Hunter 216 Spinnaker Questions

[Mike At Door County]

Anyone that flies their asymmetrical on their Hunter 216? We tried last night for the first time but ended up with quite the cluster. We race buoys on a short course so it needs to go up and come down several times and needs to be gybed frequently all in an hour's worth of racing. Questions I have are:
1- If I don't mind spending the money on a sock/sleeve is there one that works for this boat? Or I can have our local sailmaker make one for us if I had a description for him.
2- Is the sail kept down in the cuddy and launched from there or kept on the bow in the bag?
3- Is it actually possible to connect the halyard, sheets and tack before leaving the dock and keeping everything connected for all of the ups and downs during the race?
4-Should I always plan on launching the chute while on a starboard tack and making sure we are again on a starboard tack each time we douse it?
5- We probably wont fly it when breeze is over 15 so assuming 5-10 knots of wind what would be optimal angle to the wind. I know we can not go straight down wind with an A-sail but can we be 25 degrees, 30 degrees??? off of straight down wind?
6-On our downwind legs should we be raising the centerboard up 50%, 100% for optimal speed?
If anyone knows of or can post photos/videos of how they rig and fly their chute that would be ideal. Mike

 

[Jackdaw]

If you are racing buoys I assume you are leaving the marks to PORT.

First forget the sock. Way too slow and ends up being a total mess. Launch the kite from a launch bag on the port side of the cuddy.

For sure rig the tack, halyard and sheets. Practice this setup so you get it right. Normally sheets outside EVERYTHING. We use clips to hold the lines in place while going upwind.

As you round the windward mark and bear off, pull the tack line in and host the kite with the halyard. Then furl your jib.

Fly and gybe as needed. Sailing normally about a 150 TWA

When you approach the leeward mark on PORT, when you are ready to douse:
Unfurl your jib (IMPORTANT)
Turn down (deep) and ease the main to match.
Ease the active sheet, and at the same time use the lazy sheet to pull the asm AROUND the jib and into the bag.
When the clew gets there, ease the tack and release halyard as someone stuffs it in.
This is called a WINDWARD douse.

If you end up coming in on port, you can do a leeward douse. Blanket the asym, pull the clew in and release the tack. Then halyard when you have the foot under control.

If you do this, the kite will go right back up, no need to re-rig or re-run anything.
Driver can help, stand and drive the boat with the tiller between your knees. You now have two hands to help!

 

[Mike At Door County]

Aw-some and thanks.
A couple more q's:
1-When do you extend the spin pole out to its max? Just before launching the spin each time and then retract it after each douse?
2- I need to order spin sheets. I see at the Store.sailboatowners it looks like two at 42' each. Sound about right? My preference is to have two so I can have a solid red on Port and solid green on Starboard.
3-When the jib is furled(like when we are still at the dock setting up to go out) its sheets come to the top of the cuddy into the block then cleat. When we are rigging the spin in the cuddy (in its bag) do the sheets go above or below the jib sheets? Does the spin tack line go above or below the jib sheet?
4-On the gybe is there a sweet spot where the sheets will fly freely out in front of the forestay, tack and roller furling drum? That seems to be where everything got crazy last night. Sheets got tangled around the extended pole. For instance should we figure that at 180 TWA everything should fly freely out in front?
Thanks again. This is really helpful. (Although I will need to print these instructions in very large font and then laminate them as we put them into live mode. )
Mike

 

[Jackdaw]

1) Ideally just before launching. If you do this, you can mark your tack line and lock it, so when you pull out your pole it pull the tack the rest of the way out to the end.

2) Thats a good length, in particular if you do outside gybes. Because you have a sprit, I would do inside gybes in less than 12 knots of breeze. Much easier and faster. In any case, light sheets are KEY. Get good line like NER FlightLine. It is dyneema cored and a condura cover so it does not absorb water. No shackles, ties them on, best with a single pig-tail, even better of the last 10 feet are de-covered. This last point really helps on gybes and windward takedowns.

3) Everything above and around.

4) Sounds like you are doing outside gybes. Light spin gear is key here. The sail really does not want to 'flag; in front of the boat in less than 10 knots. I'd suggest you do insides. If you do outsides (and I would in bigger breeze) I would have a gybeulator sewn onto the tack of your asym to hold the lazy sheet. Keeps it off the pole and out of the water.

 

[billbag414]

O boy, got 216 owners cornered, please advise me. I have a couple 216 in the neighborhood 4 sale or sail! (One has a asymmetric (sp) spinnaker) I am looking at either for a lake house boat, thus it will probably be banged around a bit, docking etc.. I have read some of the negatives on the material, although below 32f is minimal in S Texas, the possibility of banging the dock is real.
In a previous post "Larry" I hesitate calling any one crazy, posted he was not a fan of the material,
So I backed down. He appears to be a garue.
What do U guys think?
Thanks
BIll

 

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[billbag414]

OPs did not want your opinion of Larry, wanted your opinion of the boat. its ability to stand up to, perhaps a little racing, but mostly, a boat for the Grand kids to learn in/on.
Think it is against the rules??, if u would prefer off line Billbag414@gmail.com