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I 've just spent a very frustrating day trying to set my rig up and, even after a couple of phone calls to John Murrell I'm not sure I've got things right.
N3291 is a Design 8 with a Kappa mast, which seems to be so stiff I'm wandering if its been filled with concrete.

Baically when I set it all up as the Tuning Guide with the P&B published spreader length and rake it all looks OK, except that the mast stays dead straight, or even bent forward when under lots of forestay tension.  Pre-bend only happens when the shrouds are cranked on to give 400mm of rake, and even then there is only about 10mm of bend.

I 've tried drastically increasing the rake of the spreaders, clamping them in place so they don't spring forward.  I managed to achieve 35mm of pre-bend under normal mast rake and tension, but the spreaders needed to be hinged so far back that the shrouds look knock-kneed, like they've been kicked in the nuts. ..The deflecion angles are enormous.   The spreaders are now so close together they are almost touching.  Bit of an exageration that, but the spreader rake increased from the textbook 157mm to a new value of 216mm.

It all looks horribly wrong.  Any ideas?

How do I post a photo?

The Tuning Guide suggests a mast rake of 200mm to 400mm for a Design 8 with a Kappa mast.  Am I correct in assuming it should stay set at about of 200mm right through the wind range until we start to get overpowered, or should we be making gradual adjustments in intermediate wind strengths?

Is the suggested 200mm to 400mm rake an up-wind setting or applicable to all points of sailing?  Should I be letting the shrouds off to let the mast go all the way up to vertical when sailing down wind?

I've just stumbled across the speed freaks league on the yachts and yachting website.  Lots of impressive speeds posted by various boats, but no N12's.
I'm going to try taking my gps out next time its windy.  What max speed should I be aspiring to?
How about our own league on the website?

One of my winter projects will be to sort out the control lines in my Design 8.  I am sure there are 101 ways of organising things, but I would be grateful for advice of what works well.
 
In particular, I need to sort out the shrouds.  The control lines currently go up to jam cleats on top of the CB case (usually being sat on by a crew with a bruised bum when it needs to be adjusted) and then back down to the centreline of the hull, held on shock cord back to the transom (always getting caught up under my feet).  Is there is a better way?  It would be nice to be able to let-off / re-tighten the leeward shroud from the windward side of the boat, but is this trying to be too clever?

Also the lowers.  Is it normal to pull on both sides at the same time and with the same tension...in which case a single control line could adjust both sides simultaneously?...or should I  be tensioning the windward one more..in which case they need to be controlled separately?  Also is an 8:1 purchase about right?

I am getting a bit fed up with telling my crew to tighten the jib sheet back up.... keeps going slack when the crew gets tired or distracted.  I have a pair of open cam cleats on top of the CB case, but they are difficult to get the sheet into when hiked since the board case is too low.  Has anyone tried open cam cleats up on the side decks adjacent to the shrouds, or would these be equally awkward to use?

I am new to 12's this year so any advice, however basic would be appreciated.

I am planning to repair the many gelcoat cracks to my side decks at the end of this season.  My boat is a 1988 Storrar & Bax Design 8 No. 3291, which I think is laid up in epoxy.  Can anyone help me with advice on suitable materials, correct pigment colour or any other tips?