RS SAILING RS Zest Quick start guide

Rigging Manual V1
PLEASE FOLLOW RIGGING MANUAL IN THE CORRECT ORDER

1 - Introduction .....................................................................1
2 - Technical Data ................................................................2
3 - Commissioning ..............................................................3 - 22
3.1 - Preparation ..........................................................................................4
3.2 - Unpacking ............................................................................................4
3.3a - Boat Pack Contents ...........................................................................4 - 5
3.3b - Customer Pack Contents .................................................................. 5
3.3c - Jib Pack Contents (Optional) ............................................................ 5
3.4a - Adding the Front Toestrap ..................................................................6 - 7
3.4b - Adding the Aft Toestrap ..................................................................... 8 - 9
3.5 - Rigging the Mast .................................................................................10
3.6 - Rigging the Jib Halyard .......................................................................11
3.7 - Stepping the Mast ...............................................................................12 - 13
3.8 - Rigging the Vang .................................................................................13 - 14
3.9 - Adding the Boom .................................................................................14
3.10 - Downhaul ..........................................................................................15
3.11 - Outhaul ..............................................................................................15
3.12 - Rigging the Mainsheet ......................................................................15 - 17
3.13 - Rigging the Jib ..................................................................................18 - 19
3.14 - Rudder .............................................................................................. 20 - 21
3.15 - Centreboard ...................................................................................... 22
4 - Sailing Hints ................................................................... 23 - 27
4.1 - Introduction ......................................................................................... 25
4.2 - Launching ........................................................................................... 25
4.3 - Leaving the Beach .............................................................................. 25
4.4 - Sailing Close HAuled and Tacking ...................................................... 26
4.5 - Sailing Downwind and Gybing ............................................................ 26
4.6 - Reeng ............................................................................................... 26 - 27
5 - Optional Accessories ................................................. 28 - 30
5.1 - Fitting the Jib Cleats and Fairleads .................................................... 29
5.2 - Fitting the Rowing Kit .......................................................................... 30
5.3 - Top Cover ........................................................................................... 30
6 - Maintenance ................................................................... 31 - 33
6.1 - Boat Care ........................................................................................... 32
6.2 - Foil Care ............................................................................................. 33
6.3 - Spar Care ........................................................................................... 33
6.4 - Sail Care ............................................................................................. 33
6.5 - Mast Gate ........................................................................................... 33
7 - Knots ................................................................................ 34 - 35
8 - Warranty .......................................................................... 36
9 - Glossary .......................................................................... 37 - 45
Contents

1
1. Introduction
Congratulations on the purchase of your new RS Zest and thank you for choosing an RS
product. We are condent that you will have many hours of great sailing and racing in
this truly excellent design.
The RS Zest is an exciting boat to sail and offers fantastic performance. This manual
has been compiled to help you to gain the maximum enjoyment from your RS Zest, in a
safe manner. It contains details of the craft, the equipment supplied or tted, its systems,
and information on its safe operation and maintenance. Please read this manual
carefully and be sure that you understand its contents before using your RS Zest.
This manual will not instruct you in boating safety or seamanship. If this is your rst
boat, or if you are changing to a type of craft that you are not familiar with, for your own
safety and comfort, please ensure that you have adequate experience before assuming
command of the craft. If you are unsure, RS, your RS dealer, or your national sailing
federation – for example, the Royal Yachting Association – will be able to advise you of a
local sailing school, or a competent instructor.
Please keep this manual in a secure place and hand it over to the new owner if
you sell the boat.
For further information, spares, and accessories, please contact:
RS Sailing
Premier Way
Abbey Park
Romsey
Hants SO51 9DQ
Tel.: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
E-mail: www[email protected]
For details on your local RS dealer, please visit www.rssailing.com

2
2. Technical Data
Length Overall (LOA) 3.59m
Beam 1.47m
Sailing Weight 60kg
RS Zest Mainsail 6.9m2
Max Weight of Sailor 100 kg
Designer Jo Richards and RS Sailing

3
3. Comissioning
PLEASE FOLLOW RIGGING MANUAL IN THE CORRECT ORDER

4
Your RS Zest comes complete with all the components necessary to take the boat sailing.
DO NOT use a knife or other sharp object to cut through packaging
containing parts – you may damage the contents!
3.1 - Preparation
3.2 - Unpacking
Having unpacked your RS Zest, you should check that you have all of the items
listed before throwing away any of the packing, as there may be some small
items still wrapped.
Quantity
Hull
Rudder
Tiller extension
Bottom mast section
Top mast section
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
boom
3.3a - Boat Pack Contents
Fwd toestrap
Aft toestrap
Toestrap elastics
Whilst your RS Zest has been carefully prepared, it is important that new owners should
check that shackles and knots are tight. This is especially important when the boat is new,
as travelling can loosen seemingly tight ttings and knots. It is also important to check such
items prior to sailing regularly.

5
3.3a - Boat Pack Contents
Mainsail 1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
1
3
Battens
Quantity
3.3b Customer Pack Contents
3.3c Jib Pack Contents (Optional)
Jib 1
Jib sheet
Jib halyard
Jib tack hook
1
1
1
2
Jib cleat, fairlead
and screws.
Mainsheet
Dagger board retainer
Dagger board retainer hook
Mainsheet traveller block
Sleeved sail downhaul
Vang
Mainsheet bridle
Vang block boom tie

6
3.4a - Adding the Front Toestrap
a) b)
c)
d)
Locate the front toestrap.
Unscrew one end of the
plastic toestrap tting on
the centreboard case just
in front of the thwart.
Rotate the tting to allow you to slip the webbing loop on the aft end of the
toestrap over the tting.
Rotate the tting back into place and replace the screw.
FWD AFT

7
f)
g)
h)
3.4a - Adding the Front Toestrap
Locate the front toestrap elastic
and tie knot #3 in one end.
Pass the other end through the hole in the cross
shaped plastic tting on one side of the cockpit.
Pass the elastic though the hole in the webbing (below the
toestrap buckle) and through the tting on the opposite side of
the cockpit. Tie knot #3 in the tail.
e) Attach the front end of the toestrap to the forward toestrap tting using the buckle.

8
c)
d)
Rotate the tting to allow you to slip the webbing loop on the
front end of the toestrap over the tting.
Rotate the tting back into place and
replace the screw.
3.4b - Adding the Aft Toestrap
a)
b)
Locate the aft toestrap.
Unscrew one end of the plastic toestrap tting
which the mainsheet block is attached to.
FWD AFT

9
e)
f)
g) h)
i)
Attach the aft end of the toestrap to the aft toestrap tting using the buckle.
3.4b - Adding the Aft Toestrap
Locate the aft toestrap elastic and
tie knot #3 in one end.
Pass the other end upwards
through the gap behind the top
gudgeon on the transom.
Pass the end aft agin and back
through the gap behind the
gudgeon, this time in a downward
direction. Tie knot #3 in the tail.
Pass the end forward and through
the hole in the webbing (beneath
the toestrap buckle).

10
3.5 - Rigging the Mast
Join the mast by inserting the mast top section into the mast lower section.
a)
b)
c)
Slide the front sleeve of the sail over the mast
until the mast top reaches the top of the sail.
Put the battens into the sail
Battens are inserted with the curved end rst.
This engages against elastic in the pocket.
Push the batten into the pocket until it goes under
the ap on the leech. You will need to overcome the
resistance of the elastic.
To remove, push against the elastic until the batten
will come out of the ap then remove.
Ensure that the eye for
the jib halyard is visible
in the cut out.
If you have the optional jib pack, move on to section 3.6 - Rigging the Jib Halyard.
If you do not wish to t a jib move on to section 3.7 - Stepping the mast
Make sure the arrows line up.

11
The jib pack is available as an optional extra. If you do not wish to t the jib, move
straight on to section 3.7 (Stepping the mast).
a)
b)
Take the jib halyard from the jib pack.
Thread one end of the jib halyard through the metal ring
half way up the front of the mast and pull it through so
that you have two equal tails by the gooseneck.
Secure the jib halyard tails.
3.6 - Rigging the Jib Halyard - OPTIONAL
In order to use the jib, you will need to t the jib cleats and fairleads to the boat.
See Section 5.1 for how to do this.

12
BEFORE PICKING UP THE MAST, CHECK THAT YOU ARE NOT IN THE VICINITY OF
OVERHEAD POWER CABLES.
ANTES DE RECOGER EL MÁSTICO, COMPRUEBE QUE NO ESTÁ EN LA CERCANÍA
DE LOS CABLES DE ELECTRICIDAD EXTENSOS.
PRIMA DI RAGGIUNGERE L’ALBERO, VERIFICARE CHE NON SIA NELLA VICINITÀ
DEI CAVI DI ELETTRICITÀ A TESTA DI COMANDO.
ALVORENS DE MAST OP TE LADEN, CONTROLEERT U DAT U NIET IN DE
NABIJHEID VAN ELEKTRISCHE KABELS VAN HET OVERHEAD WOONT.
BEVOR SIE DEN MAST AUFNEHMEN, ÜBERPRÜFEN SIE, DASS SIE NICHT IN DER
UMGEBUNG VON ELEKTRIZITÄTSKABELN SIND.
AVANT DE RAMASSER LE MÂT, VÉRIFIEZ QUE VOUS N’ÊTES PAS À PROXIMITÉ
DES CÂBLES ÉLECTRIQUES.
a)
b)
c)
3.7 - Stepping the Mast
If the wind is blowing there will be a lot of
pressure on the top of the mast making it
wave around. Consider nding somebody
to help if you feel that you will struggle.
Lift the mast into the boat and put the base
of the mast into the mast pot.
Make sure the mast
gate is open.
Lift the mast upright into the mast gate.
You can walk the mast up from the transom.

13
3.7 - Stepping the Mast
d)
e)
Close the mast gate.
Make sure that it clicks into place and locks
shut. In order to open the mast gate you must
push the yellow button to release the lock.
a)
3.8 - Rigging the Vang (Kicking Strap)
Thread the kicking-strap boom tie
through the eye of the block.
Locate the top block on the kicking strap.
Add the secondary pin through the
hole in the mast gate.

14
b)
c)
a)
3.8 - Rigging the Vang (Kicking Strap)
3.9 - Adding the Boom
Thread the kicking-strap boom tie through the eye on the boom, and tie it off.
Clip the hook on the bottom block of the kicker cascade onto the
eye on the mast just above the mast gate.
Take the boom and push the gooseneck onto the mast, just above the plastic sleeve.

15
Tie the downhaul on to the cleat on the front of the mast. Pass the tail through the
metal ring on the sail sleeve, then back through the cleat.
a)
a)
a)
3.10 - Downhaul
3.11 - Outhaul
3.12 - Rigging the Mainsheet
The outhaul comes already attached to the boom.
Hook the outhaul onto the clew, pull tight and cleat.
Locate the mainsheet traveller block and bridle.
Thread the bridle through the bottom (smaller) block.

16
b)
c) d)
e)
3.12 - Rigging the Mainsheet
Take one end of the mainsheet and
tie it through the middle of the block
which you just added with knot #2.
There are two mainsheet blocks already
attached to the boom.Take the free end
of the mainsheet and pass it forwards
through the front block on the boom.
Pass the end back down and through the block on
the bridle (which you added in step b).
Locate the mainsheet bridle in the rigging pack and tie it between the two
plastic deck eyes at the sides of the cockpit (just aft of the thwart).
Knot #3 Knot #3

17
f)
g)
3.12 - Rigging the Mainsheet
Pass the end back up to the boom and through the
ratchet block (the block furthest from the mast.
Make sure you pass the rope through the ratchet
block in the correct direction. There is an arrow on
the block to show this.
Pass the end down through the mainsheet block in the centre of the
cockpit (at the front of the toestrap) and tie a gure of eight in the tail.
Mainsheet System

18
a)
b)
c)
For this section, you will need:
• The RS Zest jib
• The jib halyard
• The jib sheet
Unroll the jib.
There is a rope with a bobble attached to the tack of the jib.
Tie one end of the jib halyard onto the loop of rope
sewn into the head of the jib, using knot #1.
3.13 - Rigging the Jib
Before the jib can be rigged for the rst time, the jib cleats and fairleads must be
added to the boat. See section 5.1 for how to do this.
Form a loop with this rope and pass it through the
eye, then pass the loop over the bobble.