rigging, TUNING, pimps n bimbles
RIGGING - See below for the latest version of the basic rigging guide for standard D-Zero's
| d-zero-basic-rigging-guide__1_.pdf |
TUNING - Below is a basic starting point for tuning the D-Zero from the designer Daniel Holman:
In the wind just keep her on her feet, maybe raise 150 or 200mm of dagger to help. Off wind let the controls off and tighten the toestrap for the reaches.
- Clew – Have this tied down really tight to the boom
- Traveller – This needs to be adjusted so that the block (that runs on the dyneema traveller) is no further in the 300-400mm from the centreline in lighter airs. This should be eased out towards the hull as the breeze builds, to open the “exhaust” on the sail reducing power.
- Mast foot cup – The two smaller holes in the mast foot cup should be towards the front of the D-Zero, the large round hole should be to the aft.
- Mast chocks – All chocks except the approx 10mm thick ‘profiled’ chock should be aft of the mast (i.e. as upright as possible). As the wind builds lighter sailors may wish to add up to 10-15mm of chocks in front of the mast to give a bit of rake and help depower.
- Outhaul – Start with 150mm gap (a hand length) and pull on more as the breeze builds. Many sailors now leave the outhaul, except let out to two hands depth (300mm) on the downwind. The cunningham will flatten the sail and decrease the outhaul anyway.
- Kicker/Vang – Take out slack when block-to-block on the shore. Pull on more upwind, progressively more as the wind builds, there should be no issues getting under the boom. Let off to minimum (ie block-to-block) setting on downwind.
- Cunningham – Pull on progressively from 10-12kts as you start to feel overpowered. Overpowered is cannot hike flat out and keep D-Zero flat.
In the wind just keep her on her feet, maybe raise 150 or 200mm of dagger to help. Off wind let the controls off and tighten the toestrap for the reaches.
Steve Bolland, former National Champion, has also written a D-Zero tuning set-up - please see below
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Below are also a number of Talking Rigging videos from the Grafham Training in November 2014 by Dan Holman
https://youtu.be/LYYuU8zRRXc https://youtu.be/YCxxF6Md0TY https://youtu.be/J5E8UHBonPs
https://youtu.be/9oJz2RBN0vI https://youtu.be/_DQfSLS374M https://youtu.be/NZSDoo04S04
https://youtu.be/pmPj3jOQfEU https://youtu.be/JtYKRWG5Z1o https://youtu.be/SV77T70bZSM
https://youtu.be/SC1TjsaixRs https://youtu.be/9CIAfDEnwEo
https://youtu.be/LYYuU8zRRXc https://youtu.be/YCxxF6Md0TY https://youtu.be/J5E8UHBonPs
https://youtu.be/9oJz2RBN0vI https://youtu.be/_DQfSLS374M https://youtu.be/NZSDoo04S04
https://youtu.be/pmPj3jOQfEU https://youtu.be/JtYKRWG5Z1o https://youtu.be/SV77T70bZSM
https://youtu.be/SC1TjsaixRs https://youtu.be/9CIAfDEnwEo
PIMPS & BIMBLING YOUR D-ZERO - A number of D-Zero owners have now made a number of changes to the ‘standard’ control line setup, incorporating some neat ideas as well as increasing the amount of purchase available, or routing them more easily to make the handling even better than standard.
Please also check the Class Rules as your ideas may not be allowed - remember if the Rules don't say then they're not allowed !
Others like to just customise their D-Zero’s to make them more personal as its such a tight one-design, which makes the D-Zero better for ALL levels of sailor and some very close racing…
It should be noted that all these modifications will not necessarily make the D-Zero faster, as several standard boats have either won National Championships or in the Top 10 results regularly. The biggest Pimp & Bimble will be ensuring your fitness and knowledge of the D-Zero, and spending time on the water – nothing replaces this !
Our dealer and distributor, DZERO.CO.UK make and sell the majority of these as kits and parts, or can gain them for you as needed, though if you want to make them more personal or have some time / knowledge, then they are not too challenging with the right splicing tools. The Class Assoc recommends Harken blocks and FSE Robline ropes as they are standard equipment on the D-Zero, though any blocks, cleats or rope manufacturers are permitted. The dealer uses Liros rope as its quality and great value, plus he can get it in Pink ! though he does say the mainsheet lasts well with good grip due to its coating. If you want specifics, ask the dealer if he can gain for you.
Click on each picture to see if a larger version of the smaller images with more detail is available.
Please Note: Making some of these modifications may affect your warranty. If you have any concerns please speak to the the Class Association or the Dealer prior to making them. The Class Association / Dealer cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage caused as a result of modifications made to your D-Zero.
Below are a number of pimps & bimbles – 2:1 Traveller; 12:1 Kicker; 16:1 Kicker; Control Line Handles; Alternative halyard storage; Boom end block alternative; Clew Strap; Tack Tie; and Control Line Loops; and more will follow.
If you have a Pimp or Bimble you’d like to share, please email the Class Assoc and we can add your ideas (as long as they meet the rules).
Please also check the Class Rules as your ideas may not be allowed - remember if the Rules don't say then they're not allowed !
Others like to just customise their D-Zero’s to make them more personal as its such a tight one-design, which makes the D-Zero better for ALL levels of sailor and some very close racing…
It should be noted that all these modifications will not necessarily make the D-Zero faster, as several standard boats have either won National Championships or in the Top 10 results regularly. The biggest Pimp & Bimble will be ensuring your fitness and knowledge of the D-Zero, and spending time on the water – nothing replaces this !
Our dealer and distributor, DZERO.CO.UK make and sell the majority of these as kits and parts, or can gain them for you as needed, though if you want to make them more personal or have some time / knowledge, then they are not too challenging with the right splicing tools. The Class Assoc recommends Harken blocks and FSE Robline ropes as they are standard equipment on the D-Zero, though any blocks, cleats or rope manufacturers are permitted. The dealer uses Liros rope as its quality and great value, plus he can get it in Pink ! though he does say the mainsheet lasts well with good grip due to its coating. If you want specifics, ask the dealer if he can gain for you.
Click on each picture to see if a larger version of the smaller images with more detail is available.
Please Note: Making some of these modifications may affect your warranty. If you have any concerns please speak to the the Class Association or the Dealer prior to making them. The Class Association / Dealer cannot be held responsible for any loss or damage caused as a result of modifications made to your D-Zero.
Below are a number of pimps & bimbles – 2:1 Traveller; 12:1 Kicker; 16:1 Kicker; Control Line Handles; Alternative halyard storage; Boom end block alternative; Clew Strap; Tack Tie; and Control Line Loops; and more will follow.
If you have a Pimp or Bimble you’d like to share, please email the Class Assoc and we can add your ideas (as long as they meet the rules).
Ceramic Coating, Polish or Sanding - For some time now, there has been a discussion over whether you should highly polish or sand your hull to gain any advantage and hydrodynamic benefit. Our dealer DZERO.CO.UK has been trying out several methods and has the following:
Polish or Rough Sand - Neither seem to give any speed advantage, although theoretically the rough sand creates water bubbles similar to air bubbles on dimpled golf balls, and the water speeds faster over water than polish. Hydrodynamics at its best ! However this theory as polishes improve is not as clear as it seems... So the biggest benefit from our physical testing is that a highly polished surface keeps the boat cleaner than rough sand, as nothing seems to attach itself to the hull or roughened areas, no weed sticking, no slime or froth holding on making a dirty boat and potential collection of other debris. Therefore if nothing is grabbing the smooth highly polished surface then this must be better for waterflow, plus it looks nicer too ! Two advantages, and tests seem to suggest such !!
In addition, a polished or waxed/treated hull will help prevent any UV damage and discolouration, which over time the gelcoat would disintegrate, something you can see on some older Lasers where the gel has gone powdery. The avoidance or slowing of discolouration is a major advantage when you have to match gelcoat in a repair...
Best Polish - there have been several tests and David has tried them all - Harken/McLube Hullkote Speed Polish, Mirka Polarshine Marine ProShield, Starbrite Premium Marine Polish and its apparent lesser (unproven) Marine Polish, International Marine Polish, Meguiars Marine Wax, Farecla Profile, 3M PerfectIt, Mirka Polarshine and a few more that cannot be remembered including some car versions that didn't last after one quick sea-wash !. Similarly, the carbon spars need a different polish to standard gelcoat, and hence the sourcing of our special carbon polish - you need a more aggressive initial polish and then a UV coat to protect. Some of the above are also products that require multi stages, rough, then fine, then wax, rather than just a one application. It does usually take us 4 hours plus (depending on its original state) to polish a D-Zero properly, and thats without a pre-wash/dry.
It's key to know that what works on your car or van is not the best for your D-Zero, as they (and I say most, though some are the same or I cannot see a difference in the ingredients list) are different chemical makeups to the marine versions. The "cut" into gelcoat is very different to painted finishes, and that for awareness, is how polishes work as they are taking microscopic layers off the material each time.
Ceramic coatings are harder polish finishers that sit on top of the polished surface (careful how I word this as the hull has to be pre-treated and cleansed to allow the ceramic to adhere), are dependent on the level of polish you apply beforehand, and wont give you a super fine finish if the base wasn't super fine.
The best finishes have come with the use of a powered polishing mop, though some quality microfibres are achieving very good results. A powered mop brings heat and light pressure into the usually circular polishing motion and creates a very high level of shine. We use a £500 professional Mirka brushless machine which we don't expect everyone to have access to, though there are some reasonable mops from DIY shops or Aldi/Lidl middle aisle and we used one of these in our very early days pre-dealership.
The areas to watch, and without teaching to suck eggs, are the grip areas - you can polish them if you want, to keep them clean, though we recommend the use of a stiff brush and water, or the use of some light bleach spray if really needed. Polish means slippery !
Please ensure you wear old clothes or coveralls when applying (its interesting that some polishes don't come out in the wash) and that eye glasses/protection, faceguards or mouth-masks and gloves are worn. Check the data sheets of some polishes and you wouldn't want to ingest them, have a dot in your eye, or on your skin. Some sadly are carcinogenic...
Also, the process is key, polish wont take off baked on seaweed or dirt, so please wash the boat with clean fresh and if you have it purified/filtered water, then wash or bubble with an environmentally friendly (plant/citrus based)/ non-petroleum based wash liquid, we use Ecover which seems to work well and doesn't contaminate the polish. Then we wash off again with clean water and fully dry. Then we polish, then we ceramic... (or wax). We only use quality microfibre seamless cloths (you can tell quality as they have more fibres and less spaces, and seams form scratches as harder) for polishing and lint-free cotton cloths to apply the polish. These give superior application and finishing to any other cloths.
Note wax is not a polish, it is the top coat after you have polished to protect the polish and provide UV protection.
The key aspects in David's view are price per polish quality (cost per quantity), longevity of shine (use every weekend and over a year), and the environmental aspect - way too many rely on the petrochemical base, and very few are citrus based. Therefore our view is:
Best Value: Starbrite Marine Polish (note some versions include PTEF/PTFE)
Best Quality: Mirka Polarshine Marine ProShield
Best for the Environment: Harken McLube Hullkote Speed Polish (Citrus based)
Best for Longevity - Ceramic: Mirka Polarshine Marine ProShield (mine has lasted over 18 months now and still looks new)
Best for Longevity - Non-Ceramic: its a fight between Harken McLube and Starbrite, though would nudge the McLube above based on its environment friendly aspects. Both seem to last about 6-9 months.
Polish or Rough Sand - Neither seem to give any speed advantage, although theoretically the rough sand creates water bubbles similar to air bubbles on dimpled golf balls, and the water speeds faster over water than polish. Hydrodynamics at its best ! However this theory as polishes improve is not as clear as it seems... So the biggest benefit from our physical testing is that a highly polished surface keeps the boat cleaner than rough sand, as nothing seems to attach itself to the hull or roughened areas, no weed sticking, no slime or froth holding on making a dirty boat and potential collection of other debris. Therefore if nothing is grabbing the smooth highly polished surface then this must be better for waterflow, plus it looks nicer too ! Two advantages, and tests seem to suggest such !!
In addition, a polished or waxed/treated hull will help prevent any UV damage and discolouration, which over time the gelcoat would disintegrate, something you can see on some older Lasers where the gel has gone powdery. The avoidance or slowing of discolouration is a major advantage when you have to match gelcoat in a repair...
Best Polish - there have been several tests and David has tried them all - Harken/McLube Hullkote Speed Polish, Mirka Polarshine Marine ProShield, Starbrite Premium Marine Polish and its apparent lesser (unproven) Marine Polish, International Marine Polish, Meguiars Marine Wax, Farecla Profile, 3M PerfectIt, Mirka Polarshine and a few more that cannot be remembered including some car versions that didn't last after one quick sea-wash !. Similarly, the carbon spars need a different polish to standard gelcoat, and hence the sourcing of our special carbon polish - you need a more aggressive initial polish and then a UV coat to protect. Some of the above are also products that require multi stages, rough, then fine, then wax, rather than just a one application. It does usually take us 4 hours plus (depending on its original state) to polish a D-Zero properly, and thats without a pre-wash/dry.
It's key to know that what works on your car or van is not the best for your D-Zero, as they (and I say most, though some are the same or I cannot see a difference in the ingredients list) are different chemical makeups to the marine versions. The "cut" into gelcoat is very different to painted finishes, and that for awareness, is how polishes work as they are taking microscopic layers off the material each time.
Ceramic coatings are harder polish finishers that sit on top of the polished surface (careful how I word this as the hull has to be pre-treated and cleansed to allow the ceramic to adhere), are dependent on the level of polish you apply beforehand, and wont give you a super fine finish if the base wasn't super fine.
The best finishes have come with the use of a powered polishing mop, though some quality microfibres are achieving very good results. A powered mop brings heat and light pressure into the usually circular polishing motion and creates a very high level of shine. We use a £500 professional Mirka brushless machine which we don't expect everyone to have access to, though there are some reasonable mops from DIY shops or Aldi/Lidl middle aisle and we used one of these in our very early days pre-dealership.
The areas to watch, and without teaching to suck eggs, are the grip areas - you can polish them if you want, to keep them clean, though we recommend the use of a stiff brush and water, or the use of some light bleach spray if really needed. Polish means slippery !
Please ensure you wear old clothes or coveralls when applying (its interesting that some polishes don't come out in the wash) and that eye glasses/protection, faceguards or mouth-masks and gloves are worn. Check the data sheets of some polishes and you wouldn't want to ingest them, have a dot in your eye, or on your skin. Some sadly are carcinogenic...
Also, the process is key, polish wont take off baked on seaweed or dirt, so please wash the boat with clean fresh and if you have it purified/filtered water, then wash or bubble with an environmentally friendly (plant/citrus based)/ non-petroleum based wash liquid, we use Ecover which seems to work well and doesn't contaminate the polish. Then we wash off again with clean water and fully dry. Then we polish, then we ceramic... (or wax). We only use quality microfibre seamless cloths (you can tell quality as they have more fibres and less spaces, and seams form scratches as harder) for polishing and lint-free cotton cloths to apply the polish. These give superior application and finishing to any other cloths.
Note wax is not a polish, it is the top coat after you have polished to protect the polish and provide UV protection.
The key aspects in David's view are price per polish quality (cost per quantity), longevity of shine (use every weekend and over a year), and the environmental aspect - way too many rely on the petrochemical base, and very few are citrus based. Therefore our view is:
Best Value: Starbrite Marine Polish (note some versions include PTEF/PTFE)
Best Quality: Mirka Polarshine Marine ProShield
Best for the Environment: Harken McLube Hullkote Speed Polish (Citrus based)
Best for Longevity - Ceramic: Mirka Polarshine Marine ProShield (mine has lasted over 18 months now and still looks new)
Best for Longevity - Non-Ceramic: its a fight between Harken McLube and Starbrite, though would nudge the McLube above based on its environment friendly aspects. Both seem to last about 6-9 months.
2:1 Traveller - A bit of fiddling and some help with an extra hand required for this mod. The below is a simple modification retaining the factory 2:1 purchase on the traveller dyneema cord, though replaces the knot (or several) with a simple cleat to make it easier to hold the required tension. And you can let the stress off the boat after racing or when travelling…
Photo 1 showing the full set up. The long tail on the Starboard side is the ring control rope prior to it being trimmed down:
Photo 2 showing the cleat arrangement ( if you never adjust your toe strap then use this cleat or it is a CamCleat CL826 with CL211 Mk2). The purple rope is dead-ended to a spliced loop in the dyneema. This could be spliced on if your splicing skills are up to it (again the purple rope has now been trimmed down a little):
Photo 3 showing the separate line for the central steel ring for the Traveller adjustment rope (green). Having it on a separate rope means that the ring will always be central and you do not need to worry about it when you put the tension on. The standard setup has the ring spliced into the dyneema and it can move affecting one bear or other. There is a piece of shockcord in place to hold the rope up:
Finally (to make it really pimp) a nice purple high load thimble (why us a 50p nylon or stainless thimble when you can use a colour-co-ordinated anodised one). It just helps the rope flow nicely and reduces wear:
There are several different versions that have been seen on the circuit, some don’t use any elastic, some use the cheaper thimble.
Photo 1 showing the full set up. The long tail on the Starboard side is the ring control rope prior to it being trimmed down:
Photo 2 showing the cleat arrangement ( if you never adjust your toe strap then use this cleat or it is a CamCleat CL826 with CL211 Mk2). The purple rope is dead-ended to a spliced loop in the dyneema. This could be spliced on if your splicing skills are up to it (again the purple rope has now been trimmed down a little):
Photo 3 showing the separate line for the central steel ring for the Traveller adjustment rope (green). Having it on a separate rope means that the ring will always be central and you do not need to worry about it when you put the tension on. The standard setup has the ring spliced into the dyneema and it can move affecting one bear or other. There is a piece of shockcord in place to hold the rope up:
Finally (to make it really pimp) a nice purple high load thimble (why us a 50p nylon or stainless thimble when you can use a colour-co-ordinated anodised one). It just helps the rope flow nicely and reduces wear:
There are several different versions that have been seen on the circuit, some don’t use any elastic, some use the cheaper thimble.
Upgrade Traveller - Addition of a Clamcleat CL828-68AN/L into the traveller system, and removing the spliced-in ring for the traveller adjuster onto a single rope. The clamcleat takes place of the half-hitches and enables a speedy adjustment/tightening of the traveller whilst keeping the 2:1 purchase. The separate ring rope ensures the ring remains in the centre of the hull at all times and doesn't suffer from traveller shuffle from one side to another.
Sail Feeder Replacement - To repair or replace if damaged the riveted sail feeder on the D-Zero carbon mast. As the carbon flexes differently to the steel feeder, the feeder can pop off, or on older boats, the rivet disintegrates or corrodes and causes the feeder to loosen or fall off.
Control Line Loops - Further to the AGM 2020, the below control line upgrades were allowed to provide easier grasping of the control lines when sailing, saving reaching forward into the hull and reducing the hiking moment. There are specific rules, C.9.2 m) on this so please read if you are making your own sheaveless loops. Options seen to date that meet the rules include a 4mm dyneema spliced loop spliced onto either an A4 stainless steel ring, an A4 stainless steel thimble, a Ronstan Shock (or similar sheaveless block), or a Harken sheaveless lead ring. The loops can then be self-attached onto the toestrap lines. Time for customising with colour…
Alternative to the Harken Tie-on Boom End Block - A few D-Zero owners have noticed that the tie on boom end block does tend to wear through the tie on rope so some have changed this for a block with a stainless loop. This works very well as a replacement.
Or you can gently file and wet & dry the U bracket on the boom to stop the chaffing of the dyneema, and replace the standard FSE Robline / Harken supplied 2mm dyneema for some coated dyneema or core.
Or you can gently file and wet & dry the U bracket on the boom to stop the chaffing of the dyneema, and replace the standard FSE Robline / Harken supplied 2mm dyneema for some coated dyneema or core.
Alternative Halyard Storage on the Boom - To prevent wash through and potential loss of the mast chocks it is no longer recommended to store the halyard under the shock cord that holds the chocks in. 1 solution is a piece of shock cord on the mast. The other, as shown below, is to store it on the boom.
Control Line Handles - Control line handles, to assist grabbing the right rope when lots of water is washing over the bow on a breezy day. The ones used in the photo are trapeze handle discs made by Seasure, though there are several alternatives on the market. You could use the traditional ‘handle’ style ones but these look much more ‘pimp’ and work well according to the boat owner.
16:1 Kicker - Just as easy a mod is the 16:1 kicker setup here using 2 ‘primary’ lines (see the yellow dyneema line on the photo above aswell as the grey) adding an additional purchase to the cascade.
Simple to create – splice the existing block that attaches to the boom strop onto a length of 4mm dyneema, and then splice this length onto the mast, having run the dyneema through another Harken 29mm bullet block shackled to the boom strop. The loop of dyneema runs through the same bowline holding the lower primary line onto the mast. A locking stitch may be required to hold the loose end of this loop.
Simple to create – splice the existing block that attaches to the boom strop onto a length of 4mm dyneema, and then splice this length onto the mast, having run the dyneema through another Harken 29mm bullet block shackled to the boom strop. The loop of dyneema runs through the same bowline holding the lower primary line onto the mast. A locking stitch may be required to hold the loose end of this loop.
12:1 Kicker - Some D-Zero owners find the 8:1 standard kicker setup just does not have enough grunt for them (Dan Holman says it’s fine and as a National Champ he should know, however…) , and some find that 16:1 or 32:1 is too powerful or has too much loose control line.
So a nice compromise is a 12:1 as shown below from a keen owner.
With the detailed ‘How to’ video here, along with plenty of flies just to amuse the owner:
So a nice compromise is a 12:1 as shown below from a keen owner.
With the detailed ‘How to’ video here, along with plenty of flies just to amuse the owner:
Clew Strap - A very easy upgrade to the D-Zero is to replace the standard 4mm control line used as a clew attachment, and replace with a clew strap made from dyneema strapping. Rooster is well known for their clew straps as first used on the Laser / ILCA with great effect, and also recommend that the boom is sprayed regularly with Harken McLube dry spray to help the strap slide up and down the boom easily. This helps the adjustment of the Outhaul very quick and easy.
Tack Tie - Another easy upgrade to the standard elastic or rope tack rope. Uses either some 4mm Polyester PS12 (12 strand easy splice rope) or 4mm dyneema, and a rope bobble. Enables the tack to be simply tied – the tie is a length of dyneema with a small spliced soft-eye in one end, and a bobble spliced into the other end. The tie loops through the sail, round the mast and the bobble pops through the soft-eye to secure. The tie can be twisted or another bobble added, to tighten the tack as the wind increases.
Compass bracket - some have been made in carbon-fibre, some out of lexan, and even one I know of out of a plastic gutter...
Also, as tacktick brackets have been known to break, one of our clever sailors has 3D printed some.
The inclinometer shown below is to confirm when you think you're flat, you're not really flat !
Also, as tacktick brackets have been known to break, one of our clever sailors has 3D printed some.
The inclinometer shown below is to confirm when you think you're flat, you're not really flat !
