New Spinnaker testing

[grady]

I was out by myself checking everything and the wind was 5 to 10 kts so I decided to trust the tiller pilot and test some different points of sail with my new spin. I was able to keep the spin flying DDW with a wing on wing setup. Here is a video of the sail. (Sorry I am not a video editor pro if you want music with it just click on Pandora )

http://s965.photobucket.com/user/GRADY5 ... e.mp4.html

[jassr4848]

Spinnaker colors look great with your boat colors, how was the performance of the spinnaker?

[grady]

Performance seems good have only had it up twice for a short amount of time. Wind was probably around 5 to 10 that day and when I got a chance to glance at the GPS it was in the 6 kt when I was going DDW and 7 when off the wind.

[Newell]

Photobucket videos run slow and jerky on my Mac. Beautiful sail, looks like made by Doyle. Probably big $$$. If you don't like it, I know someone who will buy it.

First, I thought you had it tacked to bow pulpit, but then it looks like you could move it up and down by the line it was attached? Where on the mast does it attach at top? I now understand why you built a bow sprit. How is that working out? Have you ever run both the genoa and spin DDW? I have done it once and it was great, but conditions were steady and my AP was working then.

[Catigale]

Newell..someone taught me to run the spin on a short piece if tack line rather than shackling it to the forestay plate. It is nice for it to clear the bow pulpit. I have run a line through a Harken 225 block and adjusted it from the cockpit too.

[Newell]

I hope Grady will jump back on this older thread.

I have attached my spin to the Bow Pulpit on my X with a short pennant also (Catigale) to both get it above the deck and higher on the mast. I have a masthead halyard on both boats. However, the D has a much flimsier bow pulpit than my X so I need to do something different for it. Instead of a bow sprit I am considering adding a anchor roller with an attachment point for the spinnaker, similiar to what was recently posted on the Trailer Sailor (Mac) Site.

[THE CUSCUS]

I have my tackline (downhaul) run through a small block attached to the bail on my anchor roller. The working end goes back to a cam cleat near the cockpit. It helps to be able to change the vertical position of the tack, depending where the wind is and the shape you want. It also helps when jibing the spinnaker to the outside. If you look at this video clip, you can sorta see the block on the roller. The spinnaker in this video is way too small(that is why it looks like its flying so high above the pulpit)
, as it was made for a stock V25. My forestay and spin block are almost at masthead now.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZHfwL_AEU2g

[grady]

Photobucket videos run slow and jerky on my Mac. Beautiful sail, looks like made by Doyle. Probably big $$$. If you don't like it, I know someone who will buy it.

First, I thought you had it tacked to bow pulpit, but then it looks like you could move it up and down by the line it was attached? Where on the mast does it attach at top? I now understand why you built a bow sprit. How is that working out? Have you ever run both the genoa and spin DDW? I have done it once and it was great, but conditions were steady and my AP was working then.

It was made by Doyle they have done some realy good sails for me. Yes they are a little pricey especially when you tell them you want a race sail.

The tack line is through a block on the end of the bow sprit and then ran back to the cockpit so you can adjust it.

The halyard is on a block that is half way between the jib halyard and the top of the mast. The main reason it was put there is that there was alrady a hole drilled in the mast at that location so I just used it.

I have had my Jib and spin up on a light wind reach that worked good, usualy do not go DDW in light wind so have not tried that yet.

I hope Grady will jump back on this older thread.

Im back. I should get some real good testing next week during Dallas Race Week. I will have good crew all week!

[kevinnem]

I don't want to take over the thread but I was going to use my spinnaker for the first time last week but couldn't figure out how to set it up .. I was going to run the 2 line around all rigging to the rear and around the rail at the back, and use the rail as a turn around pully, then to a winch. These sheets are already attached , so it is pretty obvious what point is the clew, and how they attach to the sail.

however, the head and tack are not. how can I tell the difference and stop myself from flying it upside down when I first launch it (or do you just give it a try , and fix it if you have to). The spinaker is in the cabin of the boat, so I can't stretch it out and look at it. The sail is made by doyle - I think about 1995 and is triradial design - I think. There is a red strip along one edge of the sail. and a "doyle" logo as well.

does the red edge , or logo help me figure out what point is the teck, and what point is the head?

[Baerkanu]

I don't want to take over the thread but I was going to use my spinnaker for the first time last week but couldn't figure out how to set it up .. I was going to run the 2 line around all rigging to the rear and around the rail at the back, and use the rail as a turn around pully, then to a winch. These sheets are already attached , so it is pretty obvious what point is the clew, and how they attach to the sail.

however, the head and tack are not. how can I tell the difference and stop myself from flying it upside down when I first launch it (or do you just give it a try , and fix it if you have to). The spinaker is in the cabin of the boat, so I can't stretch it out and look at it. The sail is made by doyle - I think about 1995 and is triradial design - I think. There is a red strip along one edge of the sail. and a "doyle" logo as well.

does the red edge , or logo help me figure out what point is the teck, and what point is the head?

On mine, the Doyle logo is near the corner at the tack. If that's not the case with yours, since you know the clew, just assume the Doyle logo won't be upside down so the tack is below it.

I'm not familiar with the setup of an X, but on an M, you use the genoa tracks at the cockpit to put a turning block on, or the stern cleats with a block mounted. I'd be worried about using the stern rail as a block - too long a lever arm, and in gusty winds, it'll need to take a lot of force and may be prone to bending.

- Clay

[Tomfoolery]

Ditto the above suggestions. The logo is usually at the tack fitting (at least it was on all the sails I've owned), and it will, or course, be upright when flying correctly, so you should be able to get it rigged correctly the first time.

Oh, and when using it for the first time, do fly it in light air. You can get into a lot of trouble fast with a spinnaker if the winds are brisk and you don't yet have the feel for it. Lots of folks use ratchet blocks for the sheets so they can hold the line without using a winch, in case a gust tries to take you out. Just let some sheet out, or all of it in a bad gust.

[beene]

I don't want to take over the thread but I was going to use my spinnaker for the first time last week but couldn't figure out how to set it up .. I was going to run the 2 line around all rigging to the rear and around the rail at the back, and use the rail as a turn around pully, then to a winch. These sheets are already attached , so it is pretty obvious what point is the clew, and how they attach to the sail.

however, the head and tack are not. how can I tell the difference and stop myself from flying it upside down when I first launch it (or do you just give it a try , and fix it if you have to). The spinaker is in the cabin of the boat, so I can't stretch it out and look at it. The sail is made by doyle - I think about 1995 and is triradial design - I think. There is a red strip along one edge of the sail. and a "doyle" logo as well.

does the red edge , or logo help me figure out what point is the teck, and what point is the head?

I would not run those sheets behind your rear stantions

Not unless you want to bend them

The sheets will by able to ride up the pole

Instead, attach a set of blocks to the foot area of each if you have to

Preferably you should buy a set of track blocks and just run them aft of your existing genny blocks
Assuming you have tacks on your aft cockpit walls/gunwales

G

[Sea Wind]

cuscus: could you elaborate on you "Y" spin sheet?

[THE CUSCUS]

Sure, its one long piece (75' if I recall, it may be longer) of Flightline (has aDyneema core) that has the outer cover stripped off the center 10' or so. Stripping the cover off properly was quite a chore and took my rigger buddy afew hours to get it done (its like a tapered splice on both "sides" of the exposed core, requiring you to backfeed through half the length or so). A small "tail" is then tied (and whipped) to the center of the stripped core. The tail is then tied to the clew, adding very little weight to the sail.
http://forums.sbo.sailboatowners.com/pi ... reid=14735