Use of UPS sail

[lehighsail]

This is my fouth summer with my Hunter 290. In addition to my jib, I have a Doyle UPS head sail that seems to be somewhere between a jib and a spinnaker. I have yet to even take it out of the bag to see it but now is the time. Can someone give me an idea of how it is rigged at the bow and how are the sheets run? It has been used by the prior owner so I think all the lines and winches are on board. There is a winch on each side of the cockpit in line with the wheel that are not apparently used for any other purpose. I looked at the Doyle site but it didn't appear too useful.

Any information on its use would also be helpful.

Thanks.

 

[RichH]

Setup, etc. is the exact same as any large genoa with the exception that the luff is 'free flying' and doesnt connect to a foil or forstay. You control the amount of 'sag' in the luff by halyard tension -- more halyard tension for upwind, less for downwind.

As with all 'full shouldered' headsails be aware that these may easily become overpowering at higher windspeeds.

 

[chuckwayne]

generally, the UPS will fly like a large genoa as Rich said. You should attach the tack on your bow forward of the forestay;if you have a long tackline, it could be led to a block and then aft, but on your size boat it's not really needed. Use the halyard to adjust tension. the 2 sheets either lead directly back to the winches, or aft to a turning block and then forward to the winches. When you rig the sheets, make sure they run outside all of the stays including the forestay. On Hunters with arches, there's usually a set of loops low on the arch to hold the turning blocks. to set the UPS, head downwind and raise the sail in the lee of the main (if you don't have a sock). trim the sail as you would any other foresail-the UPS has a pretty wide wind angle range-we fly ours upwind to about 60 degrees, and downwind to about 110. You jibe the sail by heading downwind and letting the sheet out so the sail flys ahead of the bow. As you turn through the wind, sheet in the new working sheet.
As RichH pointed out, be careful- the UPS packs a lot of power, and can be tricky as the wind picks up. other than that, it's a blast to fly

 

[Clark]

The UPS is occasionally set up with a furling drum at the tack and a swivel at the head. If yours has this, the attachment method and deployment techniques will be different. You might want to check with Doyle to see what they advise based on your equipment. Your sheets do run to the stern quarters and your winches as others have said.