<HTML><FONT FACE=arial,helvetica><FONT SIZE=2 FAMILY="SANSSERIF" FACE="Arial" LANG="0">Bill,<BR>
Your Pearson Trident competition has tied a gaggle of cement blocks to your rudder post. This is really slow especially if the scope is long enough for the blocks to reach the bottom. :-).<BR>
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I like Geroge's comments, especially about rig tuning. I was told that the A 30 doesn't point very well. I purchased a Loos guage large enough for the A30 and checked the rig tension before our Maiden Voyage and it was loose - very loose.<BR>
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I knew that we had a mast beam problem so I took measurements from the sole to the beam in several places before I tightened the rig. After the rig was tight the mast beam was 1/8" lower in the center and 1/16" lower at each side of the door frame. I didn't know if this was normal compression or not.<BR>
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During our 80 mile trip to her new home the boat pointed very well. Not what I expected or what I was told to expect. We were pleased that the boat pointed as well as it did. Very acceptable in our eyes, we are Dinghy racers.<BR>
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After the trip, the mast beam measurements were 1/4" lower in the center and 3/16" lower at each side of the door frame, from before the trip and before tightening the rig.<BR>
This helped to confirm with me that the mast beam was sagging, but I was told by the previous owner that the repair needed to be made.<BR>
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Anyway, rig tension is an important adjustment for any sailboat large or small.<BR>
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Michael #133<BR>
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