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Performance Modifications by the New Zealanders

by Mark Pattie

Here are some modifications the New Zealanders have made to their Victoria's.

We have altered the mainsheet control system to add more power and turn on the servo arm. Firstly we removed the ring and three pieces of rope that were connected to points above the hatch. This makes access to the hatch better and also gives three plastic adjusters that can be used for:

Starting at the front of the boat, we drilled a hole in the centre of the boat behind the plastic eye hole that the Jib control line goes through. Inside the boat we raised the mainsheet servo up enough so that a servo arm that goes right across the full width of the boat can be added. If you were looking from the back of the boat the right hand end of the servo arm is for the jib sheet control and the left hand end is for the mainsheet control. The jib sheet travels through the plastic eyehole on the deck and down through the hole that has been drilled into the hull. Then stays on the right hand side (looking from the back) of the keel shaft. The jib sheet then goes through the hole at the end of the servo arm and back to the keel shaft where it is tied off. The point on the Jib boom where the jib sheet connects should be directly above the plastic eye hole.

At the other end of the boat I have taken the cleat from the top of the mast and placed it on the deck opposite the one already in place that ties off the main sheet. Between these two cleats I have put a rope with a ring on it. The mainsheet now goes from a point on the boom directly above the new ring, down through the ring and through the right hole that is below the hatch. The mainsheet then goes through the hole in the left hand end of the servo arm and back out the left hole and onto the cleat. To reduce friction small pulleys or rings can be used on the servo arm.

Regarding the three plastic adjusters that have come off the old mainsheet system ring.
One can be used to make an adjustable jib forestay of  jib halyard. All that happens is the string is attached to the top of the jib and goes through the hole in the jumpers. Then the goes through two holes in the plastic adjuster, up through the hole in the front of the mast crane where the jumpers also go through and back down through the final hole on the adjuster and tie a figure of 8 knot.
The second adjuster can be used in making a jib backstay. Use a spare piece of rope and tie it to the top of the jib. Then make a ring on the jib boom. The rope goes down from the top of the jib through two holes on the adjuster, through the ring and then back up through the final hole and tie a figure of 8.
The final adjuster can be used to make an adjustable outhaul as the rings at present don't stay where they are put. Drill a hole from the top of the boom out through the bottom of the boom as far to the end of the boom as you can. Now tie some spare rope onto the clew of the sail and through the new holes in the boom so the rope ends up coming out of the bottom of the boom. Put the rope through two of the holes in the adjuster and along to the fitting that connects the mainsheet to the boom. Put the rope through this hole and back through the final hole in the adjuster tying a figure of 8 knot.
The adjusters make rig tuning a lot easier so your boat can be quickly adapted to the conditions.

We found that the rudder turning angle is not sufficient so we have put the rod on the outer most point on the servo arm and on the inside or second point on the rudder arm. Just before the rod reaches the rudder arm a small kink is required in it to give it a straight course from the servo through below the hatch and through the steering wheel and then the kink is in place so that it goes to the rudder arm. This gives your boat more turn if it is needed so you can avoid situations easily.

Using some of the left over Balsa wood from the pop outs on the stand I made a support that goes beside the keel shaft inside the hull. It goes from the underside of the deck to the bottom of the hull to provide support to stop the deck from flexing when under pressure form the keel and mast.

I have also drilled a small hole in the base of the mast step through which my receiver aerial goes through and up the mast. This allows your boat to be further away and to run on less battery power as the aerial has greater reception.

To help protect the radio gear I always put a sponge inside my boat for when I go sailing so that any water that gets inside the boat is soaked up and not free to splash around. I have also put a piece of plastic across the top of my radio gear. I placed holes in the plastic for where the white top of the servo's can poke through so the servo arms move freely above the plastic while the base of the servo's and batteries and receiver are safe underneath the plastic from water that drips through the hatch.

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