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Do you pole out your Asym Spinnaker?

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jwilliams
Captain

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USA
357 Posts

Initially Posted - 10/03/2002 : 12:00:10

Hi all,

My buddy Paul and me were out yesterday (yes, on a Wednesday!) on his boat, Sparky, same as mine.

We played with my asym spinnaker and had fun, slack tide the GPS said as much as 8kts, do you believe it? Noticed that the sail really pulls the bow down. Makes the LWL longer?

Found that the best point of sale was with the wind just behind the beam. Downwind the sail collapsed behind the main. We imagined that we could sail by the lee with the main across, but we did not choose to rig a preventer.

Does anyone ever pole the tack of the Asym to the weather side, like a regular spinnaker, in order to sail directly downwind? Or is there another tactic we should be using to do it?

Still learning the sail, so ideas welcome.

Jim Williams (and Paul Zell)
Hey Jude
C25fk 2958

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Bill Holcomb
Admiral

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USA
769 Posts

Response Posted - 10/03/2002 : 15:01:17

Hi Jim,

I've never poled out the tack like a symetrical chute. But, I have poled out the clew and sailed "wing 'n wing" when running straight downwind. And,..........I've poled out my drifter jib (as if wing 'n wing) and hoisted the cruising chute instead of the main. For straight downwind in light breezes; and found this configuration is incredible........but you'll never sail to windward with this setup.

Bill Holcomb - C25 Snickerdoodle #4839

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Dave Bristle
Master Marine Consultant

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Djibouti
10005 Posts

Response Posted - 10/04/2002 : 11:11:18

A cruising chute in place of the main!?! Amazing!!

Dave Bristle - 1985 C-25 #5032 SR-FK-Dinette-Honda "Passage" in SW CT

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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5932 Posts

Response Posted - 10/04/2002 : 13:28:39

Jim,

When sailing downwind, the force of the wind on a spinnaker causes the boat to tilt forward, as you have seen. Regardless of whether they are sailing with white sails or with a spinnaker, boats that are sailing downwind should have crew members move their weight just forward of the mast, to make the boat tilt forward in the same manner.

When a sailboat tilts forward, part of her wide stern is lifted out of the water, and that reduces the amount of wetted surface of the boat. The less wetted surface, the less drag, and the boat goes faster.

So far as I know, the increase in speed doesn't have anything to do with the LWL.

Steve Milby "Captiva Wind" C-25 T/FK #2554

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3324 Posts

Response Posted - 10/04/2002 : 17:44:49

As usual, O erudite guru, you are quite correct!<img src=icon_smile_approve.gif border=0 align=middle>
Derek

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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
The Officers, Staff and members of this site only provide information based upon the concept that anyone utilizing this information does so at their own risk and holds harmless all contributors to this site.