Viper Owner's Manual 40
4.4 Tuning
“The philosophy of catamaran sailing is pretty simple… ‘It doesn’t matter where you are going as long
as you are going there fast.’ The element of truth in this statement is that boat speed is ultimately
important. Go fast. Look for pressure then angles; opposite priority compared to dinghy.” Greg Goodall
on catamaran sailing
To achieve good results in regattas or just sailing fast, it is important to set up the boat for the
conditions of the day.
The VIPER is a very fast, high performance, racing catamaran with impeccable handling qualities.
When you first sail one you are aware that everything happens very quickly. This also includes
getting into trouble. As a result it is important that the set up of your boat is clean, simple and
efficient. Things that tangle or are difficult to adjust should be eliminated. Almost any system can be
made to work in light winds but if it doesn’t work in strong winds then you would be better not
having it.
4.4.1 PLATFORM
It is important to have you boat as stiff as possible. Make sure that the beam bolts are tight (no more
than 20N/m). Keeping the striker strap and tramp tight will ensure the best platform stiffness.
Reseating the beam pads will also improve the boats stiffness, see next.
RESEATING BEAM PADS
After years of use the contact between the beam and the beam pad can deteriorate, resulting in
reduced platform stiffness. To reseat your pads you will need the following: White Gelcoat, masking
tape, mould release wax, sandpaper, acetone and a 50mm paintbrush.
Follow these steps (do one beam at a time so that you have enough time before the Gelcoat gels):
1. Remove the beam by undoing the beam bots and pulling the beam out.
2. Briefly sand the beam pad to rough the surface and thoroughly clean beam and beam pad
with solvent.
3. Wax the beam anywhere it touches the beam pad or gelcoat might touch it (follow the
waxing instructions on the packaging).
4. Mask up the edge and area around the beam pad where you don’t want gelcoat to be
5. Mix gelcoat and brush a 2mm thick layer onto the beam pad leaving a 10mm gap around the
bolt holes
6. Bolt the beam back into place before gelcoat cures
7. Clean off any excess gelcoat with acetone
8. Repeat on other beam
By waxing the beams you should be able to remove them if you need to, however they will be quite
stiff to do so.
4.4.2 RUDDER ALIGNMENT
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