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We flew the asymmetrical spinnaker for the first time yesterday. I grabbed my sailing buddy, sent the wives shopping and went to sea.
Winds were 7-12 knots and the only seas we had to contend with were the wakes from the tour boats and fishing charter boats.
The first hoist wasn't pristine due to a wind shift as we hoisted but no hourglass or other issues. Good boat speed, showing greater than 1/2 windspeed.
Neither of us had ever flown a spinnaker, now that the cherry is busted I plan to use to more often.
How/where did you attach the tack? A picture would be awesome! What folder do you place your recent pictures? Everything seems pretty old on your website.
I used an ATN tacker which clips around the furled Genoa. The tack line was shackled to the ATN tacker, then to a block attached to the bowsprit with the line led back to one of the bow cleats.
Just sat for 3 days in the rain so not much photography was done. The newest stuff is in the gallery "New Stuff" and more to come as the season progresses.
We did the same thing last weekend. Same reaction. My first mate has gone from hating sailing downwind to loving it. We sailed along at about 7 knots in about 10 knots of wind and could sail from a very broad reach to beam reach. A close reach is also possible, but the heeling is more than we like. The sail really isn't meant for that, of course, but it's nice to know that I can sail upwind on this sail in light winds, which is what is forecast for all of next week.
I've got a UK Sails "flasher" (asymmetrical). I don't know the weight, but it's very light stuff. The tack is attached to a collar around the headstay, which is attached via a tackline to a block at the base of the headstay. This allows control of the tack height from the cockpit. If anyone else does this on a PS37, I'd be interested to know exactly how you run the tack line back to the cockpit.
Our PSC didn't come with a asymmetrical, but I'm considering getting one next season. Can anyone enlighten me on what rigging is required? The boat is currently sloop-rigged and we have a spare halyard that goes to the masthead. Will that work or do I need to do something to avoid interference with the genoa? I suppose the asymmetrical is the most versatile sail for downwind in light air?
Others may be able to give you better advice, but by my reckoning, if your spare halyard goes to the top of the mast ABOVE where the headstay is attached, it's surely a spinnaker halyard. If it comes out below where the headstay is attached, it's a spare jib halyard. If the former, you could fly the downwind sail outside the headstay. If the latter, and if your sloop rig means you don't have a staysail stay, I don't see why you couldn't pull a asymmetrical/genneker through the slot, just as you do your jib/gennoa now. I've got a staysail on my PS37, so my downwind sail is gybed outside the headstay (that is, around the front of the boat; ALL lines are outside the headstay).
It may sound complicated, but it's not. Having said that, it's a lot more work than using a genoa on a roller furler -- but on my boat I'd say it's not much more work than setting up the whisker pole for wing-on-wing. (My pole is big and a potential bone crusher if the boat rolls a lot during setup.)
Where do you guys run your sheets to? I went to the aft most Genoa car on the cap rail track then routed same as the Genoa sheet would be routed. With that set up the spinnaker sheet is against the bottom of the boom. After gybing I moved the car forward but the sheet was still against the bottom of the boom. I think sail shaped looked okay with that arrangement but I don't like the chafe issue at the boom. Would bringing the tack lower help?
I haven't noticed that problem with my arrangement, which I think is the same as yours. I have rather light sheets (6mm, as I recall) that pass through the caprail track block a bit aft of the winches, then directly to the winches.
How high is the tack when the sail is flying? If it's way up the headstay, then I think the clew will also be flying high and lifting the sheet up with it.
Don't quote me, but I think the rule of thumb is to keep the foot more or less parallel to the water. If the tack is higher than the clew, try shortening the tack line. Experienced spinnaker users reading this might have better advice. Then again, ours really isn't a true spinnaker (thankfully)...
By the way, there's an online video on how to use the ATN tacker (just google ATN tacker or go to ATN website), which shows how to attach the tack line. In the video, it's TIED to the ring on the tacker; the only shackle is on the tacker itself. I'll try this next time.
Two on each side. The forward block I adjust for sail trim/shape, the aft block guides the sheet under the cockpit lee cloth to a cheek/turning block on the coaming then forward to the winch.
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