Hello,
Regarding spinnakers for racing - you didn’t write (or maybe I just missed) if
you are currently using a spinnaker now or not. If you’re currently a Jib and
Main (JAM) boat and you’re trying to race against spinnaker boats, you will not
do well (especially in light air).
If you are JAM and looking to enter the spinnaker fleet then I would suggest
going to asymm sails over standard square sails, spin pole, up haul, downhaul,
guys, blah blah blah.
If you are currently flying a chute then I suggest you spend more time working
on that before you scrap everything and go to asym sails.
I do most of my racing on a C&C 35. First - listen to Don. I have raced against
Fireball many times and he knows what he is doing (Don, in case you are reading
I race on R JMS, the white boat from Port Jefferson, NY). We raced with
standard spinnakers for years and did well. A few years ago the owner changed
to asym sails and a Selden sprit, and we have never looked back. Depending on
conditions, sometimes the asym has an advantage and other times the square
chute does. But the asym is easier to set, jibe, trim, and douse than the
square chute. We used to need 6-7 guys to race in breezy conditions. Now we do
it with 4-5 guys. No pole to worry about, no guys, no worrying about gibing the
pole, etc.
Last point, I have never seen a real fast boat use a sock or a furler. I’m sure
there are some out there, but for a fully crewed boat there is no way a sock or
furler would be faster than just a standard set and douse. In light to regular
conditions we douse down the front hatch. Helm steers down, tack line released,
foredeck grabs tack line and passes to crew in the V Berth. Halyard is eased
and the chute pulled into the boat. In windy conditions we do a letter box take
down. I’m usually in the back of the boat tending the main so I can’t tell you
how exactly we do that one, I try to stay out of the way,
Around here racing is on hold for now and that makes me sad.
Good luck. Barry
Barry LenobleDeep Blue C - C&C 110Mt. Sinai, NY
Barry. Sent from iPad
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