Nacra F20 Carbon Quick start guide

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Table of content
Introduction____________________________________________________________________________________________ 5
1. Part 1. Assembly________________________________________________________________________________________ 6
1.1. Tools needed for Assembly ___________________________________________________________________________ 6
1.2. Glossary __________________________________________________________________________________________ 6
1.3. Hulls _____________________________________________________________________________________________ 7
1.3.1. Mounting the beams _____________________________________________________________________________ 7
1.3.2. Fixing the mast rotation cleats _____________________________________________________________________ 8
1.3.3. Mounting the staymasters_________________________________________________________________________ 8
1.3.4. Front beam pre-bend ____________________________________________________________________________ 9
1.4. Trampoline _______________________________________________________________________________________ 10
1.4.1. Fitting the trampoline___________________________________________________________________________ 10
1.4.2. Fixing the foot strap ____________________________________________________________________________ 13
1.4.3. Trapeze shockcord _____________________________________________________________________________ 13
1.4.4. Spinnaker block________________________________________________________________________________ 14
1.5. Spinnaker pole ____________________________________________________________________________________ 15
1.5.1. Fixing the snuffer ring and shute __________________________________________________________________ 15
1.6. Mast ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 16
1.6.1. Mast base and diamond wires ____________________________________________________________________ 16
1.6.2. Fixing the diamonds ____________________________________________________________________________ 18
1.6.3. Spreader arms_________________________________________________________________________________ 19
1.6.4. Making sure the mast is straight_________________________________________________________________ 22
1.6.5. Spinnaker block________________________________________________________________________________ 23
1.6.6. Mainsail halyard_______________________________________________________________________________ 24
1.6.7. Fixing the stays________________________________________________________________________________ 26
1.6.8. Jib halyard ___________________________________________________________________________________ 26
1.6.9. Adjustable trapeze units _________________________________________________________________________ 27
1.6.10. Fixing the trapeze wires _________________________________________________________________________ 28
1.6.11. Cleats _______________________________________________________________________________________ 29
1.6.12. Cunningham __________________________________________________________________________________ 30
1.7. Rudders__________________________________________________________________________________________ 31
1.8. Ropes and halyards_________________________________________________________________________________ 35

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1.8.1. Spinnaker sheet________________________________________________________________________________ 35
1.8.2. Spinnaker retrieve block_________________________________________________________________________ 35
1.8.3. Tack release line and tack line ____________________________________________________________________ 36
1.8.4. Jib sheet _____________________________________________________________________________________ 37
1.8.5. Mast rotation__________________________________________________________________________________ 38
1.8.6. Righting line __________________________________________________________________________________ 39
1.8.7. Mainsheet ____________________________________________________________________________________ 40
1.8.8. Mainsail traveler_______________________________________________________________________________ 42
2. Part 2. Rigging ________________________________________________________________________________________ 43
2.1. Raising the mast ___________________________________________________________________________________ 43
2.1.1. Preparing ____________________________________________________________________________________ 43
2.1.2. Fixing the stays and trapeze wires _________________________________________________________________ 44
2.1.3. Spinnaker halyard______________________________________________________________________________ 45
2.1.4. Raising the mast _______________________________________________________________________________ 46
2.1.5. Lowering the mast______________________________________________________________________________ 49
2.2. Rigging the boat ___________________________________________________________________________________ 50
2.2.1. Spinnaker pole ________________________________________________________________________________ 50
2.2.2. Jib sheet _____________________________________________________________________________________ 52
2.2.3. Tack line _____________________________________________________________________________________ 53
2.2.4. Jib traveler.___________________________________________________________________________________ 53
2.2.5. Cunningham __________________________________________________________________________________ 53
2.2.6. Boom________________________________________________________________________________________ 54
2.2.7. Mast rotation__________________________________________________________________________________ 54
2.2.8. Spinnaker halyard______________________________________________________________________________ 55
2.3. Fixing the sails ____________________________________________________________________________________ 57
2.3.1. Spinaker _____________________________________________________________________________________ 57
2.3.2. Raising the jib_________________________________________________________________________________ 58
2.3.3. Lowering the jib _______________________________________________________________________________ 60
2.3.4. Mainsail battens _______________________________________________________________________________ 61
2.3.5. Raising the mainsail ____________________________________________________________________________ 62
2.3.6. Lowering the mainsail __________________________________________________________________________ 63
2.3.7. Mainsail cunningham ___________________________________________________________________________ 65

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2.3.8. Mainsail outhaul_______________________________________________________________________________ 65
3. Tuning guide__________________________________________________________________________________________ 66
3.1. Mast rake_________________________________________________________________________________________ 66
3.2. Spreader rake _____________________________________________________________________________________ 66
3.3. Diamond tension___________________________________________________________________________________ 67
3.4. Side stay tension ___________________________________________________________________________________ 67
3.5. Rudder rake_______________________________________________________________________________________ 67
3.6 Front beam pre-bend________________________________________________________________________________ 67
4. Maintenance __________________________________________________________________________________________ 68
5. Warranty ____________________________________________________________________________________________ 69
6. Dealer Support ________________________________________________________________________________________ 69

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Introduction
Thank you for buying your new Nacra F20 Carbon! This manual covers
everything you need to know about assembling your new Nacra.
Familiarize yourself with this complete manual to help ensure proper assemb-
ly and maintenance.
This is a two part manual. If you take your boat out of the box you have to
begin with the ‘Part 1. Assembly’. In that section the whole boat is being pre-
pared for ‘Part 2. Rigging’.
If you get your boat on the trailer and your dealer has already done the as-
sembly part for you, you can begin with ‘Part 2. Rigging’ and then go sailing!
‘Part 2. Rigging’ continues with the boat (and every subsystem) as we left it
in ‘Part 1. Assembly’.
Before you go sailing also check the tuning guide for tips!

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Part 1. Assembly
This part of the manual is only for people who get their boat ‘out of the box’
and have to assemble their boat completely. If your boat is already
assembled by your dealer, you can continue with Part 2. Rigging.
1.1. Tools needed for Assembly
You will need:
 Sharp knife
 Needle nose pliers
 Phillips screw driver
 Regular screw driver
 Tape measurer
 Pop rivet tool
 17 mm ring spanner
 Torque wrench (5/16 hex key and 9/16 spanner)
 Loose gauge
 5 mm metal drill
 Tape to secure rings
1.2. Glossary
Used Terms
Bow: Front of the boat
Batten: Thin strip in the sail
Bridle wire: Wire that connects the bow and forestay
Boom: Spar at the foot of the sail
Cleat: Fitting used for cleating ropes and halyards
Clew: The lower and most aft corner of the sail
Crossbar: Bar that connects the rudders
Dolphinstriker: Load bearing bar under the front beam
Downhaul/Cunningham): Rope to tighten and stretch the luff of the sail.
Foot: Bottom edge of the sail
Forestay: Wire supporting the mast in aft direction. Located in front of the
boat.
Goose neck: A fitting used to connect the boom to the mast
Halyard: Rope used to raise or lower sails
Head: The top of the sail
Hound: Point where the sails are connected to the mast
Jib: Front sail
Jib sheet: Control rope for the jib
Leech: Trailing edge of the sail
Luff: Leading edge of the sail
Mainsail: Big sail at back of the boat
Main sheet: Control rope for the mainsail
Mast rake: Angle of the mast to the boat
Shackle: U-shaped metal strip with a pin to secure wires
Shrouds: Wire supporting the mast in lateral direction
Spinnaker: Big sail hoisted at the front of the boat when sailing downwind
Spinnaker pole: The pole in between the hulls to fly the spinnaker
Spreaders: Metal bars placed in pairs to control the bend in the mast
Staymaster: Adjustable schroud connector to control the schroud tension
Stern: Back of the boat
Tack: Forward lower corner of the sail
Tiller: Telescopic rod connected to crossbar to steer the boat
Traveller: Track on the backbeam to connect the mainsheet
Trapeze: Wire meant for hanging on the side of the boat while sailing

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1.3. Hulls
1.3.1 Mounting the beams
Step 1.
Place the starboard and port hull box next to each other and make sure that
the hulls are facing the same way.
Step 2.
Position the hulls approximately 3 m apart from each other. Be careful not to
scratch the boat, so it is best to use hull supports and a cattrack or the sup-
ports in the hull box, by cutting the excess cardboard away.
Step 3.
Place the crossbeams in the beam sockets on the hulls and make sure that
the beams are facing the right way. The front beam has a jib track mounted,
which should be on top and facing the front of the boat. The rear beam has
two eyelets mounted on the back which should be facing the back of the
boat. Take time to align the crossbeams with the pre-drilled bolt holes.
Step 4.
Take the four beam bolts together with the washers and grease. Grease all
the bolts and also grease the bolt holes a bit. If both beams are aligned well,
hand tighten all the bolts to get the thread started. The forward bolts are
Allen heads. The fibreglass washer should be on the bottom and the metal
one on top. The washers are already put in the front beam.
Mounting the beams
Step 1 & 2
Step 3
Step 4

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Step 5.
After hand tightening the bolts, work your way around the boat and tighten
all the beam bolts to about 24 Nm on the torque wrench. Do not exceed the
recommended 24 Nm as over tightening results in damaged threads.
1.3.2 Fixing the mast rotation cleats
Get the two mast rotation cleats from the rigging box and screw them in the
pre drilled holes in the hull, which are located about 80 cm behind the front
beam.
1.3.3. Mounting the staymasters
Mount the staymaster onto the hull with the bolt and nut. Make sure the nut
is inboard. Tighten it firmly, but make sure the staymaster is still able to turn
a little.
Step 5
Placing the side stay adjusters
Fixing the mast rotation cleats

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1.3.4. Front beam pre-bend
There should always be pre-bend on the front beam. This is done by tensio-
ning the pin of the dolphin striker. After each session the first three ti-
mes the boat is sailed the following procedure MUST be completed
(with the mast taken off!):
Step 1.
Unscrew the nuts above and under the front beam on the dolphin striker pin.
Make sure there is exactly 25 mm between the top of the front beam and
the bottom of the top nut (see picture)
Step 2.
Screw the nut below the dolphin striker up until both screws are tight against
the front beam. You have now set pre-bend to the front beam.
Dolphin striker pin

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1.4. Trampoline
1.4.1. Fitting the trampoline
Step 1.
Slide the front edge of the trampoline into the slot in the front beam. The
foot straps should be facing up. Make sure the trampoline is in the middle of
the catamaran.
Step 2.
Insert the carbon tie rod into the slot in the rear of the trampoline.
Step 3.
Attach the rear lacing line. To do this, tie one end of the aft lacing line to a
button which is located the most right or left of the rear beam (it does not
matter on which side you start). With the other end of the line we continue
through the tie rod in the trampoline. We then go back to the button we ca-
me from and then move to the next button and repeat this process until we
reach the other end of the beam. Make sure you do this the right way, since
there is only one right way to do this (look at the pictures).
Trampoline
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3

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Step 4.
Tighten the rear lacing line firmly and then tie it down at the end.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 4

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Step 5.
Take one of the side lacing lines and tie it down onto the first trampoline
spanner band. That is the one closest to the front beam on either side of the
boat. We take the other end of the lacing line and take it around the first
button on the hull. We then go back through the trampoline spanner band
and then move to the next trampoline spanner band. When moving to the
next trampoline spanner it is important to run the lacing line under the part
of the line which came from the previous spanner (look at the pictures). Re-
peat this process and tie the lacing line down at the end. As we have only
done one side of the trampoline so far, you should not tighten it very firmly.
Just have a bit of tension.
Step 6.
Repeat step 5 for the other side of the trampoline and tighten it very firmly.
Make sure your trampoline is in the middle of your hulls after this whole pro-
cess.
Step 5 and 6
Step 5 and 6
Step 5 and 6

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1.4.2. Fixing the foot strap
Step 1.
Tie the middle foot strap into place firmly
1.4.3. Trapeze shockcord
Step 1.
The trapeze shock cords for the crew are already put in the front beam and
need no attention. Take the two aft trapeze shock cords for the helm out of
the box.
Step 2.
Put the aft trapeze shock cord through the trapeze hole in the hull and tie a
knot on the outside to prevent the shock cord from getting through the hole
again.
Step 3.
Go under the trampoline and take the other end of the shock cord and put it
through the trapeze tube in the other hull. Make sure to tie a knot on both
ends of the shockcord to prevent it from sliding through the hole.
Fixing the foot straps
Step 1
Trapeze shockcords
Step 1 and 2

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1.4.4. Spinnaker block
Take a block from the box and tie it onto the trampoline using a small rope.
Make sure you do two loops! Look at the picture for the location.
Spinnaker block
Make sure to do two loops and
tighten it firmly!

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1.5. Spinnaker pole
1.5.1. Fixing the snuffer ring and shute
Step 1.
Slide the spinnaker shute through the snuffer ring.
Step 2.
Place the spinnaker pole horizontal. This means that all of the already moun-
ted fittings and blocks are on top and standing vertical.
Step 3.
Take the tape measure and place the snuffer ring 135 cm from the front of
the spinnaker pole. It is quite convenient to mark the 135 cm point on the
spinnaker pole with a pencil.
Step 4.
Make sure that the snuffer ring is facing slightly down on the spinnaker pole
and then drill two holes through the shute and spinnaker pole. The holes
should be about 5 cm from the front and rear of the snuffer ring (see pictu-
re).
Step 5.
Take the spinnaker shute together and place it in the snuffer ring. Then put
the snuffer ring bag around it. Just to keep it all together.
Spinnaker pole
Step 1
Step 4 and 5
Step 2 and 3
135 cm from top of pole

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1.6. Mast
Masts should be regularly inspected for water tightness and diamond wire
wear. Make sure fittings are sealed with silicone. Replace wires that show
any signs of wear. Check diamond wire attachment points, turn buckles and
seizing wire. These areas could cause serious mast failure!
1.6.1. Mast base and diamond wires
Step 1.
Take the mast base, brass diamond adjuster block, the diamond adjuster bolt
and metal washer, diamond wires and grease out of the box. It is preferable
to place the mast on supports, this makes it easier to build the mast.
Step 2.
Grease the threads of the diamond wires and turn one diamond wire in the
brass diamond adjuster block. When the diamond wire is fixed, place a ring
at the bottom. Make sure that the brass diamond adjuster block is facing the
right way! The brass diamond adjuster block should be able to slide into the
mast correctly and the diamond wires should be diverging upwards (see pic-
tures of step 2 and 3!!).
Mast base and diamond wires
Step 1
Step 2
Step 2

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Step 3.
Turn the second diamond wire in the brass diamond adjuster block. This will
be slightly more difficult than the first diamond wire, since the other diamond
wire is already fixed. To make things easier let one person turn the diamond
wire at the end and let the other person turn the diamond wire in the brass
diamond adjuster block. You may have to use pliers since the diamond wire
thread is slippery, due to the grease. Don’t forget the rings at the bottom!
Step 4.
Take the top ends of the diamond wires and slide them through the diamond
inserts in the mast base. Then slide the brass diamond block in the mast.
Step 3
Step 4
Step 3
Make sure the wires are diver-
ging!

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Step 5.
Grease the diamond adjuster bolt, place the washer and put the bolt through
the mast base. Then turn it in the brass diamond block, but only get the th-
read started. We don’t want to put tension on the diamond wires, since we
still have to attach them in the top.
Step 6.
Push the mast base in the mast.
Step 7.
Screw the two screws on the left and right side of the mast into the mast
foot. Put a plastic ring in between.
1.6.2. Fixing the diamonds
Step 1.
Bend the diamond wire connector away from the mast.
Step 5
Grease the bolt!
Only get the thread started!
Fixing the diamonds
Step 1
Step 6
Step 7

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Step 2.
Place the diamond wire onto the diamond wire connector and attach it with a
clevis pin and ring. The ring should be on the outside. Don’t forget to tape
the ring!
Step 3.
Put some wear tape under the diamond wire connector. Then bend the dia-
mond wire connector to the mast again.
1.6.3. Spreader arms
Step 1.
Take the forward and aft spreader bars and spreader bar adjuster screws
from the box. Grease the thread of the spreader bar adjuster screws with
marine grease. (e.g. Molykote Longterm W2)
Step 2.
Assemble the two spreader bars together by using the clevis pins from the
box.
Step 2 and 3
Tape the ring
Step 2
Spreader arms
Step 1
Grease the threads

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Step 3.
Measure the distance from the beginning of the spreader bar adjuster screw
to the beginning of the spreader bar. This distance should be 59 mm on both
spreaders for now. This is a very powerful trim option on the boat and regu-
lates the spreader rake. The amount of required spreader rake varies from
team to team and influences the pre-bend of the mast. We will discuss and
measure this later in the manual.
Step 4.
Attach the spreaders to the mast with the clevis pins and rings. Make sure
the rings are on the bottom. Don’t forget to tape the rings!
Step 5.
Take the rubber end cap and some of the supplied thin wire to secure the
diamonds. Wind the thin wire around the end of the spreader arm and then
put the two ends of the wire through the rubber end cap. Then slide the rub-
ber end cap over the end of the spreader arm.
Step 3
Step 5
Step 4
Tape the rings!
59 mm