Don't understand this F2 Lightning, please help
Tufarnorth
out, please!
The centerboard seems to have had some type of circular rubber gaskets in
the cassette that are broken up. Do I need to try to replace these? I also
assume I can control the stiffness of centerboard action by
tightening/loosening the plastic "nuts" which hold the cassette together on
each side?
The mast track where you put the pin of the foot is marked "in/out",
"500N" and"BLOCK". I see that" in/out" enables you to remove the pin and
"block " locks it in, what about 500N ? Also, please tell me the use of the
small diameter line extending a few inches at the front of the mast track? My
Mistral Escape has the same thing, what is it ?
Lastly, does anyone have the specs for this board and its construction?
Thanks in advance for any help.
Cindy
sailquik (Roger Jackson)
>out, please!
> The centerboard seems to have had some type of circular rubber gaskets in
>the cassette that are broken up. Do I need to try to replace these?
up and down. The plastic "nut's" (one side is a stud, the other ther nut) are
used to tighten the brown plastic polyurethane washers/gaskets between the
casette and the CB to allow very precise setting of how hard it is to
deploy/retract the CB.
I have no idea where you might get some. Perhaps some of the sailors
in Europe. I have a new recreational CB that has new gaskets, but I was
saving them for spares for the big carbon race CB on my Lightning Race.
> I also>assume I can control the stiffness of centerboard action by
>tightening/loosening the plastic "nuts" which hold the cassette together on
>each side?
You assume correctly!
> The mast track where you put the pin of the foot is marked "in/out",
>"500N" and"BLOCK". I see that" in/out" enables you to remove the pin and
>"block " locks it in, what about 500N ? A
For a number of years, there was a "release" specification in Europe that the
board manufacturers came up with. I believe the 500N stands for 500 newtons,
and is the "safety release" value . Very much like ski bindings
that need to let go, before the ski's twist your leg off or break it.
I'd just put the shuttle in the lock position. That's where I always run mine
and ir's never let go.
>Also, please tell me the use of the small diameter line extending a few inches
>at the front of the mast track? My Mistral Escape has the same thing, what is it ?
These small lines are the "safety leash" between the rig and the board.
In engineering, if you design a safety release pin into the mast car, you also
NEED to be sure that if it does release, or releases prematurely for some
reason, that you have a leash to keep the rig from sinking or floating away.
This is Euro WS safety engineering. Not bad ideas to be sure, but they never
caught on or were required here in the US.
The leash is the same principal as the leather straps that used to be used to
keep your ski's from going off down the moutain and killing someone. Ski's now
have the little spring loaded bail, that flips up when you put your boot in the
binding, but will stand up and stop the ski if your bindings release and your
boot comes up off the bail.
> Lastly, does anyone have the specs for this board and its construction?
Specs:
Length: 377 cm/ 12' 5"
Width: 64 cm/ 25.0 "
1 foot off tail: 38.1 cm/ 15.5"
Volume: 249 liters
Weight: Approx. 13.8 Kg...... (May vary with different constructions)
All these boards came out of the same mold, but they varied in constuction
(material) Centerboard configuration and a few other small details.
The one I have 1988 Lightning World Cup Race is a Aramid fiber composite,
but it's one of the lightest "Lightnings" made. There were some other regular
foam core/glass/plastic skin Lightnings.
Wow! You got one of the "good" ones. Any F2 Lightning with that particular
CB casette setup is one of the most durable/raceable boards out there.
I still do quite well in longboard races with my 1988.
I bought it to race in vintage races (1988 is "Vintage" isn't it) and it was
very promply banned (at least with me on it) from Vintage racing for being
"too comtemporary", i,e, to much like a modern racing longboard, but
it sure sounded to me like it was simply too fast. That's alright, I was forced
to get out my old 1984 Superlight, and I think it's even faster. The only board
to beat it consistently(in a vintage race that I've participated in) is another
Superlight with a very good sailor who's a little closer to the min. weight
limit and gets to carry a 1m2 larger sail than I can use.
Good choice Cindy. With that board and the yellow Retro, you simply have to
race at the Midwinters. You might be almost unbeatable in the novice class.
> Thanks in advance for any help.
Well, I hope it was helpful.
later
Roger
sailquik (Roger Jackson) US 7011
Cert. WS Instructor (Lvl 1)
Sailworks/F2/Starboard/MPB/HPL/Chinook/Kokatat/DaKine
Phones: So. MD (301)872-9459; Avon, NC (252) 995-3204
Den Fox
I'd like to expand on Roger's otherwise concise answer regarding the safety
leash.
If you have really got yourself in trouble out on the water; and the most
likely thing to break and get you in such trouble is the universal joint /
mast foot (It's the only moving part, and therefore the weak link), I don't
believe that you are so concerned about losing kit. You should be looking
after yourself.
So you should always swim for the big floaty thing.........your board. But
if you are in strong winds which are blowing you towards a hazard (a
shipping lane, gnarly rocks, or another continent) you will need a "Sea
Anchor". The sail acts as a very effective sea anchor since it would take a
very strong wind indeed to drag that through the water. The safety leash
ensures that your board and rig do not become separated.
You should also ensure that your universal joint (the rubber bendy bit) has
a cord or strap which would hold the two halves together should the rubber
split..........which it does, often!
If your board manufacture has been thoughtful enough to provide you with a
safety leash, always use it. It attaches to a clip or plate you will find
at the bottom half of your universal joint.
Den
sailquik (Roger Jackson) <sail...@mail.ameritel.net> wrote in message
RandacF
>likely thing to break and get you in such trouble is the universal joint /
>mast foot (It's the only moving part, and therefore the weak link), I don't
I agree - the worst experience I ever had windsurfing was when my rig came off
the mast foot. It was January, water below 50 and pretty cold. I managed to
float back to shore on my board and another sailor managed to sail out and
retrieve my sail. That was really scary. After that for a long time I used an
ultralight aircraft cable as a safety line. I don't do that now, but still tie
the extra downhaul line to the mast foot. I also make damn sure that the
universal is "popped" into the mast extention correctly.
Randy
innov...@gmail.com
> I just bought an old F2 Lightning Race, EC Lite, and need some help figuring it
> out, please!
> The centerboard seems to have had some type of circular rubber gaskets in
> tightening/loosening the plastic "nuts" which hold the cassette together on
> each side?
> "500N" and"BLOCK". I see that" in/out" enables you to remove the pin and
> Mistral Escape has the same thing, what is it ?
Solution for me was to use the rubber drive belt from a vacuum cleaner (powers the rotating brush). If you halve the belt lengthwise carefully with a blade, one belt can provide a gasket for both sides of the CB casette. Do not try to stretch the belt to make it fit, if it is a bit small snip it and seat it into the groove. I positioned the small gap toward the bottom to let the casette drain, also less chance of grit entering from the top.
innov...@gmail.com
The f2 lightning CB has two rubber rings on either side of the CB cassette which provides friction
against the CB. The CB of earlier f2 lightnings contained a rubber that provided resistance against the
cassette surface. The 1989 f2 lighting design sees a circular rubber gasket fixed in a groove on either
side of the cassette, the CB has a teflon ring on wither side that mates with the exposed surface of the
gasket. CB pressure against the gasket can be adjusted using the pivot bolt.
This CB rubber gasket perishes, I found that a vacuum cleaner drive belt is an inexpensive solution.
Roger Turner
Just picked up a 1990 (I think) F2 Lightning, but the daggerboard is not the correct one, it doesn't fit properly. Any ideas?
