LDC Racing Sailboats RS800 Owner's Manual

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RS800

OWNER’S MANUAL

LDC Racing Sailboats, Trafalgar Close, Chandlers Ford, Eastleigh SO53

4BW, GBR

Tel. [phone] Fax. [phone]

www.RSsailing.com

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INDEX

1. INTRODUCTION

2. SPECIFICATIONS AND DRAWINGS

3. SAFETY INFORMATION

3.1 Design Category

3.2 Loading

3.3 Safety Equipment

3.4 Capsize Recovery

3.5 Air Tank

3.6 Man Overboard Prevention and Recovery

3.7 Use of an Outboard Engine

3.8 Towing, Anchoring, Mooring and Trailing

4. COMMISSIONING

4.1 Preparation

4.2 Wing Width

4.3 Mast

4.4 Boom and Vang

4.5 Hoisting Sails

4.6 Completion

5. SAILING HINTS

5.1 Introduction

5.2 Trapezing

5.3 Tacking

5.4 Gybing

5.5 Hoisting the Spinnaker

5.6 Dropping the Spinnaker

5.7 Very Light Winds

6. TUNING GUIDE

6.1 Rig Tension

6.2 Cunningham

6.3 Vang

6.4 Outhaul

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6.5 Foils

7. MAINTENANCE

7.1 Boat Care

7.2 Foil Care

7.3 Spar Care

7.4 Sail Care

8. WARRANTY

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1. INTRODUCTION

Congratulations on the purchase of your new RS 800 and thank you for
choosing an RS product. We are confident that you will have many hours of
great sailing and racing in this truly excellent design.

The RS800 is an exciting boat to sail and offers fantastic performance. It is a
lightweight-racing dinghy and should be treated with care. This manual has
been compiled to help you operate your RS 800 with safety and pleasure. It
contains details of the craft; the equipment supplied or fitted, its systems and
information on its safe operation and maintenance. Please read it carefully
and be sure that you understand its contents before using your RS 800.

If this is your first craft, or you are changing to a type of craft you are not
familiar with, for your own safety and comfort, please ensure that you have
adequate experience before assuming command of the craft. If you are
unsure, your dealer or national sailing federation will be able to advise you of
a local sailing school, or competent instructor.

Please keep this manual in a secure place and hand it over to the new
owner if you sell the craft.

For further information, spares and accessories, please contact your
local dealer or:

LDC Racing Sailboats
Trafalgar Close
Chandlers Ford
Eastleigh
Hants SO53 4BW
Tel. [phone]
Fax. [phone]
Email. [e-mail]

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EC DECLARATION OF CONFORMITY TO

DIRECTIVE 2003/44/CE

I declare that the craft described as:

RS800

Bearing the Hull Identification Number:

G B L D C 8 0

Conforms to EU Recreational Craft Directive 94/25/EC as amended by

Directive 2003/44/EC

Annex 1 – sections 3.2 & 3.3 and Annex 6 – Module Aa

EU Notified Body: No. 0808 (Irish Sailing Assoc.)
ISO Standards BS EN ISO 10087, 12217, 12215, 10240,
14945, 8666
Trade Marque RS Racing
Type RS 800
Design Category C
Maximum Crew 2
Maximum Load 225kg
Overall Length 4.80m
Builders Name LDC Racing Sailboats, England

Date __ / __ / __
(The date does not indicate the date of manufacture)

Signed Name: ____________________

Signature: _________________

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2. SPECIFICATIONS AND DRAWINGS

Identification.

Your RS 800 can be identified by two numbers, one is the sail number and the
other is the Hull Identification Number.

The sail number is the number by which you register your RS 800 with
insurance companies, the class association and also when you sign on for
events. Not only is the sail number on the mainsail itself; it is also imprinted on
the transom just below the rudder gudgeon.

The Hull Identification Number, or HIN, is required by European law. The
Recreational Craft Directive stipulates that every craft sold in Europe should
meet the categories set down by it and display an individual number to show it
meets with these rules. Your RS 800 complies with the RCD to design
category C and hence as a HIN imprinted on the starboard side of the
transom.

The HIN is purely for conformity to European regulation, therefore, your RS
800 should be referred to by its sail number.

Dimensions.

Length Overall (LOA):

4.80 m

15’ 9”

Waterline Length (LWL):

Beam:

1.88 – 2.89 m

6’ 2” – 9’ 6”

Draft:

Air Draft:

Hull Displacement:

62 kg

136 lb

Sailing Displacement:

110 kg

242 lb

Upwind Sail Area:

16.5 sq m

172 sq ft

Downwind Sail Area:

37.5 sq m

397 sq ft

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3. SAFETY INFORMATION

3.1 Design Category.

The RS 800 is a Design Category C boat. The definition of this category is:

• Design Category: C – ‘inshore’

• Description of Use: Designed for voyages in costal waters, large

bays, estuaries, lakes and rivers.

• Wind Force: Up to, and including Beaufort force 6.

• Significant Wave Height: up to, and including 2 m.

The RS 800 complies with this design category, subject to:

• The crew having suitable skill and experience.

• Satisfactory construction and maintenance of the boat and its

equipment.

Users of this boat are advised that:

• All crew should receive suitable training.

• The boat should not carry more than the maximum load.

• Any water in the hull should be kept to a minimum.

• Stability is reduced by any weight added high up.

3.2 Loading.

The maximum recommended load for the RS 800 is 250 kg and the
maximum number of crew it can carry is three.

The minimum recommended crew weight is 110 kg.

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3.3 Safety Equipment.

It is your responsibility to ensure that all necessary safety equipment is
obtained for the type of sailing you are participating in and it is readily
accessible on board while the boat is in operation.

3.4 Capsize Recovery.

The capsize is an inevitable part of dinghy sailing and the RS 800 is no
exception. The RS 800 is a racing dinghy and there is a high likelihood that
you will capsize if you sail it to its limit. You should practice capsize recovery
when you first sail the boat, ideally in an area where there is some kind of
safety patrol to assist you, should you get into difficulty.

Recovery technique.

Should you capsize your RS 800:

• If the asymmetric spinnaker was up, it should be lowered into the chute
by a member of the crew.

• The mainsheet should be uncleated and made sure that it will run freely
when the boat is righted.

• The vang should be eased to de-power the top of the mainsail.

• The RYA recommends that dinghy sailors involved in a capsize should

always consider going straight to the centreboard or dagger board to
prevent inversion and allow time and opportunity for any entrapment to
be resolved by those involved or by patrol boats. In the 700 this may be
only really relevant if you have another person on board, but should be
considered.

Warning: Entanglement in trapeze wires or associated elastic cordage has
featured in several accidents, you should ensure that before you sail you
have the appropriate training and equipment.

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If the boat inverts, it should be pulled onto its side so that the rig is horizontal
to the water. This can be done by standing on the underside of the wing and
pulling on the daggerboard. It sometimes helps to pull it up with the aid of the
wind blowing over the deck and rig.

After that, there are two basic situations to recover from:

• When the rig is lying in the water, pointing downwind.

• When the rig is lying in the water, pointing upwind.

Both of the following methods will take some practice to enable you to right
your RS 800 quickly and effectively, but they are proven methods to enable
you to continue sailing after a capsize.

Rig pointing downwind.

You should both be on the daggerboard, with the asymmetric spinnaker
dropped, with the mainsheet and vang uncleated.

Using the asymmetric spinnaker sheet for extra leverage, pull the boat upright.
As the boat gets to about 45 degrees, one of you should climb in, either
between the wing and deck or over the wing (depending on your wing
settings).

The RS 800 is a relatively stable platform but you should endeavour to get
hold of the tiller and gain control as soon as possible. Once you are in control,
you can then sort yourself out, tidy the boat and get sailing again.

Rig pointing upwind.

This is quite often the position the boat ends up in, especially if you have
spent time in the water getting the asymmetric spinnaker down, or recovering
from the inverted position.

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Both of you should be on the daggerboard, with the asymmetric spinnaker
dropped, with the mainsheet and vang uncleated.

As you start to right the boat, the wind will blow under the mainsail and help
you right it. Depending on the wind strength will depend on how fast the boat
rights, the stronger the wind the faster you will have to move! As the mast tip
leaves the water, one of you should climb into the boat, walk across the boat
to the new windward side to prevent it capsizing over again.

Should the boat capsize again, simply climb over on to the daggerboard and
follow the procedure for the rig pointing downwind.

3.5 Air Tank.

The RS 800 is equipped with a sealed buoyancy compartment just in case of
capsize or swamping. The buoyancy compartment is formed by the hull and
deck mouldings and consequently the following points should be noted:

• Do not puncture the buoyancy compartment.

• Should the buoyancy compartment become punctured, do not use

the boat until the compartment is properly repaired. If in any
doubt, contact RS Racing for repair details.

• It is against class rules to add any fittings; you may have to
replace fittings from time to time. Ensure that all fastenings are
resealed properly using an appropriate sealant. If in any doubt,
contact RS Racing for details.

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3.6 Man Overboard Prevention and Recovery.

Working deck.

The working deck of the RS 800, which is intended to be occupied only when
the boat is afloat, is the areas covered with a none slip coating. These areas
are:

• The entire cockpit floor, including kick-blocks, from the aft end up to the
mast foot.

• The top surface and outside edge of the side deck from the aft end to
the front wing tube.

• Additionally, the forward part of the cockpit covered by non-slip coating
for 500mm in front of the mast.

• Whilst trapezing, the outside edge and top of the wing bar, where the
non-slip is applied.

Crew overboard recovery.

The RS 800 is designed to be sailed with two persons. However, it can
accommodate three members of crew. When sailing it is recommended that
you ensure adequate safety cover is in attendance before launching should
you or your crew get into trouble.

Should one of you fall overboard, be it helm or crew, you should try to gain
control of the boat as soon as possible. It may be that the boat has capsized
soon after, in which the missing crewmember should endeavour to return to
the boat to aid in it’s righting.

To recover a crew member from the water:

• The helm should bring the boat just downwind of the person in the
water.