JavaScript seems to be disabled in your browser. For the best experience on our site, be sure to turn on Javascript in your browser.
- Compare ( )
- Create an Account
- Essentials and Rigging Guides
Navigation:
Beginner 420 Essentials:
High School and College Sailors - 15% Off Apparel & Accessories - LEARN MORE
- Call Us +1-503-285-5536
- Sign in & Register
- Recently Viewed
Club 420 Resources
The Club 420 sailboat is ideal for yacht clubs and institutional racing programs that want a larger fiberglass boat than the FJ. West Coast Sailing has all the resources you need to rig, find replacement parts, and enjoy sailing the Club 420.
Shop Club 420 Parts
Club 420 Photos (Link)
Club 420 Line Lengths:
Main Halyard | 40 ft | 6mm | Halyard | 1 |
|
Jib Halyard (Complete) | --- | --- | Wire Halyard | 1 | |
Jib Halyard (Tail) | 16 ft | 6mm | Halyard | 1 | |
Spinnaker Halyard | 38 ft | 4mm | Halyard | 1 | |
Topping Lift | 30 ft | 5mm | Halyard | 1 | |
Mainsheet | 30 ft | 9mm | Sheet | 1 | |
420 Jib Sheet | 25 ft | 9mm | Sheet | 1 | |
Spinnaker Sheet | 36 ft | 5mm | Sheet | 1 | |
Spliced Mainsheet Bridle | --- | --- | Sheet | 1 | |
Centerboard Downhaul | 5 ft | 5mm | Control Line | 1 | |
Centerboard Uphaul | 7.5 ft | 5mm | Control Line | 1 | |
Cunningham | 5 ft | 5mm | Control Line | 1 | Robline Sirius 500 |
Foreguy | 8 ft | 5mm | Control Line | 1 | |
Outhaul Line | 10 ft | 5mm | Control Line | 1 | |
Vang (JRV 16:1) | 18 ft | 3mm | Control Line | 1 | |
Vang (SCV) | 16 ft | 5mm | Control Line | 1 | |
Hiking Strap Aft Tie | 4 ft | 5mm | Misc. | 2 | |
Hiking Strap Center Tie | 1.5 ft | 5mm | Misc. | 2 | |
Hiking Strap Shockcord | 4.5 ft | 6mm | Misc. | 2 | |
Painter (Bow Line) | 15 ft | 8mm | Misc. | 1 | |
Spinnaker Bag Shockcord | 5 ft | 5mm | Misc. | 1 | |
Spinnaker Block Line | 2 ft | 2.7mm | Misc. | 2 | |
Spinnaker Pole Shockcord | 9 ft | 5mm | Misc. | 1 | |
Trap Wire Adjuster | 7 ft | 5mm | Trapeze | 2 | |
Trapeze Shockcord | 11 ft | 5mm | Trapeze | 1 |
About the Club 420:
The Club 420 sailboat is a popular double-handed sailing dinghy that is widely used for both recreational sailing and competitive racing. This boat is known for its stability, versatility, and performance, making it an ideal choice for sailors of varying skill levels. The Club 420 is equipped with a main and jib sail, providing sailors with an exciting and responsive sailing experience. Its design promotes teamwork, making it a popular choice for youth sailing programs and racing events. The boat's manageable size and ease of handling contribute to its popularity among sailors looking for an accessible yet exhilarating sailing experience.
Subscribe To Our Newsletter
Sign up for our newsletter to receive exclusive discounts, new product announcements, and upcoming sales.
- Club Finder
Search |
---|
420 Rigging Guide
Go To: Sailing - Rigging Guides
Posted on 14 March 2009 19:26
A smaller version of the olympic 470 class, the 420 was formerly a youth development class (i.e. young people trained up in the 420 before moving onto olympic class boats), the 420 has a good class following, and is a good introduction to performance boats.
The 420 has a Plymouth Yardstick (Handicap Number) of 1087 - pretty fast, but still fair. For those who like the 420, as they progress they may move into the larger 470, which has a similar layout but is slightly larger. The 420 has a single crew trapeze and a symmetric spinnaker, and for those nutters amongst you, can even be setup to sail single handed.
Photo 1, The 420, ready to rig with no wind.
Photo 2, Cockpit layout
Photo 3, Front bulkhead and mast
What You need
- Hull - Mast + Shrouds and Forestay - Boom - Main Sail - Rudder - Centreboard (usually attached) - Outhaul - Downhaul - Kicking Strap - Bungs - Painter Rope - Elastic bungee for the trapeze
Photo 4, Mast and halyard jammer arrangement
Photo 5, Thwarte and centreboard
Photo 6, Rudder pintles
Photo 7, Traveller
Lets Get Started!
Photo 8, Jib sheet jammers
Photo 9, Parts laid out ready to rig
Before starting for the first time, make sure you have everything available, or a rope and spares box handy. The 420 hull is smooth with no chines (ridges), so can be quite "tippy". Once again the 420 is a restricted design rather than one design, so there is room for alternatives, if you want to experiment or upgrade, we suggest you take a look at the 420 Class Rules for more information.
Photo 10, Closeup of kicker parts
Photo 11, Underside of boom
We chose not to take apart the mast and take it down. If yours comes with the mast off, which it possibly will, it's a simple matter of untangling the shroud and forestay wires, dropping the bottom of the mast into the mast step inside the boat (after checking the bottom of the mast is clean), and then securing the shroud and forestay wires with split pins and rings or whatever other fittings are on your boat. It's a good idea to check the state of the pulley sheaves in the bottom of the mast - if these are rusted, jammed up or just don't run very well it makes it harder to hoist the sails.
We recommend two people to step the mast - one to hold the mast up while the other attaches the pins. Masts on 420's can vary, with jammers and pulley blocks in different positions. The spreaders should be adjustable - although we haven't yet covered adjusting these in an article, look for one soon.
Photo 12, Back end of boom
Photo 13, Kicker attachment on boom
Photo 14, Spinnaker pole holders
Photo 15, Attach the jib to the front chainplate
Attach the fitting at the bottom of the jib luff to the chainplate or fixing at the front of the deck, as shown in Photo 15. The jib goes behind the forestay, as shown. Attach the top of the jib luff to the free end of the halyard with a shackle (Photo 16), and then hoist the jib. Tie the halyard off into the appropriate jammer/cleat, usually found on the mast on a 420. At this point, if the mast is adjusted correctly, the jib luff should now be tight, and the forestay a little slack, as shown in the photo. To achieve this, the best way is for one person to pull forward on the forestay to pull the mast forward slightly, while the other hoists the jib.
Photo 16, Attach the jib to the end of the halyard
Next, attach the jib sheets to the clew on the jib. The easiest way is to double the rope over to find the midpoint, tie one stopper knot, feed it through the clew, and then tie another stopper knot the other side - this keeps the rope with equal lengths either side (Photo 19). Feed the working ends of each jib sheet inside each shroud and trapeze wire, through the fairlead and jammer block (Photo 20). Finish it off with a stopper or figure 8 knot.
Photo 17, Hoist the jib
Photo 18, Jib hoisted. The wind was starting to pick up...
Photo 19, Jib sheet attached to clew of jib
An alternative method is to use continuous jib sheets, particularly if you are mad enough to sail it single handed. There are two ways to do this - either rig as above, and tie the ends together, or for a more permanent arrangement without any knots in the boat, dou need to do this slightly back to front, and feed the working ends through the jammers backwards, before attaching to the sail. Pass each end through the clew so there are two lengths of rope going through the clew, and then tie a fishermans knot - tie a single basic knot in each piece of rope, with the other end passing through the middle of it. This will make it harder to take the jib sheets off, so don't do it if you need to derig quickly; it also means you can't use the jibsheet to help right the boat after a capsize.
Photo 20, Pass the jib sheets through the jammers
Photo 21, Slide the main sail foot car into the boom
3. Main Sail onto boom
Next, feed the car on the bottom of the mainsail (Photo 21), and then the mainsail foot, into the slot on the top of the boom (Photo 22). Pull it along until it reaches the end (photo 23), then slide a cotter pin into the fitting at the end (Photo 24), through the eye in the tack, to hold the front egde of the sail.
Photo 22, Pull the main sail along the boom
Photo 23, All the way to the end
Photo 24, Pin the tack of the main sail
Photo 25, Thread the outhaul rope thorugh the jammer
We have the end of our outhaul rope whipped with tape to stop it fraying, and we had no source of flame available. Put a knot in one end of the outhaul rope, and then pass the other, working end, through the v jammer style cleat on the underside of the boom (Photo 25). Pass it through the boom end (Photo 26), around the sheave (Photo 27), and through to the top of the boom (Photo 28). Next, either attach it to a shackle (Photo 29) and the shackle to the clew of the sail, or directly attach it to the clew using a bowline. The complete outhaul can be seen in Photo 31. If you are setting up the boat for competitive racing, you may wish to change this arrangement, just remember to keep within the class rules!
Photo 26, Then through the end of the boom
Photo 27, Around the sheave
Photo 28, Pull it through
Photo 29, Attach to a shackle or the sail
Photo 30, A shackle can be used for quick derigging
Photo 31, Outhaul complete
5. Hoist mainsail
Attach the main sail halyard to the top of the mainsail using an appropriate shackle (Photo 32), then one person should feed the main sail luff into the slot on the back of the mast (Photo 33), as the other hoists it using the halyard (Photo 34).
Photo 32, Attach the main sail halyard
Photo 33, Feed the main sail luff into the mast slot
Do not put the boom on the gooseneck yet - one person should lift the boom to take the weight off the sail, and then hoist the sail to the top of the mast. Next, pull down on the boom and feed it onto the gooseneck (Photo 35).
Photo 34, Hoist the main sail
Photo 35, Pull the boom down to the gooseneck
Now, put the kicker together. A swivel block is attached to the mast, and a v-jammer to the underside of the boom. In our pictures, the v-jammer is attached to a short length of steel wire, which is permanently fixed onto the underside of the boom.
Photo 36, Assemble the kicker
Photo 37, Assemble the kicker
Next, feed the rope through the blocks as shown, starting by tying the one end to the becket on the v-jammer, down through the swivel block from underneath up to the top, then back up to the v-jammer, around and out through the jammer. Put a stopper or figure 8 knot in the end to sop it going through. See Photos 36-38 to assemble the kicker, and Photo 39 for the completed kicking strap.
7. Trapeze Handles + Elastic
Assemble the trapeze handle jammers in the same manner as the kicker - although in the picture shown, our top block is twisted round (Photo 40). A length of elastic reaches from one handle to the other, going from a handle, through a fairlead, through a whole in the deck/bow, behind the mast, then out the other side to the other trapeze handle (Photos 41 and 42). We'd recommend not using the trapeze the first time you go out, until you get more used to the boat, unless you are a very experienced trapeze artist!
Photo 38, Assemble the kicker
Photo 39, The complete kicker (2:1)
Photo 40, An assembled trapeze wire and handle
Photo 41, The trapeze elastic
8. Mainsheet + Traveller
Tie one end of the main sheet to the fairlead fixing in the middle of the underside of the boom behind the swivel block (Photo 43), with a bowline (Photo 44). Feed it through the block attached to the traveller behind the centreboard (Photo 45), then back up and through the swivel block on the boom (Photo 46). Next, take the working end down, and through the pull and then the jammer block (Photo 47), and finish off with a stopper or figure 8 knot.
Photo 42, The trapeze elastic
Photo 43, Attach the main sheet to the boom
Different traveller designs are used on 420s - on ours an older one is in use, which has seen better days. Unfortunately, its broken to the point where it can no longer be used as a traveller, and is difficult to replace because it is fixed onto the bouyancy tanks at either side - this is an important thing to look out for when buying a 420.
Photo 44, Attach the main sheet to the boom
Photo 45, Through the pulley on the traveller
In theory, the position of the traveller can either be fixed by jamming the adjustment lines to control the amount of twist in the sail, or left to move from side to side as required.
Photo 46, Back up to the pulley on the boom
Photo 47, The complete mainsheet
This is an easy one - attach the rudder to the pintles on transom as shown (Photo 48). Depending on your style of rudder/tiller, you may have uphaul and/or downhaul lines on it (Photo 49).
Photo 48, Add the rudder
Photo 49, Attach the rudder uphaul
Ensure you place all bungs into holes that require them - this is important, as 420's have very large bouyancy tanks which don't take well to filling up with water (Photos 50 and 51).
Photo 50, Don't forget the bungs!
Photo 51, Don't forget the bungs!
11. Buying a 420
There are several things to watch out for when buying a second hand 420. First of all, check for the springiness of the tops of the bouyancy tanks, where you sit - these can be weaker on older models and are difficult to strengthen. Also look at the traveller and see what condition it is in, and how easy to replace - be careful if it is similar to ours as we are having difficulty locating spares to repair ours. As always, check for the condition of the deck, and look for any cracks or damage, particularly along seams, joins and structural areas.
On the mast, the pulley blocks can wear out quickly, as they tend to sit in water at the bottom of the boat. This can make it hard to hoist the sail. On the subject of the sail - check the luff for any damage, particularly around the top full length batten where it can wear and make it hard to hoist the sail.
Check any hairline cracks around the hull - it is usual to see them on an older boat, just make sure they aren't hiding more damage, particularly in corners or joins.
There you have it - a fully rigged and ready to sail 420. The 420 does have a spinnaker - unfortunately we had no wind when we started rigging our boat, but a devilish Force 6 by the time we finished, so not very good for rigging a spinnaker on land. We will revisit the 420 soon and add an article on rigging the spinnaker.
Photo 52, The 420, all rigged (minus spinnaker)
Photo 53, A rather windy day by now, with good sail shape and streaming telltales!
- Download the PDF version of this article
Fig 1. Get all the gear ready
Home - About Us - Sailing - Club Finder - Links - Link To Us - Join Us - Contact Us - Classes - Reviews - Photo Galleries - Glossary - Knots
Disclaimer - Privacy Policy
- NCA’s login
- 420 World Championships
- 420 Junior European Championships
- 420 European Championships
- Youth Sailing World Championships
- 2022 Eurosaf 420 Cup
- Regional Games
- Results archive - 420 World Championships
- Results archive - 420 Junior Europeans
- Bid for a Championship
- Latest news
- 420 Newsletter
- Why to Sail a 420
- Introduction to the 420
- Tips for buying a 420
Getting into Racing
- Buy and Sell Marketplace
- 420 Superstars
- 420 National Class Associations
- Sustainability
- 420 Executive and Technical Committees
- Constitution
- 420 General Assembly Meetings
- Membership Fees
- 420 Class Privacy Policy
- 420 Class 50th Anniversary
- Privacy Notice
- 2023 420 Class Development Programme
420 to the Max - Free online training video
New 420 tuning video.
- 420 e-Book - Performance Training
420 Boat Settings - Beginner's Guide
- I-420 Sailing Academy
- Learn to Sail - Recommended Boat
- 420 Class Rules
- 420 Licensed Builders
- How to become be a Licensed Builder
- 420 Technical Documentation
- 420 Sail Stickers and Boat Plaques
420 Sails and Spars Manufacturers Guides
- 420 Sailmakers and Equipment Suppliers
- International Measurers
- The Racing Rules of Sailing
- Equipment used at 420 Championships
- Media office
DEVELOPMENT 420 Boat Settings - Beginner's Guide
© Event Media
Courtesy of the British 420 Class Association , below is information on some basic boat settings written by Matt Burge:
Guide to Barber Hauling
Guide to Mast Rake
Guide to Changing Mast Rake on the Water
Guide to using Mast Chocks
Guide to Spreaders
Guide to Main Sheet Bridles
Guide to Tuning
Barber hauling is the name given to tensioning the windward/slack jib sheet. This is not done in all boats (e.g. the Mirror) but in the 420 it helps to achieve a faster jib slot / leech shape. You apply barber hauler simply by pulling the windward jib sheet and cleating it. It is very important to know how much to pull it on though.
Barber hauling makes the jib fuller and therefore more powerful. It has the same effect on the jib as chocks do to the main, and therefore follows a similar pattern:
- In very light winds and when you are overpowered you want the jib flat, so none is needed, however it often pays to put on half an inch in strong wind because it makes the leech more stable.
- In wiring conditions before flat-wiring you again want power, so it is good to pull on about an inch and a half. If it is choppy as well up to two inches is good. Exceeding two inches however will close the slot and is not fast so be careful.
- Putting marks on your jib sheets in both the sheeting positions and the barber-hauler positions will help you to judge how much jib sheet and/or barber hauler you have on.
- Pull on rig tension until it reads 30 on the tension meter. (Always take the reading at shoulder height up the shroud).
- Tie the tape measure to the end of the main halyard and pull to the top of the mast. Then lower it slightly until it measures 16’1½” at the top of the black band at the gooseneck.
- Pull the tape measure to the transom & take the measurement at the top edge of the transom. We are aiming for a reading of 19’11” here (with 30 on the rig tension). So if it is 19’11” leave it and put a pen mark on the mast lining up with where the rig tension block/hook is. Label this mark ‘L’ and record which hole the shrouds are in on the chain plates. This is your light wind setting.
- If it does not read 19’11” then take the rig tension off & move the shrouds down the chain plates if the reading is above 19’11”, and up the plates if it is below. (Each hole on the chain plates will make a difference of roughly 1½” to your measurement).
- Repeat steps 1-4 until you achieve 19’11” with 30 on the rig tension.
- Then, repeat steps 1-4 but to get a measurement of 19’9¾”. Once achieved mark the mast with ‘M’ and again record the hole number (which is usually a hole down from the light wind setting). This is your medium wind setting. Don’t worry if a rig tension of 31 is needed to achieve this measurement.
- Then, do the same again but to get 19’8½” using 31-32 on the rig tension. Mark this as ‘S’ on your mast and record the hole number, (which is usually a hole down from the medium setting). This is your strong wind setting.
- If you & your crew are very light you may like to set up 19’7” with 31-32 on the rig tension. Use this only in very windy conditions.
The strengths of wind at which you should change settings depends entirely on your crew weight:
Use the light wind setting upto the point where you become overpowered. i.e. your crew is flat wiring and you are having to play more than 6” of mainsail.
Then change to medium wind settings. If you are then having to play more than 6” of mainsail all the time on medium settings then change to strong wind settings.
Always choose the setting that best suits the strength of the lulls.
- Go ‘heave-to’. (Back the jib, let the main sail go completely & put the tiller down to leeward).
- Completely let the rig tension off & pull the kicker on hard. This will make the leeward shroud go slack.
- Change the leeward shroud to the new hole.
- Tack & go ‘heave-to’ on the other tack.
- Change the leeward/other shroud to the new hole.
- Release the kicker and pull the rig tension onto the new mark on the mast (that corresponds to the new hole numbers).
This process will take a few minutes and so is not practical to do in a race. However it is useful to be able to do before a race and in between races should the wind get up or die.
It is a good idea to tie your shroud plate pins onto the plates so that you do not loose them whilst changing holes on the water. It is also safer to buy shroud plates that the shrouds cannot come out the top of should things go wrong!
Chock are the small ‘mushroom-shaped’ plates that you can put in front of the mast. They affect the pre-bend and as a result affect the amount of power you have in the mainsail:
Less pre-bend = Straighter mast = Fuller mainsail = More power More pre-bend = More curved mast = Flatter mainsail = Less power
Chocks alter the pre-bend by pushing back on the lower mast, therefore straightening it. So the more chocks that you put in the straighter the mast becomes and the more power you achieve.
Therefore; more chocks = more power
If you set up your light wind mast rake you will find a gap in front of the mast where the chocks go. If you fill this gap with chocks so that they are touching the mast but not pushing back on it this is your neutral number of chocks. Record/remember this number of chocks.
When you have neutral chocks in your sail is at its flattest, so neutral chocks are good when the wind is very light or if you are overpowered. As soon as you get on the wire there is enough wind for the sail to cope with being a bit fuller & more powerful put one more chock in (we call this +1). When you are well out on the wire (but not flat wiring/overpowered), and especially in choppy conditions put two extra chocks in (+2) for maximum power. However, as soon as you become overpowered (i.e. flat-wiring & playing the mainsail all the time) then go back down to neutral chocks because you do not need any extra power.
Also, do not exceed two extra chocks – putting in three extra chocks is likely to invert the mast!!!
It is not always practical to change chocks in a race so make sure they are right before you start. If the wind does change in a race such that you need to change the chocks then the best time to do it is on a run – there is less forwards pressure on the mast on a run & the crew is in the boat and able to reach the chocks.
NOTE: If you are very overpowered in very strong wind then you can remove one of the neutral chocks (-1). This will help to flatten/de-power your sail even more.
If you set up your light wind setting you will notice that your mast has a slight bend/curve going up it, this is called the pre-bend. The amount of pre-bend is controlled by the spreaders. You can measure pre-bend by following these steps:
- Set up your light wind setting & make sure there are no chocks in.
- Get the heavier of the two of you to pull and hold the main halyard tight against the gooseneck on the back edge of the mast.
- Meanwhile the lighter one of you needs to climb onto the boat (carefully) and stand next to the mast where the chocks normally go.
- From this position measure (using a ruler) the distance between the halyard and the back edge of the mast where the spreaders join. (This is the point where the pre-bend is greatest).
Different makes of sails require different pre-bends, these are:
Pinnel & Bax – 35mm Olimpic – 33mm Speed – 32mm North – 32mm
If your pre-bend measurement does not equal your sail’s requirement then release the rig tension, adjust the spreaders so that they are angled further back if your measurement is too small or further forward if it is too large. Then re-measure the pre-bend using steps 1-4 and keep adjusting until its right!
The bridle is the piece of rope that holds your mainsheet block and joins onto each end of the bar behind the centreboard. The lengths of the bridle are very important because they control the mainsail leech tension when block to block. The rules state that you are allowed two settings on your bridle length, so we set up one to be used with the light wind mast rake and one to be used with the medium & strong wind mast rakes. (The bridle length is changed with mast rake like this because the boom height alters with mast rake).
To set up the light wind bridle:
- Choose a day with a force 3-4 wind & set up your light wind mast rake.
- Check that the bridle ropes are equal in length by lining the block up along the centreboard. Adjust them so that they are.
- Hoist the main sail and set it up as if you were going sailing (eg outhaul on etc but no kicker on). Also, turn the boat 45 degrees to the wind so that it’s in the close hauled position. You will need to get your crew to hold the side of the boat so that a gust doesn’t blow it off the trailer!
- Pull the main in block to block and look at the leech. If none of the telltails are flying & it’s straight/tight then your bridle is too short. If the leech is very bowed/slack and all the telltails are flying then your bridle is too long. If your leech has a slight curve and the top telltail is flying 50% of the time then your bridle is perfect. (Make sure the kicker is off all the time).
- Adjust your bridle until this perfect leech is achieved, making sure you make equal adjustments to each side so it always lines up with the centreboard. Once achieved this is your light wind bridle setting.
To make the strong wind setting just tie two loops 7cm up from where the ends of the bridle join the clips on the bar. To use the strong setting you just need to clip the loops onto the bar:
NOTE: You will now need to set up your light wind setting again because tying the loops will have shortened the light wind settings quite a lot.
The following is a general table on how you might set up your 420 for different conditions. This does depend upon your crew weight though and so should not be followed religiously. I would encourage you however to make a table of your own personal settings built up through trail and error.
Related content
The Worldwide Leader in Sailmaking
- Sail Care & Repair
- Sailing Gear
- Find A Loft
- Sail Finder
- Custom Sails
- One Design Sails
- Flying Sails
- New Sail Quote
- 3Di Technology
- Helix Technology
- Sail Design
- AEROTECH Spinnaker Cloth
- NPL RENEW Sustainable Sailcloth
- Sailcloth & Material Guide
- Polo Shirts
- Sweaters & Cardigans
- Sweatshirts & Hoodies
- Accessories
- Shop the look
- Mid & Baselayers
- Deckwear & Footwear
- Luggage & Accessories
- Fall Winter '24
- Les Voiles de Saint Tropez
- North Sails x 37th America's Cup
- Sailor Jackets
- 727 Sailbags X North Sails
- T-shirts & Tops
- Sailor Jacket
- Sustainability
- North Sails Blog
- Sail Like A Girl
- 37th America's Cup
- Icon Sailor Jacket
- NS x Slowear
- Our Locations
- Certified B Corporation
- North SUP Boards
- North Foils
- North Kiteboarding
- North Windsurfing
SAIL FINDER
SAILING GEAR
COLLECTIONS & COLLAB
COLLECTIONS
WE ARE NORTH SAILS
ACTION SPORTS
Popular Search Terms
Organic cotton
Scuba fleece
Drawstring hood
Utility pocket
Stand collar
Sorry, no results for ""
Subscription
Welcome aboard.
We want to make our emails as relevant as possible for you.
Interests saved
Something went wrong, please try again
Welcome to North Sails
Stay up to date with the latest North Sails news.
Receive a 10% discount code for your first apparel order. Excludes sails and SUP’s. See our Terms and Conditions .
Yes, I agree to the terms of use and privacy policy.
420 TUNING GUIDE
- Quick Tuning Chart for the M-11 Mainsail
- Quick Tuning Chart for the M-7 and M-9 Mainsails
- Bolt Rope Instructions
BOAT TUNING
Heavy | Crew Weight | Light |
Softer | Mast Stiffness | Stiffer |
You can see the above chart to search for proper pre-bend by checking your weight and mast stiffness. If you can’t find it, you can test to sail with every 5mm different pre-bend in the range provided in the tuning table to evaluate how the boat performs and you feel the boat.You may try pre-bend out of this range, if necessary. *In case it is difficult to bring enough pre-bend, you may move the mast step position back by 1-3cm.
Spreader Deflection
Due to the base helm characteristics of 420, you need to put the mast step almost max forward in the rule which is 2830mm. From this position, you then adjust the deflection (D) to create the desired pre-bend.
Spreader Length
480mm is the standard length. The length affects sideways bend. That makes a difference in stability of the mainsail leech and its response when a puff hits the boat. One suggestion is set longer spreader lengths for heavy crews and shorter for light weight crews. This can cover the weak area of each team’s weight. You can control it in range of 465-495mm, which is effective.
TUNING TIPS
In the breeze you need to chock quite hard as you need to use a lot of vang tension in the wind.
Cunningham – Do not use any until you are overpowered, then start to use gradually, you have to take it very hard on when strong wind.To archieve it,it is good to have a bowline tied at the end of the rope so crew could get their foot in the loop to get more cunningham tension on.
Windward Sheet – Windward sheeting is important to hold the jib leech position at the proper inside position to create the best performance, even though it is not easy to use it properly. Use to put mark on the jib sheet at the cleat. performance, even though it is not easy to use it properly.
Jib Height – The peak rope fixed at the head of jib controls the jib height.Normally it must be fixed by having a proper deck sweeping effect. However, for the 420 class it is important to know the height should be adjusted to provide the optimum jib lead angle. As the sheeting point is fixed, you should adjust the peak rope to move the jib clew up or down to achieve the desired sheeting angle. So you can use it for this sake.Clear understanding about the relationship between jib lead angle, jib height and mast rake will let you set up the jib to suit the conditions.
Spinnaker Pole Height
When using the spinnaker in choppy waves on a flat run, it is best to set up the spinnaker pole height so the tack (corner of spinnaker the pole is closet to) is slightly lower than the clew.
Centreboard
You needed to have a good action to play the centerboard as it is hard to adjust the other controls readily. The centreboard slot needs to be packed well with the centreboard to allow the centreboard to be changed easily.
GET IN TOUCH
REQUEST A QUOTE
BROWSE ALL SAILS
FIND YOUR SAIL
Latest north sails news.
26 September
LOFT 57 PODCAST: REFLECTIONS FROM AMERICA’S CUP LEGENDS
24 September
AMERICA'S CUP LESSONS IN LEADERSHIP WITH TOM WHIDDEN
23 September
THE SECRETS OF SAIL DESIGN WITH BURNS FALLOW
- Refresh page
IMAGES
VIDEO
COMMENTS
Rigging Manual Rev. Rigging Manual Club 420 Class. Performance sailcraft 2000 Inc 2555 Dollard Lasalle, Quebec, H8N 3A9 Tel: 514 363 5050 eMail: info @ps2000.ca Website: www.ps2000.ca. Mast set up. Remove the pole and unwrap the spreaders. Mount them in spreader bracket with the thick side of the airfoil facing forward.
International 420 Basic Rigging Guide. By Peter Gray. Introduction. This manual contains a pictorial anatomy of the International 420 dinghy, and explains how the boat can be rigged. It is based primarily on my own dinghy and it's particular fit out. Individual boats will differ slightly in a number of areas, where there is scope for rigging ...
Beginner 420 Essentials: Ideal doublehanded junior boat for crews ranging in size from 220-310 pounds total, the Club 420 is manageable for sailors coming out of the Optimist class and enables young sailors to learn teamwork, trapeze, and spinnaker techniques. Developed over 20 years ago by Vanguard Sailboats - the 420 is the official ...
420 Rigging Guide. 4. Outhaul. The end of our outhaul rope whipped with tape to stop it fraying. Put a knot in one end of the outhaul rope, and then pass the other, working end, through the v jammer style cleat on the underside of the boom. Pass it through the boom end (Photo 26), around the sheave.
Sail 1 Design C420 Marketplace; Need a Crew/Skipper; C420 Logo. JPG Version; ... Rigging & Tuning. Tuning Hints from C of C: Tuning Guide Vanguard: Tuning Guide North Sails: Zim 420 Rigging & Tuning Guide: Rigging Manual PS2000: C420 Parts Guide (Vanguard) Zim 420 Parts Locator: ... Club 420 Association July 15 Statement on Non-Conforming ...
As you know, the Club 420 is an extremely popular boat used in both college and club/junior racing. It has been sailed in numerous Youth Championships. It is the recognized junior class boat in many areas. In college sailing, once the standing rigging is set, there is no adjustment to the shrouds, spreaders, mast butt position, etc.
420 Racing Guide The key to read this tuning guide is not memorizing it, but to understand it in order to be aware through the ... Ullman Sails 420 Racing Guide - V2.0 2 of 4 Tuning the Rig Wind Strength 0-6 7-11 12-15 16-19 20+ ... Sailing the Boat Upwind The 420 is most efficient when sailed as flat as possible. Excessive heel causes leeway ...
Parts Locators, Rigging Guides, Tips, and Advice for C420 Sailboats. ... C420 Rigging guide. ... About the Club 420: The Club 420 sailboat is a popular double-handed sailing dinghy that is widely used for both recreational sailing and competitive racing. This boat is known for its stability, versatility, and performance, making it an ideal ...
Watch and learn as our very own Ian Bosse teaches you how to rig a 420 to be ready to sail!
420 Rigging Guide. Go To: Sailing - Rigging Guides Posted on 14 March 2009 19:26. A smaller version of the olympic 470 class, the 420 was formerly a youth development class (i.e. young people trained up in the 420 before moving onto olympic class boats), the 420 has a good class following, and is a good introduction to performance boats.
The€manual€is€aimed€at€new€International€420€sailors€who€would€appreciate€a€detailed€reference€guide.€I€have€tried€to€be€as€specific€as possible€when€referring€to€the€various€rigging€components,€as€nautical€terminology€can€sometimes€be€confusing€and€lack€consistency ...
How-to Guides. 420s are technical boats; changing the rigging setting can make all the difference to the boat's performance and in turn your results. We've created some easy guides to help you: 420 boat settings beginners guide: Introduction to tuning: International 420 Class - 420 Tuning Video. Boat set up guidance for the GBR 420 ...
Guide to Mast Rake. Pull on rig tension until it reads 30 on the tension meter. (Always take the reading at shoulder height up the shroud). Tie the tape measure to the end of the main halyard and pull to the top of the mast. Then lower it slightly until it measures 16'1½" at the top of the black band at the gooseneck.
Jib. The 420 jib, even with the new sheeting positions, if used, still needs to be barber-hauled in all except the heaviest winds. To do this, pull in the jib sheet hard, then ease it 1" (2.5cm). Now pull in the windward sheet hard and cleat it. In light airs, only pull on a little barber haul.
S.A.: Sail Area. The total combined area of the sails when sailing upwind. S.A. (reported) is the area reported by the builder. (Verses ** S.A. (100% Fore + Main Triangles) which is the area as defined by the rig measurements.) S.A. (reported) can differ depending on the size of the head sail used to calculate the S.A.
420 TUNING GUIDE. Download: You can see the above chart to search for proper pre-bend by checking your weight and mast stiffness. If you can't find it, you can test to sail with every 5mm different pre-bend in the range provided in the tuning table to evaluate how the boat performs and you feel the boat.You may try pre-bend out of this range ...
This tuning guide recommends a maximum shroud tension of 350 pounds. Some crews may wish to go slightly firmer than this. It is VERY POSSIBLE AND EVEN LIKELY that your boat (hull or rigging) will suffer a breakdown if you use more than 400 pounds of rig tension. The C420 was not designed to sail under excessive rig tensions. Your boat's lifespan
Rigging check list. Place your boat into the wind facing iron. Check the the boat name (VX) Get the rudder, tiller and tiller extension that match the name of your boat. Get the sail that matches the number of your boat. If the boat is V7 look for the sail bag number seven. Untie the mainsail halyard.