Sails 'n Set up suitable for Cheshire Cat

[momentum]

Help and advice needed please.
1) Good second hand set of sails needed for a fairly original Cheshire Cat.
2) Which cut/maker best for being competitive at inland puddle ?
3) What should my expectations be and how much should I expect to pay ?
4) Any advice on suitability of converting her to centre main ?
5) Any specific advice for racing on a small puddle with plenty of wind shadows ?
Thanks in advance

Momentum

[MikeDay]

In response:
1) You might well find someone here with a an old spare suit.
2) In the second hand market, anything you can find will be fine.  For this kind of sailing, you won't go far wrong with any known Twelve maker.
3) As 2 above.
4) Don't, under any circumstances, especially in the light of 5 below. If you have arrived in Twelves from a class with a  centre main, learn to tack facing backwards.  It's not at all difficult.
5) See the National 12 Technique Guide elsewhere on this site.  Keep the boat moving, especially through transition points (marks, tacking, gybing).  Don't pinch or pull the sails in too tight upwind.  Sit still and forward.  Learn to roll tack/gybe.  Find a lightweight crew. Practice a lot!
Good luck!
 
Mike D
N3533

[ifoxwell]

Re center main

Whilst I agree that learning to sail transom sheeted isnt that difficult some of us just dont want to... so I sail our twelve with a split tail main sheeted from the boom like the skiffs do.

It gives us the center main benefits without all the center main clutter that would get in the way. Its a good compromise, doesnt require any holes to be drilled in the boat and allows you to switch between center main or transom main really easily to try out both systems.

Ian
3162

[momentum]

Ian,
Must be worth trying your centre main solution - just need to replace the rags that are currently available to us.
Anyone out there have any suitable sails stored in amongst their spares ?
 
 

[H]

I had a niggle with transom sheet catching the transom and rudder
stock.  Sail Cheshire Cat 2750 - thought about a center main but decided on
drilling out the rivets at the end of the boom and putting an adjustable
 kicker D ring on the boom track to keep it as transom main but just a
little further forward so as not to snag on tacks and gybe's. It's
awkward switching from center back to transom having sailed fireballs
and 420's but stick with the transom if you can - crew will appreciate
it - the system off the skiffs with the main running direct from the center of the
boom should work but not tried it.