Videos/Tips for raising spinnaker after rounding

[HeyPorter]

Anyone know of any good videos or have any detailed tips on raising the spinnaker immediately after a rounding?

[Faster]

What size boat? Dip pole or end-for-end? How many crew?

[HeyPorter]

Santana 20s, end-for-end, two to three crew (usually three).

[Irunbird]

I quickly googled images for a Santana 20 and it looks fairly similar to a J24, and this is what we do (it may be simpler on your boat)- assuming you are sailing W/L courses, we always raise and douse on the port side. As you approach the windward mark, your bowman sets the pole. Ease the main as you round the mark, but leave the jib/genoa trimmed in and raise the kite. If we ease the genoa (not as big an issue with the jib) the sail gets somewhat fouled and can get tangled between the spreader and genoa and cost lots of time to untangle. Then you can drop/furl your headsail and trim the spinnaker however you need. We do almost the exact opposite when dousing- raise the genoa, then douse the spinnaker. If approaching on port tack, then you'll be doing a windward douse and you want to be heading as near dead downwind as possible to get the spinnaker down easily (blanketing it behind the main). If approaching the leeward mark on starboard tack, then you have a little easier job of a leeward douse since it will be blanketed by both main and genoa. Practice-practice-practice... My wife and I can handle this by ourselves as long as the wind isn't > about 10 mph (preferrably a bit less) and seas aren't too lumpy.

Hope this helps at least a little! There are lots of youtube videos out there, if you just google J24 video, you'll see several of the current world champ (Tim Healy) and some from the older Harken instructional dvd's.

Ray

[AdamLein]

Are you a racer looking for tips to get your procedure down from 5.0 seconds to 3.8 seconds, or somebody who wants to know how to do it?

[HeyPorter]

Somewhere in between. I imagine it can be a relatively smooth process when done correctly, and most of the time when we race it is NOT.

Irunbird, thanks for the tips, and for pointing me in the right direction for videos.

[Irunbird]

Porter- I just stumbled on this: Santana 20 Spinnaker Tips You might have already read it, but it seems more similar to our Buccaneer 18 setup. Main difference being that we have a snout and it's much easier raising/dousing in a Bucc than on a J24 (and probably your boat) since you can be on either tack- all you do is set the pole on the right side of the forestay and go at it. I didn't mention twings, topping lift and downhaul, but all that stuff is all part of what your crew need to be trained to do and all needs to be set before raising the spin. Practice is what makes the difference on race day, and of course having the same crew when racing, yada-yada...

Something else that is critical, especially to new racers- communication with crew is key prior to race start and as you approach marks. Crew need specific instruction (and jobs) and they should be able to talk through each scenario (sets, douses and gybes) describing what they are to do in order well in advance of approaching the start line. As skipper, you call when to set the pole and they should be able to take it from there. If they are new crew, you may need to talk them through the routine...

[sfchallenger]

On the approach to the mark the foredeck crew raises the pole on what will be the windward side, downhaul can be drawn taunt, but left a little looser than you'd anticipate needing it. If it isn't already, the bag gets set on what will be the leeward side, opened, and halyard clipped on the chute. At about 1 boat length from the mark the spinnaker guy should get pre fed until the tack of the sail is at the pole. Immedietly after rounding the foredeck jumps the chute and the cockpit crew trims, leaving the foredeck free to drop the jib (assuming no roller furling).

A leeward takedown starts on the approach to the mark, jib up, foredeck in position, cockpit blows the guy, and the foredeck drops the halyard, nice easy douse starting at the active sheet. Foredeck clears the sail and immedietly gets the pole down and makes sure the jib is tackable. Now get your ass on the rail.

Also in agreement with the above comment about everyone knowing their and others' responsibilties. Each crew member should be able to recite all of these in case one crew is unable to perform a specific task for whatever reason. For example, on a boat with more crew you might need the sheet trimmer to jump to the pit position and adjust topping and foreguy while the pit is distracted helping to tail the guy. Talking through the process before you start each time is really helpful, besides, what else are you doing on the upwind leg?

[Sailormon6]

Almost all the problems that I see with a spinnaker hoist are because the foredeck didn't have everything set up in advance of the rounding. If they wait until the last moment to set up everything, lines get tangled or run the wrong way. If everything is done early enough, then crew has time to re-check everything, and find and correct mistakes before they bite you in the arse. Also, foredeck crew should establish a procedure for hooking everything up, and follow that same procedure every time. Being methodical helps you avoid oversights. You're less likely to skip a step in the procedure without noticing it. Bad hoists are a result of mistakes, and avoiding them is a matter of organization and planning and focus.

[chrism33]

Try these links. Not a video but a set of step by step procedures.
Anatomy of a Spinnaker Set: Part 1 – The Bear-Away Set
Anatomy of a Spinnaker Set: Part 2 – The Jibe Set
Anatomy of a Spinnaker Set: Part 3 – The Poleless Jibe Set