Race winners use smarttune
by Lou Johnson 4 Sep 2020 06:18 PDT
Race winners in Class 1 in the JOG Home Ports Regatta had one thing in common, a smarttune from Cyclops Marine.
smarttune and smartlink are the latest innovations in wireless load sensor technology. They provide live load data via an app or boat instruments, where sailors can measure and repeat your fast settings. Control your forestay sag, headsail shape, mast bend and sheet load to maximise your performance in all conditions and on all points of sail.
What better platform to showcase them than a regatta that combines a long-distance race from Cowes-Poole-Cowes, followed by around the cans Solent racing.
Two owners, Stuart Lawrence of Scream2 and Tim Octon of NJOS, took advantage of the Cyclops Marine regatta offer and installed a smarttune on their respective forestays. With Scream2 making the most of having Tom Pickles, Sales Director from Cyclops Marine onboard and further fitted a smartlink under the furler on our Jib Top.
On Saturday 29th August, the course was Cowes-Poole-Cowes, a drag race in the wind conditions. "Saturday turned out to be gusty with wind speeds varying from 10 knots to 20+ knots," commented Stuart Lawrence, owner of Scream2.
"Changing gear in these conditions to maintain maximum hull speed was essential. The smarttune data enabled us to quickly alter our forestay tension through vang, mainsheet and backstay adjustments for optimal power at between 800kg and 1500kg forestay load. Whilst the smartlink on the Jib Top enabled us to hit our luff tension before unfurling and transition quickly between Jib Top, Stay Sail and Jib combinations." Scream2 went onto win Class 1.
Sunday 30th August saw a traditional around the cans exploration of the Solent, covering the central and western parts. It was a game of gear changes with conditions and the course giving competitors an 18Knots blast downwind, to gusty shifting beats whilst locating the shallow water in an ebbing tide.
Tim Octon and his crew on NJOS did this to perfection and took the win in Class 1 by 1mins 30 seconds from Scream2, "With the addition of the Cyclops smarttune to NJOS, our 1992 Corby 35, we can now tune our forestay to a known proven setting for best performance on any point of sail," commented Tim Octon.
You know what your fast gear feels like. As conditions change it's easy to reach 99% of your speed and miss out on that extra 1%. Have the data available, and visual alarm bells will ring to keep you at the top of your game and ahead of your competition. These race victories are down to the skill of the sailors, their dedication, teamwork, and data. Data helps you win.
Cyclops Marine was proud to sponsor the JOG Home Ports Regatta 2020. smarttune and smartlink are available through a global distribution network. For more information visit www.cyclopsmarine.com, like us on Facebook @cyclopsmarine, or email us at .