Franco Pivoli’s tips for an easy (and happy) cruise / 3
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Back by popular demand are the practical tips of Franco Pivoli (among the founders of the Caprera Sailing Center, he was an Olympian in Montreal 1976 in the Tornadoes): some little jobs to do on the boat to make it easy and comfortable to cruise. What better time than now, with the season just around the corner and wind and sun beginning to call us back to the water? You asked us to take a closer look at the practical implementation of some tips that struck you in the issue a few months ago, and here you are! The advice of Franco Pivoli, who, we recall, sails the length and breadth of the Mediterranean for at least four months of the year aboard a 1992 Grand Soleil 45, is “geek jobs”: where spending little gets ingenious results. Achievements that facilitate life on board in small crews and streamline maneuvering and consumption. In this third installment, we discuss winding foresail…
ROLLING FORESAIL, WHAT A CONVENIENCE!
“Since I am going out on my own, I decided to make the foresail roll-up. Using a whisk like the gennaker whisk., from the workload of three tons, I had Gottifredi and Maffioli make a second stocking on the forestay out of textile to make it anti-twist, and I modified my foresail by removing the garrocci and putting a luff in which I passed my forestay.”
All it takes is a little: a day’s work at the sailmaker, some waxed thread to fasten it to the forestay, and the sail is ready. On the attachment point of the forestay foresail halyard is to be fastened, which is then tacked with a block (from 700 kg working load). “The halyard I had before, made of polyester, didn’t fit, so I replaced it with a longer one (having to anchor it for 12 meters the 28 m halyard is now 40) to which I replaced the core with 8 mm Ultra for 20 m.”
An operation that seems simple, all it takes is a little patience: when the foresail is hoisted on the winch, it works a cable that can carry a significant load without stretching. When it is not hoisted, the foresail is stored in a PVC mesh bag that is attached to the dragnets. “I made a 3-meter by 50-cm bag, the foresail is 12 meters of luff, folded three times it fits perfectly.”
FIRST BET: COMFORTABLE GENNAKER
SECOND INSTALLMENT: UNCOMPLICATED MAINSAIL AND JIB
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