Spinnaker Performance

[Highlander]

Loen

This is something I'm working on

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u3QNHpzy7io

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cd34onRJzEc

J

[Rick Westlake]

Holy Mazola, Batman!

Those Transats look way beyond my excitement threshold. And those long, pivoting sprits? Is that your next mod?

(Okay, after Tuesday I wonder if a bowsprit might have been a better idea than through-bolting a tack block to the bow-pulpit mast "ears" for my K-H gennaker. Would a Forespar "Banana Sprit" interfere too much with my anchor locker and foredeck hatch, though? I'm just glad I had the sheets close to hand, when Bossa Nova started going over ....)

[delevi]

Sweeet! One day, I gotta get on one of these super fast boats. John, keep moding. Once you get your to sail like these boats, you'll need to rename her to something like "The Flying Scott."

Cheers,
L.

[Highlander]

up-date
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee20 ... 010003.jpg

Confused Eh !

J

[ralphk]

We were flying the Doyle spinnaker last weekend on Lake Ontario.
I have it rigged outside of the jib with the tack on a foot long pendant to the pulpit.
Halyard is on a masthound about 20" above the jib's.

Launched the spin beautifully from it's sock. Good sail shape.
No anxiety at all.

Started on a beam reach with the sheets holding the spinnaker pretty flat, but hardly any luffing.
Here's the rub.

Boat speed dropped to about a mile per hour less than with 100% jib.
I eased the sheets, tried bearing off to a broad reach, expecting a some kind of acceleration...
.... Nothing.

There was a small, small window between beam reach and broad reach, then as I continued to bear off the main quickly doused the wind and the spin collapsed.

I tried shortening the pendant. ... nothing
I tried sheeting in the main, hoping to allow cleaner air flow to fill the spin... nothing
Last year I even tried reefing the main in light wind to aide the spinnaker... Still collapses pretty far from a run, in my opinion.

Summary:
The assymetrical is less than useless running.
It is a handicap on a beam reach.
ok on broad reach, but no performance improvement from white sail.

Conclusion:
1) skipper is inept
or
2) we've been conned to covet this mythical parachute even though it doesn't work


" Shore looks purdy though, with all them bright colors"

[Kelly Hanson East]

One of the few times Ive managed to surf the boat (8-9 knots maintained) was on a full run with the spin up in the air like a chute (two sheets on the genny cleats, head on the jib halyard

Speed was great, minimal control ...

I came round the corner of the Hudson and was facing a tanker coming at 15 knots...


To look good is to feel good...

[ralphk]

Folks:

I did a little more mouse clicking and found the following post by Trouts Dream
Boy, what a different experience!

I'm very envious, especially since I think I have the same setup, (except for the 2nd forestay).

So I'll raise the challenge to the 'chuters in Mac Nation.
What are the 3 most important considerations when flying the assym?

ralphk
Hakuna Matata 97X

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by Trouts Dream » Mon Jun 02, 2008 1:19 pm

My favorite sail in light winds is my asym spinnaker, with chute.
When I first installed a CDI furler and tried to take some rake out of my mast, I installed a 2nd set of hounds 8 inches higher on the mast. I left the lower hounds in place and added a second forestay.
The lines for my spinaker are left in place, with the sheets attached to the clew line at the bow. I ran a clew line along the port side (parallel to the furler line) and through a sheave at the bow. I use the D Dunne method of levering to make it easier to attach the furler and this leaves me an attachment point just aft of the forestay tang.
I will try to post pictures in the near future.
This allows me to fly my spinnaker as much as 8-10 ft off the deck or pull it tight enough to sail a beam reach. In the right wing I have been able to get about 10 degrees higher than beam using the spinaker. Most of the time I will use the spinaker alone, no main, and just sit back and look at the pretty colours against the sun and sky

.
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