Prodigy Class Association
Tips
Here's a
collection of tuning tips, useful information, frequently asked
questions, etc. If you have a question, an answer, or a
suggestion, please send us a note.
Rigging the 8.5 Comp Sail
If you aren't used to rigging a North cambered sail, it can be a little tricky at first. The key is to fully insert the mast into the luff sleeve first, and then pop the camber inducers onto the mast, as follows: Slide the mast in, under the cambers, with the camber pocket zippers open. Apply light downhaul tension. Next, attach the boom (set with 15 holes showing) and fully outhaul the sail. Now you should be able to push the cambers down onto the mast by pushing down on the batten with one hand and on the camber inducer with the other hand. If you have trouble, try more outhaul, or adjust the batten tension with the allen screw at the leech end of the batten. Once you've got the cambers on the mast, you can fully downhaul, keeping an eye on the cambers to make sure they don't ride up the mast. Ease the outhaul and at this point the zippers should close easily.
It will probably take your full strength, or a tool, or a special base such as the North Power XT extension, to apply correct full downhaul. Normally the leech should be loose at the top and floppy one third of the way down, or more in windier conditions. The outhaul can be tightened for windier conditions and pointing; loosened for more power off the wind. Competitive racers often rig an adjustable outhaul system, which is adjusted primarily according to point of sail. Some also rig an adjustable downhaul, which is adjusted primarily according to wind strength. Once you've got downhaul and outhaul tension set you can make fine adjustments to the batten tension--more tension for lighter conditions, typically, and reduced tension at the top to allow twist in higher wind. Most people leave the batten tension fixed, once they are happy with their tuning, but it can extend sail life to loosen the battens when you derig.
When you derig, keep an eye on the cambers, to make sure they don't ride up the mast, which can tear the attachment sleeve. Ease the downhaul and pop the cambers off first. Then let off the outhaul.
Rigging The Club Sail (Dacron)
Much easier than rigging the 8.5! Lay out the sail, with the battens inserted. Insert the mast, put the extension in and lightly tension the downhaul. Then, clamp on your boom, outhaul to the recommended setting, aiming to mostly elimated the vertical wrinkles along the luff. Presto, you are ready to go sailing! Less downhaul and outhaul for light wind; more downhaul and outhaul for stronger wind....just like a sailboat.
Prodigy Comp Mast Track
The Comp model has a built in, on-the-fly-adjustable mast track. It is operated with a pedal at the back of the mast track. The pedal can be folded down out of the way, if you don't want to use it, and it can be fixed into the operating position with the red plastic clip. The second edition Prodigy has a yellow pedal: Pull it forward to put it in operating position, and push it back and down to put it into the locked position. The base accepts Mistral or a Euro pin-type universal joint attachment. To attach a pin type universal, lift the black tab at the front of the base, insert the pin, and then depress the tab. If you set the tab to horizontal it will release under a shock load, like a ski binding, which can prevent injury in certain types of fall. Pushing the tab down further will make it lock, and prevent the mast from detaching from the board. Just behind the socket is a threaded hole which will accept a standard bolt, such as is on a Chinook mast foot. Keep the track free of debris, such as sand and gravel, so that it slides properly. The bungee in the front is for attaching to the mast foot--it comes out and can be attached to the mast foot for safety.
Attaching Footstraps
If you are learning to use the harness and get into the straps, you'll probably want to install only the middle and back sets of straps, and put them in an inside position. For more speed, put the straps in the outside positions, and for higher performance beating upwind, install the front set of straps. The straps are equipped with anti-twist plates, which are a sort of plastic washer with a nub sticking up. This nub should fit into a hole in the strap webbing--be sure it is correctly inserted before you tighten the screw. The straps can be opened to adjust for different foot sizes by loosening the Velcro underneath the cover.
Inserting Centerboards and Fins
To insert the fin, place it into the cavity into the rear of the board. You can then insert the lever screw through the deck and hand tighten so that it is securely locked into the board. The fin is designed in such a way as to release upon a impact with a fixed object underwater. If you do not have the lever screw, you can used a metric screw, stainless, of 90mm length to accomplish the same purpose.
To insert the centerboard place it at a 90 degree angle to the sailboard, align the pivot point on the centerboard with the notch in the cassette and push the centerboard straight down, through the gasket, from above the board. Once the centerboard is fully inserted it can be rotated back for sailing with retracted centerboard. Remove the centerboard by rotating it to the down position and wiggling it back and forth straight up--opposite of how it went in. Applying silcone, rubber treatment products, or soap to the centerboard and gasket makes operation of the centerboard easier on the water. Note: Do not insert a first edition centerboard into a second edition hull (the blue and white model with 3/4 EVA soft deck). The locking mechanism is on the opposite side, and the centerboard will get stuck. If this happens, you will have to work a thin piece of metal or long, narrow screwdriver into the centerboard well and push the locking tab down, in order to get the centerboard out.
Prodigy Non-skid
The first edition boards are provided with an aggressive non-skid surface. Some people prefer this, but it is quite abrasive. If it is too rough for you--especially if you are learning, or teaching beginners--you might want to lightly smooth the surface with sandpaper. Also, the non-skid is hard on the sail, if you do a lot of uphauling and drag the sail across the board. To protect the sail you can glue 2-3" wide strips of rubber along the edges of the board, forward of the front footstraps. Your Mistral dealer can supply rubber strips for this purpose.
Tiedown Tips
When you carry a Prodigy on top of your car, the recommended position is right side up, stern first. It'll be more aerodynamic upside down, but the tiedown straps will run over the sharp edges of the hull, which could cause damage to the hull or the straps. Because of the concavity of the deck, tiedown straps are prone to flutter at high speeds. On a long drive, this can put a lot of wear on the straps--avoid this by encasing the straps in a length of soft rubber hose material, or by inserting a piece of foam under the strap. Putting a twist in the strap will reduce flutter.