southern spars 49er User manual

COMPOSITE SPARS & RIGGING |COMPONENTS | GLOBAL SERVICE
49erMast Users Manual

Southern Spars 49er Mast Users Manual
© Southern Spars 2009

Table of Contents
1 Care
Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Washdown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Paint Scratches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Rig Inspections . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
2 Use
Quick Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Setup Tips . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
UsefulTools. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
HalyardThreading . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Joining the Mast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
AttachingTrapeze Lines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Attaching Stays . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Tuning Guide . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
3 Dealer Information
Dealers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Mast Parts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Mast Fitout . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Warranty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
About Southern Spars . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

49er | 1
Introduction
Southern Spars is the licensed supplier of the 49er
rig. e three piece male moulded mast is made
from 100% standard modulus carbon and is available
through licensed 49er dealers.
In carbonising the 49er rig, the goal was to develop
a rig that could be easily and accurately reproduced
with an empahasis on the details that affect
performance.
e focus was on how to achieve cosistency of: bend,
weight and CG. ‘Bend’ is determined by the tube
stiffness, spreader angle and spreader stiffness, while
weight and CG are controlled through strict quality
control of materials.
It was also important to ensure the rig retained its
ability to perform through the full wind range while
targeting an ideal crew weight of 155-160kg.
Before building the first prototype rig, many hours
were spent running finite element studies of the mast-
sail combination to ensure the rig performed properly
throughout the full wind range.
eoretical rig setup (dock tune) was established and
the boat was run through a range of conditions using
the software to simulate real sailing loads to output
the deformed sailing shapes of the mast and sail. e
mast stiffness and sail design was changed many times
and fine tuned using the software before it was made
and sent sailing. Independent on-the-water testing
was conducted by Julian Bethwaite and his team, using
the first prototype rig in conditions ranging from 5-30
knots along with a range of crew weights.
e rig has been developed as a 3 piece mast. e
longest section is less than 4m so it is able to be easily
freighted around the world. Both sets of spreaders are
identical and interchangeable. e spreaders slide over
the tube joining spigots between the mast tubes and
are separate parts. is allows simple assembly and
ensures that the spreaders can be easily transported
separately and protected from damage.
Southern Spars have developed a unique system where
the spreaders automatically line up when the mast
sections are fitted together.
e main and spinnaker halyard sheaves are
incorporated into the masthead fitting.
Purchase systems for the Main and Jib halyards are
now attached to the mast base to give more travel and
easier access for adjustment. e main halyard has a
2:1 purchase at the head, plus a 2:1 adjustment at the
base.
For more information about Southern Spars, visit the
website @ www.southernspars.com
49erclass

49er | 2
Care
Washdown
Ensure the spar is washed down after each sail and
all salt has been removed.is will help prevent
corrosion of parts.
e mast should be thoroughly washed down once a
month, inside and out, to keep it in top condition.
Paint Scratches
Paint scratches should be touched up to avoid bare
carbon being exposed to the elements.
Southern Spars uses a two-pot polyurethane (gloss).
Any polyurethane paint system can be used to touch
up over this.
Travel
When shipping your mast, or travelling by road, it
is important to package it well using the Southern
Spars covers.
Ensure that rigging is removed to prevent the stays
from wearing or banging against the mast.
It is recommended a full inspection is performed
when re-rigging the mast.
Rig Inspections
New Stays will stretch slightly after sailing; therefore
it is important to re-inspect your tuning each day
for the first 2-3 sessions after sailing with the new
rigging.
Tape any clevis pins or sharp edges to prevent tearing
of the gennaker.
Weekly Inspections
All halyards, taping etc should be checked on
a weekly basis
Monthly Inspections
Check to see that all sheaves are free turning
and well lubricated
Check for wear on stays and spreaders
Bi-annual Inspection & Re-rigging Inspection
Check all fittings for wear
Check mast for cracking
Check spreaders for wear
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