I want to race my Hunter 34 so I will need a spinnaker. The rules allow for max spinnaker dimensions of 100% of I and 180% of J. I have crewed on boats with several spinnakers of different sizes so the question is what other sizes would be good to carry for different conditions? What about cloth weights? I sail San Francisco Bay which is notoriously windy in the summer but generally light in the winter.
Choosing a Spinnaker (s)
- Thread starter markwbird
- Start date
OK, making some assumptions but here goes.
First for winter when you need the horsepower, get a full size 0.5 or 0.75oz tri-radial.
For summer, you gotta go smaller, because of the wind and your boat design. Your masthead rig and small 'ribbon' main make for huge round-downs with a big kite in the breeze. Get a 1.5oz kite cut narrow at the top and shoulders, sometimes called a 'chicken kite'. You have more than enough power. As a bonus, this kite is also great for reaching in lighter airs.
First for winter when you need the horsepower, get a full size 0.5 or 0.75oz tri-radial.
For summer, you gotta go smaller, because of the wind and your boat design. Your masthead rig and small 'ribbon' main make for huge round-downs with a big kite in the breeze. Get a 1.5oz kite cut narrow at the top and shoulders, sometimes called a 'chicken kite'. You have more than enough power. As a bonus, this kite is also great for reaching in lighter airs.
be warned, and kloudie specifically should be able to weigh in here but i have heard around my sailing area that back when there were a bunch of 34's racing here they had a bad habit of nose diving when powered up going deep on a spinnaker run, i definitely wouldnt suggest it if you dont have the fixed/recall-mod rudder, one of my friends has a 34 that never got modded and its a freakin broach coach at any point of sail, definitely not enough rudder authority, i dislike that particular boat alot unless its 12kts or less.
Be warned
Thanks for the heads up. This does not surprise me, actually. She is quite tender and is prone to rounding up. What is this rudder modification that you speak of?
Thanks for the heads up. This does not surprise me, actually. She is quite tender and is prone to rounding up. What is this rudder modification that you speak of?
The original design had a grossly undersized rudder and was recalled...if the boat was early enough in the production run and the p.o.'s didn't have it modded at the time then it will be very tender and round up under full rig with even small jibs at surprisingly low wind speeds...someone will have to chime in with dimensions cuz I don't have that info on hand
Yup.. There was some discussion on the site as to how to tell the difference in the rudders, but I don't know when it was. I think the longer rudder became the norm in early '85 and many earlier boats were retrofitted. The transom is wide enough to lift a lot of the rudder when the boat is heeled over a lot.. The boat is pretty fast and can be raced well to her handicap .. That said, I have never raced mine. The PO did the Ensanada race a couple of times with her and had rigged the boat for spinnaker. I don't know the real dimensions of my spin. You do note in my avitar that the main is still in its cover .. I was single handing that day and even though the air was very light, I didn't want any drama.. The boat will round up if you have too much heel and too much sail up.
It seems to me the width at the bottom of the "new" rudder was 16" if I recall correctly. I believe that is what mine is and it does have the new rudder.
The few time I have flown the chute i have certainly noticed the tenderness and tendency to round up. I was used to the SJ24 - this is even more tender withthe chute up
The few time I have flown the chute i have certainly noticed the tenderness and tendency to round up. I was used to the SJ24 - this is even more tender withthe chute up
Ya right, Jack.. I haven't rounded down with spin.. but I have rounded up a few times with too much sail up (and too big waves) !
I do believe the boat has enough rudder .. it is only a problem when pushed way beyond where ya should be.. up or down !
I do believe the boat has enough rudder .. it is only a problem when pushed way beyond where ya should be.. up or down !
?? Are we all using the same terms to describe the same event?
A "normal broach" (boom in the water, spin pole up in the air) to me is a round up.
The opposite, spin pole in the druink and perhaps wrapped aroudn a shroud, is a round down.
The "usual way" for a broach to happen is that the boat becomes overpowered, heels to leeward and, once the rudder looses effectiveness and you round up.
Death rolls are a good way to induce a round down.
Cheers
Matt
Matt,
Almost all IOR spin wipeouts go to leeward, which is a round down. A wipe to windward is a roundup.
Going downwind, a boat is balanced (hopefully) between the forward spinnaker to windward, and the aft main to leeward. An overpowered spin will push the boat to leeward. If the driver and crew cannot catch it, the boat will round down and then chinese gybe.
If they DO catch it, then they are safe, unless the driver turns too far, and collapses the kite. Then the main overpowers it and the boat rounds up.
Rounding up can break the pole, rounding down can kill the crew with the boom. A friend of mine gets it wrong, right in front of the opposing yacht club!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sd513xQzV4
Almost all IOR spin wipeouts go to leeward, which is a round down. A wipe to windward is a roundup.
Going downwind, a boat is balanced (hopefully) between the forward spinnaker to windward, and the aft main to leeward. An overpowered spin will push the boat to leeward. If the driver and crew cannot catch it, the boat will round down and then chinese gybe.
If they DO catch it, then they are safe, unless the driver turns too far, and collapses the kite. Then the main overpowers it and the boat rounds up.
Rounding up can break the pole, rounding down can kill the crew with the boom. A friend of mine gets it wrong, right in front of the opposing yacht club!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8sd513xQzV4
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Thanks for the explanation. BTW nice video of yoour friend.
When writing my previous post, I was channeling my years of racing J-24s, Kirby 25s and a bunch of mast head rigged boats in that size range. We spent very little time going DDW and spent much more time reaching. (and arguing about gybe angles tec.) Most of the wipeouts I experienced did not include a chinese gybe.
Matt
When writing my previous post, I was channeling my years of racing J-24s, Kirby 25s and a bunch of mast head rigged boats in that size range. We spent very little time going DDW and spent much more time reaching. (and arguing about gybe angles tec.) Most of the wipeouts I experienced did not include a chinese gybe.
Matt
Well I can tell you from MANY experiences- when a SJ 24- which has a large rudder for the size of the boat- broaches with the chute up, it rounds UP- into the wind. Often followed with a round down as the next part of the "death roll"- unless you immediately let off mainsheet and spin sheet.
We're agreeing. I said that boats with small rudders, (little mains), and big masthead spins almost always round down. A balanced boat can go either way!
Its partially why IOR died. And why they invented blooper sails.
Preventing round down (or up) with a thong
All very good info. Thank you. I have heard of using a light line that runs down the middle of the spinnaker on the front side top to bottom and back to the cockpit that can be pulled to bisect the sail and quickly depower it. Kind of like a thong. It would need to be sewn into the sail at points to keep it in place. Ever heard of this?
All very good info. Thank you. I have heard of using a light line that runs down the middle of the spinnaker on the front side top to bottom and back to the cockpit that can be pulled to bisect the sail and quickly depower it. Kind of like a thong. It would need to be sewn into the sail at points to keep it in place. Ever heard of this?
Spinnaker halyard block?
All the talk about spinnakers has me wondering what type of block I would need to rig the spinnaker on my H34. The boat came with a spinnaker but the PO never used it and the halyard was taken off. The mast is down so I thought now would be a good time to add the rigging back. Thanks
All the talk about spinnakers has me wondering what type of block I would need to rig the spinnaker on my H34. The boat came with a spinnaker but the PO never used it and the halyard was taken off. The mast is down so I thought now would be a good time to add the rigging back. Thanks