Doyle APC

[Bob 04 H260]

Our H356 came with a spinnaker. The sail bag is marked Doyle APC. The sail has an ATI sock. The tack has a piece (pic. below) attached that looks like a Galesail part to slide up and down the furled jib. The boat has a block on the bow roller bail and the tack also had a 10 ft pennant. I looked at the Doyle web site at these sails but no mention is made of this arrangement. http://www.doylesails.com/cruising/downwind/apc/

I flew asymmetrical spinnakers on my last 2 boats and used a pennant off the bow with a block so the sail could go out well in front of the bow. With this arrangement the tack will be kept in board of the bow and move toward the mast as the pennant is eased.

Does anyone know why they would rig it like this ?
Don't you want the sail as far ahead of the boat as possible ?

Bob

 

[finding41]

I've seen it used... There's something on YouTube but can't find the link...

 

[Jackdaw]

Bob,
Its called a 'tacker'.

It was originally designed to allow you to fly a symmetric spinnaker without a pole. It really only works well on a reach (when the pole would be in the same place as the tacker).

Like you I see no value with a modern asym. Used correctly the tack and luff fly well to windward. This only holds them back.

Edit:
OK, one potential benefit... some boats cannot fly a tackline without it getting in the way of the pulpit. This would at least keep the tackline in one place and under control.

 

[Bob 04 H260]

thanks, yes I see the ATN site has a video of the tacker in use with a spinnaker. I'll be interested in giving it a try once we get the boat back in the water this winter.

Bob

 

[Bob 04 H260]

I heard from Doyle sails. He calls it a "tack collar", and is used "to keep the tack of the sail centered so it will not not roll the boat to leeward". He recommends these sails be used up to 15 kts true and says the sail is 780 sq ft.

Maybe it allows the sail to be used at closer to the wind ? the Doyle site claims it will sail as close as 45* apparent.

Bob

 

[Jackdaw]

I don't get that. The APC is Doyles name for a cruising asym. Lots of them can go quite high in light breezes. But typically when you do that you pull the tack very low to leave just a bit of curve in the luff. Not sure why when you sailed high you would have the tack up high enough to wrap that around your furled sail. Hmmm.

Downwind the tack is higher for sure, but then the luff rotates to windward and you don't need it (or want it).

 

[Clark]

I had one on our Doyle APC and removed it this past season. It works much better without it.

 

[Ron20324]

Then there is the hard-plastic version, the ATN Tacker. Page 1029, West. 100 bucks and up.