RS SAILING Venture S Quick start guide

Rigging Manual V1
PLEASE FOLLOW RIGGING MANUAL IN THE CORRECT ORDER

1. Introduction
2. Preparation
2.1 - Hardware pack contents
2.2 - Rope pack contents
2.3 - Spinnaker pack contents
2.4 - Adding the toestraps
2.5 - Venture S centreboard
2.6 - Venture SE weighted centreboard
2.7 - Shroud verniers
2.8 - Forestay retainer
2.9 - Mainsheet bridle
2.10 - Righting lines
3. Rigging the mast
3.1 - Fitting the spreaders to the mast
3.2 - Spreader ends
3.3 - Stepping the mast
4. Boom
4.1 - Rigging the gnav
5. Sails
5.1 - Rigging the mainsheet
5.2 - Hoisting the jib
5.3 - Furling the jib
5.4 - Hoisting the mainsail
5.5 - Rigging the outhaul
5.6 - Rigging the downhaul
6. Gennaker
6.1 - Gennaker halyard elastic takeaway
6.2 - Tack line
6.3 - Rigging the gennaker halyard / downhaul
6.4 - Rigging the gennaker
6.5 - Rigging the gennaker sheet
7. Rudder
7.1 - Fitting the rudder
7.2 - Using the rudder
8. Reeng
8.1 - Rigging the reeng line
8.2 - Reeng the mainsail
9. Completion
10. Sailing hints
10.1 - Introduction
10.2 - Launching
10.3 - Leaving the beach
10.4 - Sailing Close-hauled and tacking
10.5 - Sailing downwind and gybing
10.6 - Using the gennaker
11. Maintenance
11.1 - Boat care
11.2 - Foil care
11.3 - Spar care
11.4 - Sail care
11.5 - Fixtures and ttings
12. Warranty
13. Knots
14. Glossary
Contents

1. Introduction
Congratulations on the purchase of your new RS Venture, 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 Venture 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 Venture, 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 Venture.
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
Hampshire SO51 9DQ
Tel: [phone]
Email: [email protected]
For details of your local RS Dealer, please visit www.RSsailing.com
1 - Introduction

2. Preparation
Your RS Venture comes complete with all the components necessary to take the boat
sailing. In order to commission it, you will need the following tools:
• Pliers or a shackle key
• Small, at-bladed screw driver
• PVC electrician’s tape
• Small Phillips screwdriver
• Blade
• Lighter to seal ropes
Whilst your RS Venture 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.
2 - Preparation
2.1 - Hardware pack
Tiller extension 1
Boom 1
Jib 1
Owner’s manual 1
Mainsail 1
Mast and rigging 1
Toestraps 4
Rudder blade 1
Rudder stock 1
Shroud covers 2

Mainsheet
Jib Sheet
Toestrap elastics long
Toestrap elastics short
Mainsheet bridle
Mainsheet bridle elastic
Righting lines
Forestay leash
Rudder downhaul #1
Rudder downhaul #2
Toestrap ties
1
1
1
1
1
1
2
2
Righting line elastic 2
1
1
1
Spinnaker takeaway
elastic
1
Spinnaker sheets
Ratchet blocks
Spinnaker
1
2
1
2.2 - Rope pack
2.3 - Spinnaker pack
2.1 - Hardware pack
Shroud verniers 2
Forestay retainer hook 1
Plastic ring (Gennaker
halyard take-away) 1

2.4 - Adding the toestraps
To complete this section you will need:
Toestraps x 4
Toestrap ties x 8
Toestrap elastic (long) x 2
Toestrap elastic (short) x 2
Pass the toestrap tie through the webbing
loop in the front end of the toestrap.
Pass the two ends of the toestrap tie under the front
toestrap plate (through the two gaps at the inboard
end of the plate) and tie knot #3 in the tails.
a)
b)
c)
Attach the aft end of the front toestraps in a similar
way, passing the ties through the two inboard holes
of the middle toestrap plate.

2.4 - Adding the toestraps
d)
e)
f)
g)
Attach the front end of the aft toestraps. They share the
middle toestrap plate with the front toestrap. Pass the tie
through the middle two holes.
Attach the aft end of the aft toestraps in a similar
way, passing the ties through the middle holes of the
aft toestrap plate.
Use the short elastic to tie the
two middle straps together.
Rotate the elastic to hide the knot in the webbing loop.
Use the long elastic to attach the front
toestraps to the eyelets on the cockpit wall.
Join the ends with knot #5 and rotate the
elastic so the knot is hidden inside the
toestrap.

2.5 - Venture S Centreboard
There is a plastic hook attached to the elastic on the
centreboard case. When the centreboard is down,
attach this hook to the rope loop on the end of the
centreboard.
a)
On a Venture S the centreboard should already be attached to your
boat. For Venture SE move on to section 2.6.

2.6 - Venture SE Weighted Centreboard
On a Venture SE the weighted centreboard should already be
attached to your boat. Please check it is rigged according to the
images below:
Uphaul purchase (grey
rope) shackled to mast
step.
Uphaul purchase (grey
rope) shackled to
centreboard eye.
A
A
B
B
C
C
D
D
E
E
F
F
Centreboard restraint
(blue rope) tied to
centreboard eye with
knot #1.
The elastic take up must have sufcient tension to cleat
the restraint rope when the centerboard is lowered.
Elastic tension can be adjusted at the block.
Centreboard restraint
running through cleat.
Centreboard uphaul
running through cleat.
Store centreboard
uphaul in pouch.

2.6 - Venture SE Weighted Centreboard
Weighted centreboard system
To lower the centreboard:
Slowly release the centreboard uphaul (grey rope)
Pull in the uphaul (grey rope) then cleat off.
Pull in the restraint line (blue rope) to take up
the slack.
Uncleat the restraint line (blue rope).
The restraint line must be cleated at
all times. Failure to do so may result
is serious injury when capsized.
a)
a)
b)
b)
To raise the centreboard:

2.7 - Shroud Verniers
2.8 - Forestay Retainer
FORWARD
FORWARD
Locate the shroud verniers in the hardware pack and
attach them to the shroud eye bolts.
Make sure they are orientated as shown.
a)
a)
b)
Locate the forestay retainer elastic and hook.
Tie one end of the elastic to the hook with knot #1.
Tie the other end of the elastic onto the bolt at the
aft end of the mast step with knot #1.

2.9 - Mainsheet Bridle
a)
b)
c)
d)
Take the middle of the mainsheet
bridle and form a loop. Pass this
loop through the 40mm block and
pass the tails back through the loop
to form knot #6.
Pass the end of the bridle through the forward hole in
the gunwhale and tie knot #3 underneath.
Repeat on the other side of the boat.
Locate the 40mm single block, mainsheet bridle and 2 x mainsheet bridle elastics.
Tie each elastic to the 40mm block with knot #1 as shown.
Pass the elastic through the rearmost hole in the
gunwhale and tie knot #3 underneath.
Repeat on the other side of the boat.

2.10 - Righting Lines
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
Locate the righting lines and righting line elastics in the rope pack.
Tie knot #4 in one end of the elastic.
There are two holes in the transom ange just below where
the mainsheet bridle elastic passes through the gunwhale.
Pass the righting line elastic through the lower of these
holes in an inboard direction, then back out through the
upper hole.
Tie knot #3 in one end of the righting line.
Pass the other end of the righting line aft through the P-clip which is
located beneath the gunwhale near the shroud U-bolt.
Pass the end of the righting line aft through the next P-clip (which is
located beneath the gunwhale, about 1.25 metres aft from the shroud
U-bolt).

2.10 - Righting Lines
f)
g)
Join the end of the righting line and the end of the elastic with knot #5.
Repeat steps a - f on the other side of the boat.
Righting line system
Righting line passes
through P-clip
Righting line passes
through P-clip
Knot #3 in end of
righting line.
Righting line joins
elastic with knot #5.
Elastic passes through
two holes in transom
ange and ties off with
knot #4.

Rigging Guide
3. Rigging the Mast
PLEASE FOLLOW RIGGING GUIDE IN CORRECT ORDER
To complete this section you will need:
• The mast
• A at-bladed screw driver

The Primary pin ts through the bracket’s PRIMARY HOLE and through the
FORWARD HOLE in the spreader.
3.1 - Fitting The Spreaders To The mast
It is worth taking time to ensure that this section is completed correctly. Improperly tted
spreaders will result in undesirable sailing characteristics, and may even result in failure
of the mast.
a) Carefully unpack the spreaders from the top of the mast, being sure not to damage
any of the securing split rings.
b) Unwind the shrouds and forestay from around the mast, and unwrap from the
packaging.
1
A
Fwd
Primary hole
Aft
B
C
D
E
2
3
45
6
7
The Adjuster pin ts down through HOLE 6 in the bracket and HOLE D in the spreader.

3.2 - Spreader Ends
Spreader end caps:
The spreader end cap incorporates two shroud wire slots to give a tight grip on either 2.5
or 3mm wire. The sizes are identied on the front face of the end cap.The RS Venture
uses 3mm shroud wire so the 3mm slot should be used.
The end cap can also be rotated so that the shroud can be positioned at either the
forward or aft position of the spreader end (see diagram above). For the RS Venture the
end cap should hold the shroud in the forward position.
To attach the shroud, slacken the end screw, rotate the end clamp if necessary, then
insert the shroud. Ensure that the shroud is tensioned between T-Terminal and spreader
tip, then tighten the screw rmly. This method “locks in” the dihedral angle.
Length Adjustment:
The position is described by the number of adjustment holes visible. For the RS Venture
there should be 1 hole visible as shown in the diagram below.
2.5 3.0
Rotate as
necessary
3mm hole fwd
Aft
Forward
shroud wire goes through forward hole
All clevis pins must be tted with the at head on top, and locked with a split
ring.
Tape all split rings, pins and the outboard end of the spreader extrusion.
This will reduce chafe on the mainsail and prevent ailing sails/halyards becoming
damaged. Self-amalgamating tape is best, but pvc electrical tape is an adequate
alternative.
one hole visible

Now the mast is ready to be put up in the boat, or “stepped”.
REMEMBER
Check that both ends of the main halyard, jib halyard, and gennaker halyard are
tied off at the bottom end of the mast so that they are within easy reach when the
mast is stepped.
Before stepping the mast, familiarise yourself with how the “foot” (bottom end) of the
mast will t into the “step” (tted to the boat).
The mast foot has two rectangular blocks on the bottom, separated by a groove. Both
of these blocks will t between the bolt at the front of the mast step, and the bolt at the
back.
Ensure that the shrouds and forestay are tted correctly and loose at the lower end.
Ensure all 3 halliards are tied to the pole ring on the front of the mast.
BEFORE STEPPING THE MAST, CHECK THAT YOU ARE
NOT IN THE VICINITY OF OVERHEAD POWER CABLES
Note: It is recommended that the mast should always be stepped with 2 people.
If the wind is blowing, there will be a lot of pressure at the top of the mast making it
wave around. Consider nding a second helper if you feel you will struggle!
3.3 - Stepping the Mast

Raise the mast so that it is standing on the ground next to the boat, adjacent to the mast
gate. This is most easily done if your helper places a foot against and over the base of the
mast, whilst you lift the mast from about mid section until it is upright. Your helper can now
easily support the mast so long as it is kept upright.
a)
b)
c)
d)
You now climb into the boat and stand squarely either side of the middle of the boat, close
to the mast gate. The mast should be lifted, keeping bolt upright of course, so it is close to
the gunwhale for you to lift in.
You can now lift the mast up over the gunwhale
of the Venture, keeping it upright of course, and
rest it down in the bottom of the boat, just aft of
the mast step.
Now lift the mast gently forward to securely locate into the mast step, easing it into the
mast gate as it goes. Now you are able to close the mast gate and attach the forestay to
the foredeck u-bolt with the snap-shackle provided.
3.3 - Stepping the Mast

e)
f) Attach the shrouds to the middle of the shroud
vernier with the clevis pin and split ring provided.
The fourth hole down on the vernier is a good
place to start.
3.3 - Stepping the Mast
b)
Slip the neoprene vernier covers
onto the shrouds, with the pointed
end at the top.
Wrap PVC electrician’s tape
around the split rings for
security and to avoid snagging.
Slide the neoprene boot down over the vernier.