Understand something else about rigging: one minuscule change can make
one monumental difference. For example: if one of your arms is more tired than
the other, moving one harness-strap one inch, can turn your grimace into a grin in a
heartbeat.
We start this section to ensure your grin, and to start the rig's
heart beating, by fine-tuning your RAF or camber-induced sail for greatest efficiency,
which translates into ease of sailing. Next we cover how to adjust the components of
your board, first for light- and moderate-wind sailing with the centerboard down, then for
high-wind sailing with the centerboard up.
Now the disclaimer. What follows are general guidelines and
starting points. Boards are designed, sails are shaped, and masts bend, differently.
Try what I suggest here first, but if that doesn’t feel quite right, adjust
your gear in small increments from there. When you discover the comfortable
settings, write them on your sail bag. And it’s not gauche to use a tape
measure—it’s smart.
