D2 Forward or D2 Aft?

[Brion Toss]

Hi,
I commend your deck crew for having an inkling, at least about how one can use swept spreaders to impose and control bend. It is true, in theory, that moving the intermediate to the forward position would make the wire behave more like a diamond stay -- or like a B&R rig --but I think that the effect of a change in position in this case would be hard to measure. We are talking about an angle of less than 1 degree, if my math is right; there just wouldn't be enough extra compression on the spreader to make a measurable difference.
It also seems likely that, by moving the upper shroud aft, you would in any event be undoing any compression gains for the intermediate.
So go with the principle, which is correct, that the angle over the spreader tips affects mast shape fore-and-aft, and tune accordingly. Get a rough shape in, then tune from the top down, leaving the D1 quite slack until the very end. For more on this, please see my tuning video.
Fair leads,
Brion Toss

[pandora25]

Thanks for the reply.