Spinnaker staysail

[jfulf]

Deep within one locker I found a sailbag labeled " spinnaker staysail." I have a 30 ft masthead sloop, and am looking for any info on just how this sail might be flown. The sail has no hanks for the forestay, but has heavy wire running in the luff. Any ideas/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

[Jeff_H]

Well, if you took this to the ''Antiques Road Show'' They would tell you that you have a ''Gen-u-wiiiine Antique'' there. Spinacker staysails are an old style racing sails (1950''s through the 1970''s) and were flown at the same as the spinacker when the boat was on a reach. There are two styles, a blade and a dazy staysail. The Blade is tall and narrow and the dazy is low and horizontal. Nether are terribly useful for racing or cruising. They need constant tending to keep them from being over trimmed and causing the chute to collapse. They are not of much use when they chute is not flying as they are too small and flat cut for light air, and too stretchy for heavier conditions. Sorry.

Jeff

[paulk]

Have to disagree with some of Jeff''s remarks. Though he is right about the constant tending, we found it added about half a knot to our speed in a Marblehead-Halifax race.