Capri 14.2 Tuning Guide

Thanks for your purchase of North Sails for your Capri 14.2. We have designed these sails to be fast, easy to use and long lasting. The following tuning guide is meant to be a starting point for setting up your rig. We have developed these settings and instructions in order make your C 14.2 easy to sails and fast throughout the wide range of conditions you will encounter on the racecourse.

Setting up the Rig

Since the rig on the C-14.2 is pretty simple, tuning it is very easy. Our goal is to set the boat up so that the boat will have practically “neutral helm” when sailing upwind. We need this neutral helm so that we do not have to use the rudder too much upwind.

MAST RAKE

To achieve a neutral helm we need to set the boat up with as much rake as permitted. The forestay length should be the maximum allowed (15’3 3/4” per class rules). If the forestay is short either buy a new one or add shackles until it is the right length.

SHROUD TENSION

The one thing that has the most effect on the shape of your jib is the tension on the shrouds. Because we want the sail to be flatter upwind than downwind, the shrouds are set quite loose on the C-14.2. This allows the mast to tip forward down wind and get fuller.

To check your shroud tension, pull a tape measure to the top of the mast and measure to the middle of the transom while your crew is holding the mast forward by pulling on the forestay. The measurement should be 21’ 10 1/2” to 21’11”. Adjust your shroud pins up or down as needed to achieve these measurements.

Sail Trim

JIB

Because the leads on the C-14.2 are set so far outboard, it is important that the jib be trimmed quite tightly compared to other boats when sailing upwind. In light to medium air you will want a slight curve to the foot. However when the breeze is up and both skipper and crew are hiking trim the sail hard so that there is a slight crease running between the clew and the tack.

Always sail with the jib lead all the way forward. Your sail is cut with this in mind and having the lead forward will make the sail trim correctly.

Jib halyard tension is also very important and the halyard tension needs to be adjusted for changes in wind speed.

Basically we are looking to have a slight hint of wrinkles in the luff of the sail at all times. As the winds picks up you will need more halyard tension and as it decreases it will be necessary to ease off the halyard.

Downwind it pays to let off the jib halyard a bit to make the sail fuller and more powerful.

MAINSAIL

The mainsail has a few more adjustments than the jib and is actually a much more versatile sail because of that. Follow these guidelines for trimming the different main controls.

BOOM VANG

The vang is used primarily to control the boom so that it does not rise up and release power from the main when the sheet is let out.

Downwind tension the vang so that the top batten is parallel to the boom.

Upwind in light air the vang can be kept loose. However, when you need to start easing the sheet, to keep the boat on its feet, it’s time to tension the vang. In moderate air trim the mainsheet in, to it’s correct upwind setting, then take all the slack out of the vang. As the wind picks up more you will need to put more tension on the vang to de-power the lower part of sail and keep tension on the main leech as the sheet is eased.

CUNNINGHAM

The cunningham controls the fore and aft position of the draft in the main. Generally the cunningham is kept completely loose until the wind reaches about 8 12 knots, from there we tension the luff of the sail so that it is just smooth.

OUTHAUL

The outhaul is used to control the fullness in the lower part of the sail and is kept tight upwind except in the very lightest of winds. Downwind, let the outhaul off about 3” to fully open up the shelf foot in the bottom of the sail. Be careful not to let the outhaul off too much as you can reduce the mainsail area projected to the wind.

MAINSHEET

The mainsheet is the throttle on the boat and needs to be adjusted constantly. The best sailors rarely cleat their mainsheet. They are continually playing it to optimize their boat’s speed.

We start by making sure that the main traveler is set up so that mainsheet block stays in the middle all the time. You will need to tie knots in the traveler to restrict the block’s movement. Next set the height of the apex of the traveler to 28” above the top of the transom. This will insure that when you trim the main in all the way the blocks in the back come together.

Trim the main as tight as you can to keep the boat on its feet and sailing flat. Use the mainsheet to control the heel of the boat and keep it tracking upwind. Be careful not to over-trim the sail as this will cause the boat to go slow and be prone to tipping over quickly in a puff.

We hope this guide will be a good starting point for you as you get to know your new North Sails. As always, please feel free to give us a call if you have any questions.