By Carl Olbrich

Boat Balance

The Soling One Meter is sitting correctly if the bottom of the transom just DOES NOT break the surface of the water with everything on board. Adjustment of batteries fore and aft can help give you the desired setting. Batteries can be split into two units by wiring in series. Then store the batteries with velcro on either side of the keel support. They can be mounted outboard as far as possible as the center of gravity of the batteries will still be over the keel and will be much harder to move. The batteries can also stored forward of the bulkhead if needed for trim. Most people sail with the batteries forward of the bulkhead.
The lower the center of gravity the better the boat stands up to the wind. Keep all interior weight as low as possible. Keep as much weight to the center of the boat (fore & aft) as this will make it more maneuverable. Also balance side to side.

RUDDER

Set the rod to the servo in the middle of the holes on the arm. Try out the boat for how much movement the rudder has. Adjust this setting depending on how fast you want your boat to respond. Too fast a response will slow the boat down until you become proficient with the controls.
On land stand behind the boat and with the radio control on (lever r/h side and spring loaded) check to see if the rudder is center and aligned to the keel. Using the small trim tab on the radio control check to see if the trim tab moves the rudder equally on both sides. If not loosen the set screw and adjust the setting.

Mast

Before you install the mast to the boat adjust the diamond wire rigging on the mast. It should be tight. Adjust the take up screw at the lower part of the mast until you can make the wire sing. If the diamond wire is loose the mast will bend off in a breeze.
Use the second hole for mast step (from bow). Generally rearward hole is not used.
Set mast straight or slightly aft rake. Set this by using the jib headstay bowsie and backstay bowsie.( @45-3/4 inches above deck on the mast, a line to the bow would be approximately 49 inches long)
As a general rule the first eye hook from the bow is used with the first mast step hole and the second eye hook is used with the second mast step hole. This maintains the slot between the jib and the main. On a windy day leave the mast in the second hole and move the jib to the first eye hook 9(forward), this opens the slot.
Then with the backstay loose take up slack in the side shrouds by using the base jack. Do not over tighten the jack - snug side shrouds only.
Snug back stay tension. Back stay tension effects how the jib boom lifts in a strong breeze due to the jib headstay being forward of the attachment point to the boat. A tight backstay holds the jib boom down.
In light weather a looser backstay lets the jib react to the wind better.

Sail Shape

Jib setting at the the boom should have a generous curve. 1 inch at center of foot. (outhaul tension).Once you have found the best setting for the jib - never change it. If you see white caps on the water maybe just change the close hauled setting and set the jib boom more outboard.
Mainsail at the boom should have a generous curve but not quite as much as the jib. (outhaul tension). Reduce the curve in heavy wind.
Streching the sails (jib or main) up toward the top of the mast is not required, they should be snug without wrinkles..

Sheet Tension - boom alignment.

Jib boom should be 10 degrees wider than the mainsail boom is set.
Jib boom should point to the shroud eyes.
Mainsail boom should be close to the centerline but don't pull the boom down to kill the leech or completely flatten the sail. Mainsail boom should point to the corner of the intersection where the transom and side meet. Adjust the sheet bowsie on each boom so that the fine adjustment on the radio control is at mid-point on the adjustment with the booms set as suggested.
With an airtronics winch (2 arm) the longer arm should be set up for the main sheet. While airtronic winches are slow they have full travel and power to pull in the sails.
Single arm Hi-Tech winches are used in many boats but they donot have the power to pull in the sails in heavy wind and can not be rigged to get full travel of the main in down wind sailing.

Boom Vang.

In light air the boom vang should be snug but let the boom come up slightly with the sail amidships. In heavy air the boom vang should be looser to permit the boom to lift and spill air. Note: Generally the better sailors keep the boom vang snug - tight in all weather.
Heavy air here in Florida should be white caps on the pond.

Other Points

Mainsail should be loose at the mast , not pinned up against mast.
Eye hooks on booms for jib and mainsail sheets should be over the holes in deck as per manufacturer. This gives the main and jib the same radius on the turning circle (boom rotation). With an airtronics winch with a double arm the shorter arm feeds the jib sheet at about 80% of the travel on the main.

SLOT - MOST IMPORTANT ITEM.

The space between the aft edge of the jib and the mainsail. Moving air through this point makes the sail or airplane wing work.

1. Jib sheet boom angle controls part of it. 2. Backstay tension controls a lot of it. 3. Use only the upper eye hook on the mast (where the jib headstay is attached).