Yes I know this topic has been covered in the past, but what I would like to know is, the people who have gone to an AO are you still using them or did they become a nuisance during rigging? Do the benefits on the water out way the extra time (if it does take extra time after you become used to them) in setting up?

Thanks

If you set it up properly and use a Chinook "applecore" (or similar brand) then it makes rigging a breeze. Juts loop and go instead of threading rope through pulleys/cleats etc.
It doesnt matter if you use them for slalom, speed or just cruising. Its just easy adjustment.

I've recently set up an AO for my race sails, mainly because I though it was a must-have. It's a bit more fiddly to rig, but so is frigging around with cams, so it's no big deal. It might add another minute to rigging time.

Frankly, it hasn't made the big difference I expected (so far, at least). Most of the time the sails (KA Race 7.1 and 7.9) feel better with no outhaul (or neg. outhaul) so the adjustment is usually "let it right off". Flattening the sail for hard upwind does help some, but maybe I'm not yet dialled into the subtlety. I'm sticking with it though. I expect I have more to learn, and the disadvantages, a bit of added rigging time, cam cleats right where you want to put your backhand for a gybe, dangly things here and there, aren't that bad.

And yes, get the Chinook applecores- preferably one for each sail.

I've been crewing on a keelboat in races recently and there's always heaps of tweaking and tuning all the time, so I expected an AO to be as useful and necessary as all the tuning controls on the boat. But that doesn't seem to be the case.

I find them great for upwind/downwind, and useless for across the wind reaching.
Undoubtedly needed for course racing.
Doesn't work for me at all for reaching because set loose, the sail twists MORE, and has 3" more slack..making pumping barely effective.
Set tight, the leech is tighter so there is LESS twist on a flat twitchy sail...when overpowered.
If the wind changes 20mph while I'm out, I can drop in the water to adjust

Have used for years with slalom, formula and now foiling gear - essential IMHO, means you can access the big tuning range of modern sails - all upside, no downside once set up

I'm also new to OH and agree with above. . It's a bit strange grabbing boom and rope when jibing but doable . One thing I have noticed is it didn't Have much effect with a NP V8 9.4 . But makes a big difference on a dedicated Severne race sail 9.5 which can point much higher into the wind. So I only use AO in lighter wind on my RB . In over 13 kts I'm reaching on a smaller board and don't need all the extra hoo haa to get tangled in.

Not having an adjustable outhaul is like a car stuck in 1st gear.

Love em, great for speedsailing

Is there an Sdj OH made for narrow diameter booms. NP isn't suitable but now they have the inbuilt one for the race sails

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BSN101 said..
Is there an Sdj OH made for narrow diameter booms. NP isn't suitable but now they have the inbuilt one for the race sails

Just get the correct size plastic cleat holder to suit the boom you use. 3 different sizes available. If it still slips use an old fin cover as a packer.

And wrap the boom in silicon tape first and it will never slip

I find ADJ OH great for gusty or variable conditions. Saves having to stop n untie rope when the wind strength changes n your fingers are tired. Can crank it or bag it on the fly. Also think its easier to rig using an apple core.

Almost an essential IMO.

I put thinner rope and some tiny plastic ronstan pulleys instead of the chinook ones.

A little bit fiddly to set up and get used to, but totally worth it.

I sail a lot offshore on all points of sail and wind conditions and adj outhaul is part of the tuning just like a centreboard and mast track.

Clarence

The AOs allow you to use a bigger sail and be powered up when deep off the wind, because you can reduce power in the sail by pulling on the AO when sailing back upwind to the start of the run

I made a custom adjustable outhaul. No issues with the outhaul line on the areas where I grab the boom. I only have one cleat on the port side of the boom just in front of the boom tail extension clips. I shackle on a micro ronstan pulley at the clew of the sail which stays their at all times. When I rig, I send the outhaul from the end of the boom through the micro pully on the sail back to the end of the boom pulley back through the cleat in front of the boom clips. Works like a charm. Easy rigging in seconds. All my sails have a micro ronstan pulley shackled to the clew end of the sail. The only disadvantage is I can't adjust the outhaul on a starboard tack, and I can't pull the clew of the sail flush with the end of the boom, but with the small micro pulley, I'm not far off to the end of the boom. I'm just a recreational sailor, so I just adjust as needed when I return to a port tack. Beats going back to the beach to readjust. Best modification I ever made for my gear.

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BSN101 said..
Is there an Sdj OH made for narrow diameter booms. NP isn't suitable but now they have the inbuilt one for the race sails

Cut some pushbike inner tube lengths up. Tape the boom first then put as many layers as you need inside the cleat setup and screw it tight..I found with the narrower boom it slipped a bit but this fixed it. I also taped a thick wad of tape around the boom closer to the end. If it does come loose the tape will hopefully stop it so i can get in and fix things.
Great for me. If the wind kicks in I can pull the sail on or let it off if it dies.
The downside is everything hanging off can be a pain packing away and sliding the boom in between the boards in the back of the van. I try to make sure I have the cleats facing away from the boards as I slide it in . I think the shoving in the van as I packed up can loosen the cleats and make them more liable to slip.

Thanks for all the advice and comments. Definitely will set up an AO and persevere with it so that it becomes part of the rigging process.

Hard to think of sailing without an AO nowadays... Very handy and super easy to rig.

I agree that the AO is essential. It is the difference between rigging one sail and rigging three sails for a day of variable wind.

I use AO for all my foiling rigs, from 5.0 to 8.5.

The best one is by Point-7. Check it out - it wont slip, easy to adjust in both ways, you can hardly feel it when you grip over it.

Same as Farang, the Point 7 AO is very good, easy to fit and remove. The Unifiber version is good too. I prefer them both more than the traditional clam-cleat version.

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mark62 said..
Same as Farang, the Point 7 AO is very good, easy to fit and remove. The Unifiber version is good too. I prefer them both more than the traditional clam-cleat version.

How does it work? There's not one set up on the Point7 site.
Pix of yours

It wont slip any millimetre!! No pain - you can grip your hand on it. Pick up the newest version that comes with a plastic buckle as it will not scratch your carbon boom. Earlier version had a metal (spring loaded) locking system. Go for a plastic one....

Loft used to supply similar AO for years with all their sails

Has anyone got a link to those AO's from Point7? I can't find them on their website.

point-7.com/

Good video there as well.

The booms look real nice too. Not sure about the cam cleat for realeading outhaul. But I guess it must work well

This style of AO has been made and sold by Sailworks since day one. They still make and sell them.

I bought the unifiber one some years ago and could never get it to work properly. It just seemed to keep slipping in the clip and slackening off. Any one else had this problem? or maybe i was setting something up wrongly.?