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LDC Racing Saliboats RS 500 Owner's Manual

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OWNER'S MANUAL
LDC Racing Sailboats, Trafalgar Close, Chandlers Ford. Eastleigh SO53 4BW, England
Tel. +44 (0)23 8027 4500
Fax. +44 (0)23 8027 4800
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  • Page 1 OWNER’S MANUAL LDC Racing Sailboats, Trafalgar Close, Chandlers Ford. Eastleigh SO53 4BW, England Tel. +44 (0)23 8027 4500 Fax. +44 (0)23 8027 4800...

  • Page 2: Table Of Contents

    CONTENTS INTRODUCTION SPECIFICATIONS AND DRAWINGS SAFETY INFORMATION Design Category Loading Safety Equipment Capsize Recovery Air Tank Man Overboard Prevention and Recovery Use of an Outboard Engine Towing, Anchoring, Mooring and Trailing COMMISSIONING Preparation Unpacking Rigging the Mast Stepping the Mast Rigging the Spinnaker Halyard Rigging the Boom Hoisting the Jib...
  • Page 3 MAINTENANCE Boat Care Foil Care Spar Care Sail Care WARRANTY...

  • Page 4: Introduction

    RS product. We are confident that you will have many hours of great sailing and racing in this truly excellent design. The RS 500 is an exciting boat to sail and offers fantastic performance. This manual has been compiled to help you operate your RS 500 with safety and pleasure.
  • Page 5 EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY TO DIRECTIVE 94/25/CE I declare that the craft described as: RS 500 Bearing the Hull Identification Number: G B L D C 5 Sail Number: Conforms to EU Recreational Craft Directive 94/25/EC as amended by Directive 2003/44/EC Annex 1 –...

  • Page 6: Specifications And Drawings

    SPECIFICATIONS AND DRAWINGS Identification. Your RS 500 can be identified by two numbers, one is the sail number and the other is the Hull Identification Number. The sail number is the number by which you register your RS 500 with insurance companies, the class association and also when you sign on for events.
  • Page 7 RS 500 XL rig Mainsail Mylar 9.5m² 100sq ft Mylar 3.6m² 37sq ft Spinnaker Dynalite 14.8m² 150sq ft...

  • Page 8: Safety Information

    SAFETY INFORMATION Personal preparation and owner’s responsibility. Before attempting to operate the boat, ensure that you have appropriate experience to handle the boat safely in the anticipated sea and wind conditions, that all the crew have sufficient boating experience and that they are familiar with emergency procedures (man overboard recovery, towing, etc.).

  • Page 9: Design Category

    3.1 Design Category. The RS 500 is a Design Category C boat. The definition of this category is: • Design Category: C – ‘inshore’ • Description of Use: Designed for voyages in costal waters, large bays, estuaries, lakes and rivers.

  • Page 10: Safety Equipment

    3.4 Capsize Recovery. No matter how stable and secure your RS 500 feels on the water, a capsize will be inevitable. Properly handled’ a capsize can be fun and definitely not something to worry about. Like everything it is best practiced on a quieter day, and preferably with a safety boat to hand.
  • Page 11 The RYA recommends that Dinghy sailors involved in a capsize should always consider going straight to the centreboard to prevent inversion and then allow time and opportunity for any entrapment to be resolved by those involved or by patrol boat crews. You should be particularly aware of the dangers of entanglement in trapeze wires or associated elastic cordage.

  • Page 12: Air Tank

    3.5 Air Tank. The RS 500 is equipped with a sealed buoyancy compartment just in case of capsize or swamping. The buoyancy compartment is formed by the hull and deck mouldings and consequently the following points should be noted: Do not puncture the buoyancy compartment.

  • Page 13: Man Overboard Prevention And Recovery

    Crew overboard recovery. The RS 500 is designed to be sailed by two people. However, it can be sailed single-handed. If sailing alone it is recommended that you ensure adequate safety cover is in attendance before launching.

  • Page 14: Use Of An Outboard Engine

    3.7 Use of an Outboard Engine. The RS 500 has not been designed with the use of an outboard motor. Therefore any attempts to do so will void any warranty and RS Racing accept no responsibility for damage, loss or injury arising from such use.
  • Page 15 Mooring. The RS 500 is not designed or equipped for mooring and this should not be attempted. You should remain in control of the boat at all times when afloat.
  • Page 16 It is always a good idea to tie the boat down when it is left in the dinghy compound to prevent any damage to you boat, or any other, in the event of strong winds.

  • Page 17: Commissioning

    It is also important to regularly check such items prior to sailing. 4.2 Unpacking. Having unpacked your RS 500 you should check that you have all the items listed below and in picture 4.1 and picture 4.2 before throwing away any of the packing as there may be some small items still wrapped.
  • Page 18 • 1 x rope pack – consisting of: o 1 x mainsheet. o 1 x jib sheet. o 1 x spinnaker sheet. o 1 x rudder downhaul and block. Picture 4.1 – RS 500 equipment. Picture 4.2 – RS 500 rope pack...

  • Page 19: Rigging The Mast

    Class Bracket Connection Pin Outer End Primary Adjuster End cap pos’n Wire Dia. Visible Holes RS 500 3.0mm Table 4.1 Spreader pin positions. Now the mast is ready to be put up in the boat, or stepped. REMEMBER...
  • Page 20 Check that both ends of the main halyard, jib halyard and spinnaker halyard are tied off at the bottom end of the mast so they are within easy reach when the mast is stepped.
  • Page 21 595-478-E Vernier Adjust Spreader Instructions Date:16-03-25 Attachment of Spreader. Primary Pin: Fit down through the bracket’s primary hole and the Fwd or Aft spreader hole as required. Adjuster Pin: Fit down through a hole 1 to 4, and through A to C or through a hole 5 to 7, and through D to E.

  • Page 22: Stepping The Mast

    4.4 Stepping the mast. Before stepping the mast, make yourself familiar with how the “foot” (bottom end) of the mast will fit into the “step” (fitted to the boat). The mast foot has two rectangular blocks on the bottom, separated by a groove.
  • Page 23 It is easier to step the mast with two people, however it can be done single- handed. We will show you both methods. Stepping the mast single-handed. 1. Ensure the mast step area is free from any blocks or rope. 2.
  • Page 24 Picture 4.6 Fitting the forestay. Stepping the mast with two. This is a much easier way of stepping the mast, especially if it is windy at all. 1. Ensure the mast step area is free from any blocks or rope. 2.
  • Page 25 Picture 4.7 Raising the mast. Picture 4.8 Raising into place. Now the final rig adjustments can be made. 1. Attach the lower shrouds to the mast. 2. Lower the main shrouds in the shroud adjusters to hole 4, this is a good starting point .

  • Page 26: Rigging The Spinnaker Halyard

    you will need to let the rig tension off, adjuster the lower shroud position and try again. 4.5 Rigging the spinnaker halyard. When the spinnaker halyard it is pulled it will hoist the spinnaker but also pull the bowsprit out too. This achieved by the spinnaker halyard running through a block tied to the bowsprit launch line.

  • Page 27: Rigging The Boom

    Picture 4.11 The spinnaker halyard cleat. Picture 4.12 The spinnaker downhaul block. 4.6 Rigging the boom. To complete this section, you will need: • The boom. • The Gnav (“vang” backwards, as it is working upside) bar. 1. Connect the gnav bar to the slider at the front end of the boom (see picture 4.13).
  • Page 28 Picture 4.15 The gnav control line. Picture 4.16 The gnav fully rigged. Diagram 4.1 Mast/gnav orientation.

  • Page 29: Hoisting The Jib

    4.7 Hoisting the jib. To complete this section, you will require: • The jib. • The jib sheets. 1. Unroll the jib and connect the tack (lower forward corner) to the bow fitting using the tack tie provided (see picture 4.17). The height of the jib away from the bow is a tuning item and is covered more in section 5 ‘sailing hints’.

  • Page 30: The Rudder

    1. Tie one end of the jib sheet to the p-clip located between the jib fairlead and jib cleat. 2. Pass the other end through the clew of the jib and back through the fairlead and jib cleat. 3. Pass the jib sheet across the boat. 4.
  • Page 31 5) Refit the plastic wing nut and tighten. The nut should be tight enough to stop the rudder slopping about in the stock, but not tight enough as to make it hard to rotate the rudder. 6) Tie the rudder downhaul block onto the rope that you threaded into the stock (see picture 4.22).

  • Page 32: Hoisting The Mainsail

    4.9 Hoisting the mainsail. To complete this section, you will need: • The mainsail (either S or XL). • The mainsheet. 1. Tie one end of the mainsheet through the middle of the block at the end of the boom using a stopper knot (see picture 4.24). 2.
  • Page 33 Picture 4.26 1. Unroll the mainsail. 2. Tie the end of the main halyard that comes down the mast to the top of the mainsail (see picture 4.27). Picture 4.27 Tying the main halyard. 3. Put the top of the sail into the opening in the mast track, just above the gooseneck.

  • Page 34: Rigging The Spinnaker

    Picture 4.30 The downhaul. 4.10 Rigging the spinnaker. To complete this section, you will need: • 1 x RS 500 spinnaker. • 1 x spinnaker sheet. 1. Unpack the spinnaker. 2. Tie the tack of the spinnaker to the ‘tack line’ that emerges from the end of the bowsprit (see picture 4.31).
  • Page 35 3. Tie the end of the halyard to the head of the sail (see picture 4.32). 4. Take the spinnaker downhaul line (the other end of the halyard), which is rigged up the chute and with the spinnaker on the starboard (right) side of the boat pass the end through the ring on the sail from bottom of sail to top of sail direction (see picture 4.33).

  • Page 36: Completion

    • Take the other end of the spinnaker sheet and pass it around the forestay and into the block on the other side. Tie the two ends together. Picture 4.35 Tying the spinnaker sheets. Picture 4.36 The spinnaker sheet block •...
  • Page 37 3) Coil the main and jib halyards neatly and stow them in the Velcro pocket fitted on the underside of the spinnaker sock. Now you are ready to go sailing in your RS 500!

  • Page 38: Sailing Hints

    SAILING HINTS 5.1 Introduction. The RS 500 is a very rewarding boat to sail, and to fully appreciate its handling you should be comfortable with the basic techniques of sailing small boats. If you lack confidence or feel a refresher is in order, then there are many fully recognised sailing schools which can offer refresher courses in trapeze and asymmetric technique.

  • Page 39: Sailing Close-Hauled And Tacking

    As soon as you are deep enough, make sure you lower the rudder blade fully by pulling the downhaul hard. You know it is fully down if you feel a gentle ”thud” as the front face of the blade hits the front face of the stock. Cleat the downhaul and tidy it by winding it around the tiller, pull the sails in and you are away! HINT...

  • Page 40: Downwind And Gybing

    it is breezy. Sail to the jib tell-tails, keeping the leeward one streaming and the windward (nearest) one either streaming or lifting upwards. You should hold the tiller extension across your body – with a knuckle upwards grip, and you can then use one or two fingers as a temporary cleat when adjusting the mainsheet.
  • Page 41 For your first hoist you should be sailing downwind on a broad reach, with the wind on your quarter. Your crew should stand astride the centre capping, and hoist the spinnaker from the right hand halyard block (see picture 5.1). Picture 5.1 Hoisting the spinnaker.
  • Page 42 the chute. Dropping the spinnaker on tighter reaches is harder, requiring more effort on the downhaul (the end of the halyard that pulls the spinnaker down). Picture 5.2 Dropping the spinnaker. HINT The spinnaker can “bunch up” when entering the chute, and this can be minimised by keeping some restriction on the sheet and thus stopping the clew getting sucked in with the main body of the spinnaker.

  • Page 43: Boat Care

    MAINTENANCE 6.1 Boat Care. The RS 500 is made of FRP (fibre reinforced plastic), a fibre glass cloth and polyester resin. This is stiff and light, but will dent if subjected to point loading. The boat should be supported ashore on a recognised RS trolley, as the hull may distort if not supported properly.

  • Page 44: Foil Care

    c) When using an undercover, make sure the cover has an opening in the bottom to prevent water draining from the cockpit and filling the undercover. Do not leave the undercover on for long periods. Wash with fresh water. Fresh water evaporates far quicker than salt water, so if your dinghy has been sailed in salt water, don't stop at the sails, fittings and external surfaces, wash the tanks out as well.

  • Page 45: Spar Care

    The foils are FRP with a foam core. Look after them as you do the hull. Wash with fresh water regularly. Repair any chips as soon as possible. If you intend to travel a lot with the boat, then an RS padded rudder bag would be a worthwhile investment.
  • Page 46 4. If your sail is stained in any way, try to remove it using normal detergent and warm water. Do not attempt to launder the sail yourself. 5. Repairs should be temporarily fixed using sticky number cloth or sail repair tape and then returned to a sail maker for a professional repair. 6.
  • Page 47 WARRANTY 1. This warranty is given in addition to all rights given by statute or otherwise. 2. LDC Racing Sailboats warrants all boats and component parts manufactured by it to be free from defects in materials and workmanship under normal use and circumstances, and the exercise of prudent seamanship, for a period of twelve (12) months from the date of commissioning by the original owner.

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