Spinnaker Cut

[Curt]

Maybe a silly question but I am not a sail maker. Can a typical symmetrical cut spinnaker be made reshaped into an asymmetrical spinnaker? I ask as I occasionally fly my sym as an asym, tacked to a 5' lead at the bow and unpoled. It works fairly well everywhere but downwind or a few degrees off. As I do not race Chingaletta I don't need a full blown poled set up. An asymmetrical spinnaker might be nice, Any thoughts?

Cheers,
Curt

 

[shnool]

I used that spin a bit, and it'll work for some fun... but is cut wrong... an asym will need to have the belly cut more at an angle, so it flies out and twists up a bit... look at pictures of a J/80 to see what I mean... again what you have will work, but an asym cut correctly should allow a slightly deeper run than what you have now... although a real downwind run will require a symmetrical.

So I dont' think you can recut a symmetrical into an asym, and get the proper belly.

This is usually the angle of picture I think of when I think of how the asyms are shaped.

 

[Curt]

I figured as much but it never hurts to ask. Truth be told the sym spinnaker works well enough tacked to the bow. I know I could do more with a pole. The rigging is in place and all I would need is a pole but it's not worth the cost to me.

Cheers,
Curt

 

[HERSH]

Yes, spinnaker poles are $$$. Or $520 on the Catalina Direct site. And this does not include shipping!


Hershey

 

[Rightbrainer]

Hi Hersh-
You could check it out on a gentle day by picking a spot where you think the clew should be and capturing a golf ball in a pocket of the sail with the sheet snap shackle and see what happens. If the sail is reasonably stable, maybe you could have a sailmaker put a reefing cringle at that spot with the appropriate reinforcement patches or load tapes. Then you can use the same sail as a symmetric downwind sail and a hillbilly cruising 'chute. It won't be optimal, but it will be economical. Since any sail can be made to reef under the rules, it would even be legal for one design racing and therefore shouldn't hurt your PHRF rating.

Be careful with that golf ball flogging around that you don't get beaned! Maybe a whiffle golf ball would be better.

Marty

 

[cradabau]

We were racing our fin keel tall rig this past weekend. I had an experienced crew of three and we struggled with our spinacker launches and douses. During the two races we set and doused the spin four times. This crew races every week all summer long but not normally on my boat.
The guys I sail with generally race a S2 7.9 which is specifically rigged for racing. This time we decided to race my boat. We launched the spin out of the companionway and struggled with the small slot between the boom and shrouds.
I guess my question for you racers, how do you pack and launch your spinackers. The handicap I incurred didn't really get offset by my speed gain. I think I would have been better off sailing down wind Wing on Wing.

 

[jerrymlewis]

Tried companionway launch/retrievals years ago and decided with my crew that we are much quicker setting and dousing from/into a spinnaker bag mounted on the pulpit - leaving lots of space for pulling it up and dousing. In severe winds or tight situations, we still might douse into the companionway.

 

[SpiderPig]

We were racing our fin keel tall rig this past weekend. I had an experienced crew of three and we struggled with our spinacker launches and douses. During the two races we set and doused the spin four times. This crew races every week all summer long but not normally on my boat.
The guys I sail with generally race a S2 7.9 which is specifically rigged for racing. This time we decided to race my boat. We launched the spin out of the companionway and struggled with the small slot between the boom and shrouds.
I guess my question for you racers, how do you pack and launch your spinackers. The handicap I incurred didn't really get offset by my speed gain. I think I would have been better off sailing down wind Wing on Wing.

We launch our spinnaker before we get to the windward mark. If its out prior to letting out the main, then you will get more space.

 

[jerrymlewis]

Always best to sneak the head and sheet out of the bag on the approach to the windward mark, needing just the few final pulls as your round the mark. Turn, whomp!

 

[Dfox]

I agree with jerry. Spinnaker on pulpit is easy and fast both launching and take down. We can have the chute up in a matter of seconds and flying. Take downs at pulpit makes it so you don't need to repack after each use. It is ready to fly. If the wind is up we might take down in cabin.
Doug

 

[SpiderPig]

Here is a bad mark rounding but should help you understand how we launch. It was a bad rounding as we normally hoist before turning downwind. If you hoist sooner, then the boom doesn't get into the way, the jib is in and allows the spinnaker to pre-feed.

 

[jerrymlewis]

I don't have any pictures of our spinnaker sets for mark roundings, but did find this one with the spinnaker bag attached to the pulpit.

PHRF B class with a couple Capri 22, a couple Wylie Wabbits, a Sonar, an Impulse 21, and Coronado 25 that year...

 

[jerrymlewis]

And here's Kudzu flying spinnaker with jib on deck and spinnaker bag awaiting the next dousing at the leeward mark...