"Staysail Spinnacher"

[terryjoe]

Can anyone tell me what a Staysail Spinnacher is and what/how it is used? I purchased a 75 Irwin 33 ft Sloop earlier this year and it is one of the 11 sails in it's inventory. Thanks!

[SteveCox]

In my experience a staysail spinnaker is flown on ketches/yawls. It flies from the front of the mizzen mast in between the mizzen and main masts. I have no idea what one would be doing on a sloop.

[IrishMistRacing]

Maybe it's a spinnaker staysail. I have one on our C&C 34 that has a built-in wire stay and is flown when reaching. The stay is tacked midway between the mast and the forestay and is hoisted with a jib halyard. It's a small sail and I think it looks prettier than really contributing speed.

[7Psych]

Perhaps it could also be a Blooper....Actually set outside the spinnaker, just flown off the water. Mostly set in very light air and dead down wind. Looks really cool, but not sure how much speed it adds.

[CapnHand]

If it is a spinnaker staysail, I've only remember seeing one once. I crewed on a C&C 35 and we used it in one race. It's a triangular sail flown inside the spinnaker in light air.

I could be way off base but I think it's used to improve the air flow around the forward part of the mainsail, keep the airflow from separating from the mainsail and reduce turbulence.

My advice, fwiw, would be to contact the sail manufacturer, tell them what you have and ask them how it's supposed to be used.

[Faster]

It's sure to be a spinnaker staysail, as described above. A blooper would be labelled as such.

As someone said, looks good, helps little, and just one more set of strings to pull......

[R29Willow]

The Spinnaker staysail is having a resurgence of popularity now that race boats are flying asymmetrical spinnakers. The AC boats and TP52's use them in most wind ranges - TP52's will even carry multiple sizes of spinnaker staysail.

On older style boats, the saying that I've found to be true is: Putting up the staysail will gain you about 1 knot, and taking it down will do the same!

A lot of attention is required to keep it working for you.