Pole length measurment for Bennett boats

Macho Slavich · September 16, 2015, 02:49:35 PM

I have hull 25 now and was looking at measurements of rig etc...and I wonder is the same length of pole 190cm for Bennett hulls as I remember reading some head stay anchor point differences and wonder what the length was for the 69 and earlier hulls...

Tim Carter · September 16, 2015, 04:21:49 PM

Pole length is set in rules as 190cm from headstay pin on all Vipers.

"4.10 The Sprit shall be made of carbon, complying with Class approved specifications and supplied by a Class approved builder. The extended length from the center of the headstay pin to the bearing point of the tack line shall not exceed 190 cm"

Ben Steinberg · September 16, 2015, 09:25:13 PM

Quote from: Macho Slavich on September 16, 2015, 02:49:35 PM
I have hull 25 now and was looking at measurements of rig etc...and I wonder is the same length of pole 190cm for Bennett hulls as I remember reading some head stay anchor point differences and wonder what the length was for the 69 and earlier hulls...

Head stay pin is .75 " aft on older boats as stated in rondar tuning guide. This would suggest that pole extension should have this measurement added to it. In all likelihood this is the full length of the pole if the pole in your boat is original.

Dave Nickerson · September 17, 2015, 10:32:44 AM

I'm going to differ with my friend Ben on this one. Please measure extension per the class rules. Pole extension relative to the position of the rig will be the same in both versions.
Dave Nickerson
TC chair

Darren Gilbert · September 17, 2015, 01:48:28 PM

Sorry, a little off topic here but does anyone know why the builder(s) have changed the headstay pin location on the new boats vs. the old boats?

Tim Carter · September 17, 2015, 02:25:41 PM

That happend about 10yrs ago... I may be wrong, but possibly to keep the headstay a little further from the throat for the sets / douses.

Dave Nickerson · September 17, 2015, 03:00:45 PM

Ditto. Don't know. From before when most of us were in the class. Only impacts a limited number of boats and is easily addressed from a performance perspective with tuning.

Ben Steinberg · September 17, 2015, 04:55:20 PM

If you have an old boat your are getting cheated out of .75"

Tim Carter · September 17, 2015, 05:26:12 PM

It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the fight in the dog...

Actually you are not shorted in any way.. The luff of the kite has the same "slot" if you will in front of the jib with any flavor of Viper. And that's what is being controlled.

Paul Zimmerman · September 18, 2015, 07:34:52 AM

on the old boats you lose even more length as the tack comes out of the top of the pole, set back maybe .75" And the newer poles the tack exits from the end of the pole.
There was no reasoning given at the time to move the headstay fitting, it just happened.

Dave Nickerson · September 18, 2015, 07:43:07 AM

Measurement is to the tack line bearing point so easy to compensate for the old pole design and get to the max dimension.