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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

point-7.com/

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

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.?