Race winners in Class 1 in the JOG Home Ports Regatta had one thing in common, a smarttune from Cyclops Marine.
smarttune and smartlink are the latest innovations in wireless load sensor technology. They provide live load data via an app or boat instruments, where sailors can measure and repeat fast settings. Smarttune helps to control forestay sag, headsail shape, mast bend and sheet load to maximise your performance in all conditions and on all points of sail.
What better platform than a regatta that combines a long-distance race from Cowes-Poole-Cowes, followed by around the cans Solent racing to showcase them.
Two owners, Stuart Lawrence of Scream2 and Tim Octon of NJOS, took advantage of the Cyclops Marine regatta offer and installed a smarttune on their respective forestays. With Scream2 making the most of having Tom Pickles, Sales Director from Cyclops Marine onboard and further fitted a smartlink under the furler on our Jib Top.
On Saturday 29th August, the course was Cowes-Poole-Cowes, a drag race in the wind conditions. "Saturday turned out to be gusty with wind speeds varying from 10 knots to 20+ knots," commented Stuart Lawrence, owner of Scream2. "Changing gear in these conditions to maintain maximum hull speed was essential. The smarttune data enabled us to quickly alter our forestay tension through vang, mainsheet and backstay adjustments for optimal power at between 800kg and 1500kg forestay load. Whilst the smartlink on the Jib Top enabled us to hit our luff tension before unfurling, and transition quickly between Jib Top, Stay Sail and Jib combinations." Scream2 went onto win Class 1.
Scream2 racing out through Hurst. Rick Tomlinson
Sunday 30th August saw a traditional around the cans exploration of the Solent, covering the central and western parts. It was a game of gear changes with conditions and the course giving competitors an 18Knots blast downwind, to gusty shifting beats whilst locating the shallow water in an ebbing tide. Tim Octon and his crew on NJOS did this to perfection and took the win in Class 1 by 1mins 30 seconds from Scream2,
"With the addition of the Cyclops smarttune to NJOS, our 1992 Corby 35, we can now tune our forestay to a known proven setting for best performance on any point of sail," commented Tim Octon.
You know what your fast gear feels like. As conditions change it's easy to reach 99% of your speed and miss out on that extra 1%. Have the data available, and visual alarm bells will ring to keep you at the top of your game and ahead of your competition. These race victories are down to the skill of the sailors, their dedication, teamwork, and data. Data helps you win.
More winners using Cyclops Marine
Skippered by Toff Daniels, the J/122E Juno won the IRC1, the premier division at this weekend's Landsail Tyres J-Cup.
Winning four races in the series and going into the final day with half a point lead, Juno sealed their victory 5 ½ points clear, showing great consistency over the regatta. Cyclops Marine had the opportunity to catch up with Toff and his mainsheet trimmer Keiron Hill to ask how smarttune helped in their dominant win. A jubilant Toff cut straight to the point: "it is a step forward in trimming a race boat."
On the mainsheet Keiron emphasised the reassuring influence of the wireless load sensor. "The forestay load data was a really useful second check for my trimming. Looking at the main leech, I would sanity check what I was feeling with the forestay load." Referring to the loads, Keiron went into more detail: "we tended to set up for the lulls upwind, with forestay around 2.1 tonnes. In the solid pressure we would go to 2.5/2.6 tonnes using the backstay and mainsheet tension. If I got to 2.7 tonnes it was too much and we really starved out the main, it was great having the Cyclops number to help with this, then we looked at jib cars to depower."
On further discussion Kieron pointed out one of the challenges with race boats is the balance of achieving max forestay load without over compressing and bending the mast and starving the mainsail out. "Having marks on your backstay is not enough as your mainsheet load is such a factor in inducing load on the rig too. The whole rig is working as a dynamic structure and it is essential to have accurate data as to the impact of the loadings." He went on to talk about having accessible data, "without a load sensor [smarttune], you are just guessing. We love the Cyclops product as we know it is accurate and we don't have to mess about with wiring or calibration… it's just wind and go!"
In a typical year, Juno would have a full programme including offshore races. This was the first Landsail Tyres J-Cup they have attended, commenting that it was a great regatta and an excellent opportunity for some boat-on-boat racing with other asymmetric boats. Juno took home their class win and the Best Newcomer Trophy.
Find out more about smarttune from Cyclops Marine and how data can help you race a more consistent series by contacting your local distributor via cyclopsmarine.com.
