Elliott 7 - Boat Setup and Tips

Spinnaker controls...

You will see 3 lines emerging from the mast base. Each line goes through a fairlead to a raised cam cleat and on to a stand up pulley. These lines a self cleating and can be pulled from an angle. The lines are released at the cam cleat.

Thanks to Peter Barter.

1. The green line is the kicker. The kicker goes through the base to a block and returns to an eye becket on the front of the mast base. The block has a single line going to a clip that attaches to the spinnaker pole giving a 2:1 purchase.

2. The blue and white line is the spinnaker halyard. The halyard goes into a turning block inside the mast base and up the mast. The halyard is 1:1

3. The red line is the spinnaker pole topping lift. The topping lift goes into a turning block in the mast base and up the mast. The topping lift is 1:1

I have tried using Spinlock cleats for these lines but found that they are too easy to trip. This is how Matt Owen had his boat set up and we find it simple and effective.

We launch the kite from the front hatch as do most crews. The only time people tend to launch from the cockpit is in very rough conditions when there is a danger of taking a lot of water through the front hatch.

Vang system...

The E7 has some high load areas in the boom vang system.

I have replaced the overloaded triple block on the mast step with three separate single blocks as shown in the following photos.

The two outer blocks are fitted to the Outer Mast base by attaching the pivoting blocks and an eye becket. The eye becket is fixed to the base by a countersunk head 3/16 inch screw. The hole for the screw is drilled and tapped and countersunk on the inside of the base so that the head will not interfere with the inner mast base. The eye becket is then fixed with a Nylock nut.

Two of the high load blocks in the cascade system have been replaced with teflon coated alloy ferules.

Thanks to Peter Barter.

Forestay Tensioner...

The lower flexible section of the forestay runs through a slot in the bow fitting. The cable then goes around an angled below deck roller. The roller bracket has studs that project through the bow fitting and secured by the two top acorn nuts.

The 12:1 tensioning system runs below deck along the gunwhale.

NB. There is a well in the front of the bow that drains water that enters through the slot in the bow fitting.

Thanks to Peter Barter.

E7 Mast Tuning guide (from Walter Turnbull)

Mast rake from transom to top of main halyard 10620mm – depending on how tight your lowers are this will vary (loose more bend tip goes back).

Another way of doing it is jib halyard pulled up to the top and measure to bottom of the mast 7108mm them measure to the top of the bow 8205mm.

Using the 'Loos' gauge