Dinghy 12’ Fittings

Mast

Must be not flexible but with the minimum weight. Suggestion made from different pieces and void in the centre; diameter about 60/65 mm.

It is important the chance to move the bottom of the mast back and forward in order to move the sail centre and to optimize upwind capability or effort on the rudder; provide some spacers (same as 420 o 470) in order to maintain the correct position

Reinforces with leather or matt and epoxy on friction points where boom and gaff are in contact

Boom

Same as mast. Possible triangular shapes or something improving stiffness.

Attachments to the boom for sheet must be made with collars with the load on the upper side of the boom. Blocks are to be attached in such a way the direction of the sheet is perpendicular to the blocks on the boat (less effort). On the bottom part of the boom provide a small block in order to be able to control the tension on the base of the sail and to move the control to the boat. On the mast side the attack point for the sail and the downhaul must be screwed together with passing screws in order to pass the stress provided by the tension of the sail (from the halyard) and downhaul and an hardware permitting to move the sail in front or back as on picture

Gaff

Flexible, made from different pieces laminated together in order to obtain pre-bend (medium about 55mm).

It would be ok to provide similar as the boom a small block on the upper part and the capability to regulate the tension of the sail.

On the lower part an hardware like the one fitted on the boom in order to better control the sail.

The point where attack the halyard to the gaff in variable (according to the rules). Some hardware (or multiple holes thru the gaff) colud be a right solution. See example

Foot of the mast

It must be equipped in order to provide some hardware to fit in place in a proper way blockes for passing of the halyard sheet, downhaul, vang, main base tension. Remember that the downhaul must the closest to the mast foot, the vang must be very near in order to avoid the increasing of the tension when you open the boom downwind. In the picture an example

Main halyard

It must be tensioned using a 6:1 system with a spectra or Kevlar line from the gaff to the boat ending with a loop that can be hooked with a 6:1 system fitted on the centreboard case on one side with a camcleat for initial fix of the halyard. Of course the halyard (same as most dinghies like 470 or similar) must have another part made of poorest stuff in order to raise the gaff to the proper position.

Dowh haul

4:1 or 6:1 system better on centreboard as this example

or this

or moved to both sides of the boat

Use micro blocks with ball bearings like Harken micro series

Vang

4:1 system on the centreboard (another example)

or moved to both sides of the boat (see figure ). Use micro blocks with ball bearings like Harken micro series

Main base tension

2:1 system moved to the centreboard (see drawing). Use micro blocks with ball bearings like Harken micro series

Sheet

Controlled by a cam swivel basis such as Harken 144 or 240, Blocks use on the bottom part of the boom a block with beckett like Harken 2637 and two blocks like Harken 2636 on the traveller and on the front part of the boom

Pictures (to be inserted)

Basic but functional (ITA1953 Stefano Bagni)

Full control (ITA2175 Franco Paganini or ITA2176 Paolo Corbellini)

Hi-tech solution (ITA2228 Enrico Negri)