Does it make that much difference compared to using the stock on the hull sheeting position?
Just seeing if I need to spend the $80 on a piece of $20 wire from Murrays?
Cheers
Al
imho
if you are racing 1 design, yes
if you are not, no
having said that the geography of the lake i sail on means that the ability to point is king
so the jib has been setup for pointing, at the expense of reaching and downwind
and that meant the jib blocks HAD TO come well in from the hull
so a lot will depend on; where you sail, if you race, how good the competition is etc.
You can use line instead of wire.
There is a lot more than just a piece of wire going on there, for example swedged fittings on both ends, blocks with metal rollers on the wire, shock cord for the returns, shackles to attach the jib blocks, approx 20 feet of low stretch adjustment line 10 feet each side.
The 19/18.2 jib system is pretty trick, but it is a pain in the neck and makes for an uncomfortable tramp. You can use the standard sheeting car on the tracks and install a simple barberhauler system. The stock system should be just fine for recreational sailing.
i have used 4mm vectran or dyneema instead of the wire for years now.. no problems .... ($10 of line) I changed this to help save my gf's shins, but the line gets almost as tight as the wire did... so it didnt do much in that respect - should be noted that you will never get line as tight as a wire, so your blocks will "sit" higher off the deck .. this actually has a benifit of reducing the stress on your tramp track (at least thats where my 4-way jib system attaches)
blocks on the wire / line aren't even really needed (a shackle will run fine) - removed mine years ago
shock cord for returning (inboard) also is not needed ... if you move your jib outhaul and move it inward (for upwind / better pointing) you will need to adjust your sheet (most likely need to release it before you can move the blocks inboard), and as you sheet your jib sheet,,, your jib blocks will move inboard ...
IMHO - less hardware saves weight, money, less gear to break
Edited by MN3 on Apr 27, 2012 - 07:36 AM.
I never used it on either of the 18-2 and rigged up a system on the front beams similar to what I had on the 18 classic