Introduction T his user manual is designed to help you to get the most from your Neil Pryde sails. Whether you are a cruising or racing sailor, investment in sails is an important aspect of your sailing program. We want you to have all the information you need to get top performance. Neil Pryde operates from a centralized loft. We rely on an extensive worldwide network of sail consultants to service our customers needs. Our consultants will help you get the most from your relationship with Neil Pryde. Warranty Y our new Neil Pryde sail come complete with a two year guarantee. In your owner’s kit is a Customer Service Questionnaire and warranty card. You should fill this out and return this back to our International Design and Sales office. We will then register your purchase. We have a very thorough system for tracking design manufacturing details against your registration number. Our warranty covers workmanship and materials under normal use. We reserve the right to withdraw warranty if we feel the sail has been abused. Satisfaction Guaranteed At Neil Pryde Sails we aim to give our customers complete satisfaction, If, after you have used the sail, there is any reason you are at all unhappy, please do not hesitate to contact either you local Neil Pryde sail consultant. or the International Design and Sales office. We guarantee your complaint will be investigated quickly and the appropriate action taken. Let’s Hear from You The response from our customers is vital if we are to continue to develop the finest sails available. You impression of our company and our products will help us to give you even better products and better service. Change of Address Should you change your address, please advise us so that we can continue to inform you of the latest happenings at Neil Pryde. We wish you good sailing... Bon voyage! Neil Pryde Sails 354 Woodmont Road #18 Milford, Conn. 06460 U.S.A. Tel: (203) 874-6984 FAX: (203) 877-7014 On-Line E-Mail: [email protected] On the Web: http://www.neilprydesails.com

Basic Rig Tuning (Mast Adjustment) S ay the words “rig tuning” and most sailors assume you’re entering one of the most complicated areas of performance control. This is not the case. For any sailor—except those at the very top levels—rig tuning should be a fairly simple exercise. For the cruising sailor the goal is complete rig stability even in the wildest conditions. Figure 10a In rig tuning, the racing sailor is seeking a mast that doesn’t bend sideways but bends fore and aft in a controlled manner. Later in the text we will go into one or two adjustments that the racing sailor might make...

Neil Pryde Terminology I n this discussion we use many technical terms with very specific meanings, While most are standard terms, other sailmakers sometime use alternative terms. Glossary of Terms Halyards and cunninghams Figure 1 Halyards are lines used to pull the sails up and to adjust the position of the draft (sail camber, curvature or “fullness”) fore or aft in the sail. They don’t significantly alter whether the sail is more full or less full. More tension on the halyards brings the draft of the sail forward; less tension drops it back. (figure 1) Cunninghams are down haul lines for fine...

Kevlar ™ Describes a fabric which has Kevlar yarns for extra strength in critical directions. Kevlar is a man-made fiber of incredible strength and lightness. This material is made only in laminated form, which means the Kevlar yarn is glued to a film of plastic-like material. (Kevlar/mylar, Technora ™ ) Spectra ™ Describes a fabric which has Spectra yarns for extra strength in critical directions. Spectra is a man-made fiber with the hightest modulus of any of the fibers mentioned. Spectra has incredible tear strength and very good U.V. resistance. The material is generally found in laminated...

Sail Handling and Neil Pryde Custom Fittings T he following are some of the special Neil Pryde fittings which every boat owner should be familiar with. Genoa Sausage Bags Neil Pryde Race and Premier Series sails are supplied with genoa sausage bags as standard. These bags make repacking easier and quicker. The bags have 2 full-length zips on top of the bag which run forward and aft from the clew to the tack. Before you attempt to put the sail in the bag make sure both sliders are at one end of the bag. Then pack the sail inside and slide one zip from one end to the other. Do not take it off the...

Tips of the Trade O ver a few years, certain amendments to the basic procedures prove their worth time and again. Below, for you convenience, we’ve listed a few of our favorites. Get the jib fairlead right The tell tales are a good guide for ensuring you have the jib fairlead in the correct position. Sailing upwind in a moderate breeze, sheet the jib on until the leech is 2” from the spreader ends. Gently luff into the eye of the wind and check where on the luff the telltales are breaking first. If the telltales up high stall out firs, then move the lead forward a little; if the telltales at...

Sail Care A sail’s worst enemies are chafe and sunlight. You should take every precaution to allay these factors. Sunlight is particularly damaging to Kevlar and mylar sails. Sails should always be covered or stowed below, preferably dry, when not in use. Chafe should be avoided by taping all pins, be they on the mast or the shrouds. Stanchions and pulpits should also be carefully checked to ensure there are no points of wear. Mylar genoas should be fitted with spreader patches where the leeches hit the spreader ends. In many cases they require similar patches at each stanchion the sail will...

Design: The Basic Principles and their Relationship to Sail Trim Y ou’ve probably read articles on trimming according to differing wind strengths. The objective e is always to make his sails work across the maximum wind range possible. For the designer of the sails, the task is to produce sails which will respond to the sailor’s adjustments with an overall goal of versatility. Sails are made up of flat panels of sail cloth. Their three-dimensional shape—the airfoil—is produced by cutting the panels narrower at each end than the middle. (see figure 7) In addition, the curve of the sail’s leading...