I have a fractional-rigged Pegasus 700 on the Norfolk Broads with a hinged mast to get under the low bridges.

Are there any considerations I should be aware of for setting the rigging tension when the mast is frequently raised and lowered?

Simon Steadman

Wilf Chaplin of the International OneSails loft replies:

I think the Pegasus 700 originally came with an A-frame to aid with the process of raising and lowering the mast short-handed, so I would imagine that she has been set up from the start to make this a relatively straightforward procedure.

Looking at the deck layout and the mast, it appears as if the fractional-rigged version is set up as you’d expect a deck-stepped single spreaders fractional mast to be done on a cruiser racer, with swept spreaders and lowers, a fixed forestay and an adjustable backstay.

In light of this I would expect the mast to need to be set up in a conventional manner, with the caps tight enough to induce a little prebend, the forestay long enough to give the right rake to keep her nicely balanced, and the lowers tight enough to limit the mast bend to about 1% of ‘P’ (the space available for the luff of the mainsail) at full backstay.

In the absence of direct knowledge of the ‘ideal’ set-up for this boat, I’d usually suggest starting at 1.5° of rake, and then adjusting it from there if need be to get the balance correct.

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