i was gonna ask my buddy matt (mattman) to explain putting a bit of bend in the mast in order to improve upwind performance. i have found some info on this subject but anciously await Matt's input. i figure that others might benefit from his knowledge. regail us mattman.
prebend via rig tension works with mainsail shape. Mast rake has more to do with jib luff tension and in some boats CLR and CE balance. Be careful not to over tension the rig. These boats are NOT performance boats. Nothing ruins a day faster than a pulled chain plate.
I wouldn't recommend it. In high performance/racing boats it is commonly built into the sail and the rig.
http://www.working-the-sails.com/masts_and_booms.html
Not sure mast rake would work well on a 16, especially since there is no backstay to play with. And on that Catalina 18 if I remember (I owned one too), the backstay is offset with not much in the way of tension control. Perhaps on other CP models there are better opportunities.
Jett
According tu Hutch the rigging is for only holding mast in place, rack for helm and thats all........nies
Well I think Kick needs a little pre-bend in his mast to take up a bit of draft in his main that he is unable to address with halyard, outhaul, vang, and main tension (which are the control options available on his boat.) Why I think this is that his helm is a bit more than he would like and he would like a more neutral feel. An adjustable backstay will increase jib luff tension and on some rigs will also induce bend in the mast to slightly depower the main. Conversely, easing backstay tension will allow the jib luff to get full and provide more power downwind. Most of us set the rig for the day and forget about it. However if you are hunting for a particular feel, level of performance, or trying maximizing vmg on a particular point of sail, then all options available would be on the table. Kick may want to chime in on the helm dialed into the little fat girl...
it can be said that many fat girls have sweet helms. yours is the best. she is sweet
A C16 mast will likely fail if pushed too far. It's a very light extrusion for the exact reason we all appreciate when raising mast. I found a slightly forward rake helps a bit in balancing helm on my 77 C16.