setup obviously didn't take this into account, but it was later improved, and made into what effectively is a traveller, by deleting the centre loop.

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Keep in mind that the boat's boom is also at a different angle in relation to the centerline since the boom is on the port side of the mast... in moderate winds you can trim the boat harder on port than on starboard and not stall the boat.. (yes not totally related to your original question, but to LaLi's point of not having a zero degree angle at the centerline. :) -lee montes
 
Let's say you're moving right along in 15-knot winds, and have the lee rail under water. Would you want a two-loop or three-loop bridle?

I'm thinking a three-loop would be better. (And perhaps why it was "factory").
 
L&VW, I'd say that especially in overpowered conditions you want to have the sheet lead as far outboard as possible. In all likelihood the three-loop bridle wasn't designed with optimal aerodynamics in mind.

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...while "the Sunfish came with a roller on the bridle but no real benefit...." that block is a lot of fun to mess about with. For a while the sheets were made with a snap shackle beautifully served into the end, fine rope work. My assumption is that the manufacturer added the block to the bridle so that the sheet/snap shackle would move freely along the bridle and it was a snap to attach the sheet vs tying a bowline.

IMG_6115.jpg


This is how Capn Jack rigged WAVE for recreational sailing. The line bridle is easier over time on the tiller than the wire bridle.

8A4E2EC8-C433-49DD-AFD7-BE3229623A86.jpeg
 
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