I have recently purchased a UK Flasher (asymmetrical spinnaker) and wondered if anyone has tips or advice on rigging a Hunter Legend 35.5 for this sail. Thanks!
Spinnaker Rigging Tips Needed- 35.5 Legend
- Thread starter Charlie3504
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I'll try to help....
Charlie, I had a H35.5 for five years, used a UK asymetical spinnaker and won Boat of the Year in local racing one year. I don't race anymore and have a different boat now (H380) but I'll try to remember how we did things on that boat. First, we used a spinnaker bag, not a sock since the sock was slower and we were racing. The bag would have the 3 ends of the sail sticking out--we would place the bag either on port or starborad depending upon the race route. The tack was a line that went through a block on the anchor fitting and then back to the cockpit and through a cam cleat. The sheet and guy lines went outside everthing to a snap shackle block (expensive) on the toe rail. These blocks were placed about two thirds back unless it was a very blustery day and then we moved the blocks forward to just aft of the beam. Those two lines (60 feet long) went to winches aft of the primary winches. When it was time to fly the spinnaker, one person pulled on the halyard until the spinnaker hit the top and then the sheet was pulled breaking the rubber bands (more on this later) When we would jib the spinnaker, we'd let the sheet fly and turn the boat and bring the spinnaker back with the new sheet. Very simple. To drop the sail, we would pull out the jib and then bring the spinnaker along the outside of the jib and pull it down below through the cockpit. To get the spinnaker ready to go again, the foredeck person and one cockpit crew would pull the head to the forepeak and the other person would make sure both sides of the spinnaker were not crossed. Then we would pull the spinnaker through a spinnaker gun (plastic pail without a bottom--see WM catalog) and put No. 20 rubber bands on the spinnaker about every five feet until the spinnaker was in a long wrap. Then the middle of the spinnaker is pushed into the bag equally until three corners are left peaking out. Placed back upon the deck and we're done. I needed three crew to fly a spinnaker under racing conditions and all had to know what the other was doing. In cruising, my wife and I could fly it quite easily but I had to do all the work setting it up while she steered. No big problem. Hope this helps. Les
Charlie, I had a H35.5 for five years, used a UK asymetical spinnaker and won Boat of the Year in local racing one year. I don't race anymore and have a different boat now (H380) but I'll try to remember how we did things on that boat. First, we used a spinnaker bag, not a sock since the sock was slower and we were racing. The bag would have the 3 ends of the sail sticking out--we would place the bag either on port or starborad depending upon the race route. The tack was a line that went through a block on the anchor fitting and then back to the cockpit and through a cam cleat. The sheet and guy lines went outside everthing to a snap shackle block (expensive) on the toe rail. These blocks were placed about two thirds back unless it was a very blustery day and then we moved the blocks forward to just aft of the beam. Those two lines (60 feet long) went to winches aft of the primary winches. When it was time to fly the spinnaker, one person pulled on the halyard until the spinnaker hit the top and then the sheet was pulled breaking the rubber bands (more on this later) When we would jib the spinnaker, we'd let the sheet fly and turn the boat and bring the spinnaker back with the new sheet. Very simple. To drop the sail, we would pull out the jib and then bring the spinnaker along the outside of the jib and pull it down below through the cockpit. To get the spinnaker ready to go again, the foredeck person and one cockpit crew would pull the head to the forepeak and the other person would make sure both sides of the spinnaker were not crossed. Then we would pull the spinnaker through a spinnaker gun (plastic pail without a bottom--see WM catalog) and put No. 20 rubber bands on the spinnaker about every five feet until the spinnaker was in a long wrap. Then the middle of the spinnaker is pushed into the bag equally until three corners are left peaking out. Placed back upon the deck and we're done. I needed three crew to fly a spinnaker under racing conditions and all had to know what the other was doing. In cruising, my wife and I could fly it quite easily but I had to do all the work setting it up while she steered. No big problem. Hope this helps. Les
Try a bowsprit!
Here’s an easy-to-make bowsprit, seats in the anchor locker. This will throw the spin ahead of the main, less blanketing. Tack line and 2 sheets permanently deployed for quick setup. (Note that the link here has 2 pages of pix and directions.)
Here’s an easy-to-make bowsprit, seats in the anchor locker. This will throw the spin ahead of the main, less blanketing. Tack line and 2 sheets permanently deployed for quick setup. (Note that the link here has 2 pages of pix and directions.)
3 questions for Les
From the snatch blocks, where did you run the guys? Where did the trimmer stand or sit? When bring the spinnaker down, did you release the guy from the sail? Mark
From the snatch blocks, where did you run the guys? Where did the trimmer stand or sit? When bring the spinnaker down, did you release the guy from the sail? Mark
Mark
An asym has two sheets that both run to the clew. The 'lazy' sheet is run around the headstay but inside the spinnaker luff and then to the clew. This setup is for an inside jibe which I find to be much quicker and never lets the lazy sheet get caught under the boat. Best place for the trimmer is standing on the weather deck just aft of the shrouds. The grinder sits in the cockpit at the leeward winch. From this position the grinder can add or remove wraps as the trimmer requires. The drop can be done on deck in front of the genoa, weather drop, or by releasing the tack and taking in the kite under the main boom, leeward drop.
An asym has two sheets that both run to the clew. The 'lazy' sheet is run around the headstay but inside the spinnaker luff and then to the clew. This setup is for an inside jibe which I find to be much quicker and never lets the lazy sheet get caught under the boat. Best place for the trimmer is standing on the weather deck just aft of the shrouds. The grinder sits in the cockpit at the leeward winch. From this position the grinder can add or remove wraps as the trimmer requires. The drop can be done on deck in front of the genoa, weather drop, or by releasing the tack and taking in the kite under the main boom, leeward drop.
Thanks, Les
Enjoyed reading your response and made notes on some important items. I appreciate the time you took to respond. I hope to do as well as you did. Charles Sharp
Enjoyed reading your response and made notes on some important items. I appreciate the time you took to respond. I hope to do as well as you did. Charles Sharp
Thanks, Bill
Appreciate your comments although I probably will use the anchor roller instead of fabricating a bow sprit. Thanks for your contribution. Charles Sharp
Appreciate your comments although I probably will use the anchor roller instead of fabricating a bow sprit. Thanks for your contribution. Charles Sharp
I'm here, I'm here!
Mark, From the snatch blocks, where did you run the guys? The lines ran straight to the spinnaker winches which were aft of the primary winches. I didn't need to have any turning blocks--the sheets ran from the block to the winch. Where did the trimmer stand or sit? If I remember correctly, there were just ahead of me as I tended to steer from the low side of the boat. I remember one crew member say, "Just steer and stay out of my way--I 've got this sail to fly." As skipper I didn't get much respect. By the way, this is a good question for the jib or genny too. With that sail we had the "wincher" with his butt facing the bow and his legs stradled the coaming while the tailer faced forward and watched the sail come in. When it was close to being proper, the tailer would say "enough". We use to say, "good" but we had a wincher that thought he was dong a good job and winched even harder. The fun of racing. When bringing the spinnaker down, did you release the guy from the sail? As I mentioned, once the jib was drawing, we'd let the tack go free and then pull on the sheet to bring the sail into the cockpit. Once the sail was under control (mostly down below), we'd unhook the halyard, the two sheets and the tack. The halyard was repositioned first to get it out of our way and that meant snaking it around the jib until it was forward, and then attached to the bow pulpit. Then the two sheets were worked outside of everything until they were hooked on the bow pulpit as well. The tack was re-reved through the forward block and brought back to the cockpit. Sounds complecated and it was, but if you did things in order, it worked out. That is why we needed three crew members of the six to handle the chute. Your question about where people stood, were, etc. is a good one. We literally did "walk throughs" at the dock in rasing sail, furling sails, dropping sails. The worst position on the crew was the sewer person who had to be below to fold the chute which was no fun when we were healing on a tack, or doing a tacking duel heading for the home stretch. Hope this helps.
Mark, From the snatch blocks, where did you run the guys? The lines ran straight to the spinnaker winches which were aft of the primary winches. I didn't need to have any turning blocks--the sheets ran from the block to the winch. Where did the trimmer stand or sit? If I remember correctly, there were just ahead of me as I tended to steer from the low side of the boat. I remember one crew member say, "Just steer and stay out of my way--I 've got this sail to fly." As skipper I didn't get much respect. By the way, this is a good question for the jib or genny too. With that sail we had the "wincher" with his butt facing the bow and his legs stradled the coaming while the tailer faced forward and watched the sail come in. When it was close to being proper, the tailer would say "enough". We use to say, "good" but we had a wincher that thought he was dong a good job and winched even harder. The fun of racing. When bringing the spinnaker down, did you release the guy from the sail? As I mentioned, once the jib was drawing, we'd let the tack go free and then pull on the sheet to bring the sail into the cockpit. Once the sail was under control (mostly down below), we'd unhook the halyard, the two sheets and the tack. The halyard was repositioned first to get it out of our way and that meant snaking it around the jib until it was forward, and then attached to the bow pulpit. Then the two sheets were worked outside of everything until they were hooked on the bow pulpit as well. The tack was re-reved through the forward block and brought back to the cockpit. Sounds complecated and it was, but if you did things in order, it worked out. That is why we needed three crew members of the six to handle the chute. Your question about where people stood, were, etc. is a good one. We literally did "walk throughs" at the dock in rasing sail, furling sails, dropping sails. The worst position on the crew was the sewer person who had to be below to fold the chute which was no fun when we were healing on a tack, or doing a tacking duel heading for the home stretch. Hope this helps.
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