# Made a new Video, Video 4 Cunningham



## Giulietta (Nov 14, 2006)

I have finished now video 4.

*YOU CAN SEE ALL **VIDEOS HERE*

It deals with the Cuningham, the halyard and their efect in luff tension.

Its version 1 and may need some modifications based on your input, so please let me have them. OK?

Please add your comments here

Thank you and enjoy.






Soon I'll conclude the different main sail adjustmenst and will make one solely on main triming. Then off to the genoa.

SEE ALL VIDEOS HERE


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Nice job giu,


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## nightowle (Aug 2, 2006)

this is awesome! thanks for a great explanation and a well made video. you deserve applause!


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## Idiens (Jan 9, 2007)

Great! 

Another capability I lost by going to boom furling.


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## ImASonOfaSailor (Jun 26, 2007)

I think you need more enthusiasm in your video it sounds dead, and do you think maybe that your rigging is old, that maybe be why you had to add a Cunningham? Or a new sail would fix this too. Just my feed back.


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

ImASonOfaSailor said:


> I think you need more enthusiasm in your video it sounds dead, *and do you think maybe that your rigging is old, that maybe be why you had to add a Cunningham? Or a new sail would fix this too.* Just my feed back.


Hard to determine if these comments were meant to be tongue-in-cheek - but if not, then you best prepare for battle.


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## SimonV (Jul 6, 2006)

The Masters voice.


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## sailortjk1 (Dec 20, 2005)

ImASonOfaSailor said:


> I think you need more enthusiasm in your video it sounds dead, and do you think maybe that your rigging is old, that maybe be why you had to add a Cunningham? Or a new sail would fix this too. Just my feed back.


Son of a Sailor,
You have been around long enough to know the difference.
I am surprised at you.
G probaly replaces his sails every 100 hours.


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Yes, the real problem Giu has is that the sail loft takes longer to make the sails than he does to go through them.


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## Melrna (Apr 6, 2004)

Another great video by the Master Jedi Alex! Got to love those cute orange pants. The part I love best is when he is trimming the halyard and that cute wiggle from those orange pants. I wonder if that wiggle is his secret when trimming?  
Melissa
President and #1 Fan of the "Alex fan club"

PS Stupid questions for Alex - What effect does the mast have on the entry wind to the leading edge of the luff on the sail in particular the close haul to beam reaching? How far back on the luff does the wind really start to flow across the sail? (therefore the wrinkles in the leading edge of the luff might not mean much for airflow)


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## max-on (Mar 30, 2004)

ImASonOfaSailor said:


> I think you need more enthusiasm in your video it sounds dead, and do you think maybe that your rigging is old, that maybe be why you had to add a Cunningham? Or a new sail would fix this too. Just my feed back.


Are you serious?

If not, now that's funny! Hey, Giu, I need another set of bed sheets, send the sails to me when you're done!!


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## eherlihy (Jan 2, 2007)

*Gui for President!*

THat is the BEST description that I have seen anywhere of the Cunningham, and how to use it, including the Annapolis Book of Seamanship, and Chapman.



> Great!
> 
> Another capability I lost by going to boom furling.


Is there a reason why a Cunningham could NOT be used with an in boom furling system? I would think that adding appropriately positioned cringles, and connecting a stainless hook to the Cunningham fiddle block would enable you to use the Cunningham with either an in boom furling sustem, or even when reefed.

Am I overlooking something here?

Ed


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

No reason that a cunningham won't work with pretty much any mainsail setup.


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## Paysay (Apr 4, 2007)

Gui,
Great job. I've never used a cunningham so I learned a lot from your video. 

A little constructive criticisum: 
-I thought the explanation of how the cunningham is rigged was a little too long and detailed. Then, when I understood that you were expounding the virtues of the cunningham and wanted other sailors (like myself) to try using the cunningham, it then made sense that you wanted to explain how one should be rigged. Maybe this section could be moved close to the end of the video. Or leave it the way it is, it's a great video and you make your points very well.

And a question: Since my sail does not have a cringle for a cunningham, can I use the cringle for the first reef to accomplish the same thing?


-


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Paysay-

I don't think the cringle for the first reef is as useful, since it will leave a considerable section of the sail luff untensioned...and the bottom of the sail will bag more...partially defeating the purpose of using the cunningham in the first place.


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## Valiente (Jun 16, 2006)

_And a question: Since my sail does not have a cringle for a cunningham, can I use the cringle for the first reef to accomplish the same thing?_

You could, depending on where your first reef is, but I wouldn't recommend it. The cunningham cringle is frequently one-half of the distance to the first reef cringle...or less. To tension that first reef would likely "wrinkle" the lower part of the main diagonally..it would basically put unequal stretch in that lower panel.

The cunningham is a fine tune control that allows you to tweak the main at certain wind speeds that are strong, but are customarily below the point at which you would reef.

The first reef, by contrast, is a "coarse" control, because it isn't about tensioning, it's about reducing total working sail area.

Some boats have sliding goosenecks, which would accomplish much the same thing as a Cunningham, I believe.


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## Idiens (Jan 9, 2007)

eherlihy said:


> ... Is there a reason why a Cunningham could NOT be used with an in boom furling system? I would think that adding appropriately positioned cringles, and connecting a stainless hook to the Cunningham fiddle block would enable you to use the Cunningham with either an in boom furling sustem, or even when reefed.


Well, I suppose it depends on the system. On mine, I would expect the following problems...

1) If I have to go forward to attach/remove the Cunningham, I destroy the reason for having the furling system, which was to avoid leaving my nice comfy wheelhouse.
2) The cringle would increase the rolled/furled diameter of the sail and there is only just room in the boom for the sail as it is.
3) The sail luff slides in a PVC foil, between the luff and the mast, so the Cunningham might not be so effective aerodramatically.

However, I might get a similar effect with suitable adjustment of the furling line and vang, as the pressure spring vang holds the boom up


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## TSOJOURNER (Dec 16, 1999)

Good job Giu , thanks , I dont think it has ever been explained to me quite that simply before . What do you have on heave-to . I know what it is but I recall its been discussed here on sailnet at length , however if you made a video of it I know it would be greatly apreciated . Perhaps you have one allready.

Cheers Paul


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## Giulietta (Nov 14, 2006)

ImASonOfaSailor said:


> I think you need more enthusiasm in your video it sounds dead, and do you think maybe that your rigging is old, that maybe be why you had to add a Cunningham? Or a new sail would fix this too. Just my feed back.


ImASonOfaSailor,

Thanks for the feed back, it was clever.

re my enthusiasm:

I don't have any enthusiasm, because I am soooo tired of sailing....I am forced to do this by my wife, its really boring. I wanted to be a baker, but she says noooo, you keep sailing that boat, boy....I want to go sailing...she is all the time pushing me...you can't imagine...so to me, talking about sailing is very boring. Besides, its confusing...all those lines and ropes, I really hate it. I am happy you noticed...no one understands me.

re my rigging:

Look man, I salvaged my rig from a 1950's boat that a guy in my marina did not want anymore, so beggers can't be chosers. You know what I mean, right? 
Apparentely he had made that mast from an old telephone post, you know the old aluminium ones made right after WWII, but it was too short, so he glued the lower part of an old soccer stadium light pole and made that mast. I really need the cuninngham to kinda keep the mast from folding at the juction of the two parts. I am glad you noticed that, because no one here saw that. Thanks for keeping a good eye! you certainly have the heart and the eye of an old salty sailor.Thanks If it wasn't for the cuninngham, the whole crap would fall appart.Thanks again.

Re my old sail:

Again, when my boat was designed by Macgreggor, in 1932, Mac back then was owned by Catalina, and the design of my boat was from a series of hulls that were all painted black inside   you believe this? Black!!

Anyway, the original sail was lost in 1978, and I got the present sail from a friend that had a sail made from a frigate dated from the 1901. So the sail is what it is, a piece of crap, but hey, for $300 what do you expect?

I am now thinking about buying a new sail, but the guy wants almost $500 for it, so I need to rig a cunningham to be able to sail.

My favorite boats are catamarans and other multihulls, I see you are a hard multi hull sailor and have a real eye for this sailing thing.

I wish I could stop doing this.

Keep up the good work you real sailor you!! Its people like you that inspire me, and hope one day I can buy a real boat.

Thanks once again friend!


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

The portagee is off his meds again...


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## denby (Feb 21, 2007)

ImASonOfaSailor said:


> I think you need more enthusiasm in your video it sounds dead, and do you think maybe that your rigging is old, that maybe be why you had to add a Cunningham? Or a new sail would fix this too. Just my feed back.


OH BOY, ah son, Alex has forgotten more about sail boats and sailing then you will ever know.

Good job Alex and thanks.

Your fellow Portuguese


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## max-on (Mar 30, 2004)

Giulietta said:


> ImASonOfaSailor,
> 
> Thanks for the feed back, it was clever.
> 
> ...


Giu has a friend!!! That's one!!!! 

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!


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