The Wanderer’s spinnaker at 107 sq.ft. (9.94 sq.m.) is bigger than
that for most 14 ft dinghies, and effectively doubles the sail area.
There is no chute, so a cockpit launch is necessary. It therefore takes
considerable skill to hoist and drop it successfully. In racing terms,
the Wanderer is definitely a spinnaker boat. Without the spinnaker it
will not sail to its handicap.
For successful spinnaker work you need:
 | A well thought out spinnaker system. |
| A well worked out and consistent
drill for hoisting, gybing and lowering. |
| Good co-ordination between helm and
crew. |
Spinnaker
systems:
Four diagrams are attached. [Click on
the view link to see each in separate window].
- End for end pole with central ramp
and sided cam-cleats as reaching hooks to control the guy. View
- End for end pole with central ramp
and twinning lines to control the guy. View
- Single ended pole with reaching
hooks. View
- Diagram showing uphaul/downhaul
system. View
N.B. The sheet/guy should be
continuous, not two separate lines. Total length is approx. 13.5 to 14
metres. Mark both ends of the guy/sheet at the point where the guy
passes through the reaching hook/twinning line when the pole is just off
the forestay at normal height.
Spinnaker
drill:
Drill sequences used for hoisting,
gybing and dropping the spinnaker in "Thistle" are attached.
See also the excellent series of articles by Brian Proctor in Wanderer
Newsletters No 3, 4 and 13. "Dinghy crewing" and "Crewing
to win" in the Fernhurst series are also good.
Playing the spinnaker – Rules of
thumb:
| Trim the sheet continuously, i.e. at
least every 5 seconds. Do not cleat it, as this can lead to a
capsize. Trim in until the sail is setting, then ease until the edge
of the luff just starts to curl in. As soon as this is seen, trim in
again, and immediately ease again as before, so that the luff is
constantly on the point of curling. Too far in and it will stall,
too far out and it will collapse. |
| Trim the guy so that the pole is
approximately at right angles to the apparent wind – i.e. at right
angles to the burgee or wind arrow. |
| Set the pole height so that when the
sheet is eased the sail starts to curl at mid-height. If it curls
first near the top, the pole is probably too low, and vice versa.
Another indication of correct pole height is when the two bottom
corners of the sail are at the same height. |
| In light airs you will find that the
sail sets better with the pole fairly low. |
| On a tight reach try raising the
pole to open the luff and get as close to the wind as possible. |
| The crew should call the pressure on
the sheet, warning the helm as gusts come in and ease off. |
Gavin Barr, W1282
"Thistle" 1st October 2001.
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SPINNAKER DRILL,
W1282 "THISTLE"
HOISTING
FROM LEEWARD BAG
Crew: (preparation before hoist – in
racing before reaching the windward mark).
 | Ensure that halyard, sheet and guy
are free to run. |
| Pull windward twinning line fully
on and cleat. N.B. this will pull the corner of the spinnaker out
of the leeward bag. |
| Check leeward twinning line is off
and fully overhauled (pulled out). |
| Cleat guy so that when the sail is
hoisted the pole will be just off the forestay. N.B. guy must be
marked at the correct point. |
| Push the pole out, engage the ramp
in the uphaul/downhaul and clip the outer end onto the guy. Do not
twist the pole or the ramp will disengage. |
| Ease the jib but only slightly as
the spinnaker can foul the foot of the jib during the hoist. |
| Check that the pole height is
approximately right for the conditions. |
| Trim centreboard for reach. Tell
the helm "Ready". |
Helm:
| Bear away onto a broad reach, or
even a run – especially in a medium to strong breeze. |
| Stand up in the boat, with
spinnaker halyard in hand. Inform crew "Hoisting". |
| Hoist spinnaker smartly, hand over
hand while steering with the tiller between the knees. (Practice
this skill!). Make sure the sail is fully up. (Have halyard
marked). |
| Grab spinnaker sheet and be ready
to pass it to the crew. |
Crew:
| As the sail is hoisted, push the
pole fully out and forward, and clip it onto the mast. Don’t
force it. Do not twist the pole as you push it out, or the ramp
may disengage. |
| Trim the guy to the correct angle
(approximately at right angles to the wind) and cleat it. |
| Adjust the pole height if
necessary. Check leeward twinner is off and sheet free. |
| Trim the jib, grab the spinnaker
sheet or take it from the helm, and play it. |
Helm:
| When the sail is up and under
control, harden up and GO, GO, GO! |
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"CHUCK
HOIST" FROM WINDWARD BAG. As above with the following
modifications.
Crew: (Preparation)
| Free sheet and halyard as above. |
| Check windward twinning line is
off and the guy pulled out. |
| Check leeward twinning line off
and free. Trim centreboard. |
| Take the spinnaker out of the
windward bag and bundle it into a ball. |
| Stand right forward with the
spinnaker, balled up, in both hands. Call "Ready". |
Helm:
| Bear away onto a run, grab
spinnaker halyard and check that the crew is ready. |
| Call "1,2,3, Hoist" or
similar, and hoist the spinnaker as fast as possible. |
Crew:
| On hearing "1,2,3,
Hoist", throw the spinnaker up and forwards past the jib. |
| When the sail us up, set the pole,
(push out, engaging the ramp, clip onto guy, clip onto mast).
REMEMBER, WITH A "CHUCK HOIST" THE POLE IS NOT SET UNTIL
THE SPINNAKER IS UP. |
| Pull on windward twinner, set the
guy and trim the jib. |
| Check leeward twinner is off, grab
the spinnaker sheet and play it. |
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GYBING
THE SPINNAKER
Crew: (preparation before gybe).
| Move into the middle of the boat. |
Helm:
| Bear away onto run. |
Crew:
| Check that the helm has finished
with the jib. (as far ahead of the gybe as possible. |
| Uncleat the jib and cleat loosely
on the new leeward side (clew of the jib to the mast). |
| As the boat turns downwind, pull
the guy as far aft as possible, at the same time letting out the
sheet, so that as the boat turns into the gybe, the sail is swung
onto the new leeward side. |
| If possible release the
"old" twinning line and control the guy from amidships
during this phase. |
| If possible keep the sail full
through the gybe. |
| Help the mainsail over by pulling
the kicker across at the point of gybe. (You need three hands to
do all this!). |
Helm:
| Try to carve a smooth curve to
give the crew time to swing the spinnaker round. |
| Call out "gybing" and
gybe the boat. |
| Immediately reverse the helm to
maintain control before heading up for the new course. You should
aim to carve a "W", and try to "keep the boat under
the spinnaker". |
| Do not head up onto the new course
until the crew has set the pole on the new side. |
Crew:
| As soon as the main has gybed, get
up to windward. |
| Pull on the new twinning line. |
| Ease new guy fully out to the mark.
IF YOU DO NOT DO THIS YOU WILL FIND IT DIFFICULT TO SET THE POLE. |
| Unclip the pole from the mast, clip
that end of the pole onto the new guy, and push the pole out and
forward. DO NOT TWIST THE POLE OR THE RAMP WILL DISENGAGE. |
| Unclip the other end of the pole
from the "old" guy (new sheet), and clip it onto the mast. |
| Trim the guy to the right angle for
the new course. |
| Make sure the "old" (now
leeward) twinning line is fully off and "new" sheet free. |
| Grab the "new" sheet and
play it. |
| Adjust the jib. (or helm can do
this). |
| Adjust the uphaul if necessary (e.g.
higher if the reach is tight. N.B. as you raise the pole with the
uphaul you will have to adjust the guy slightly to maintain the same
horizontal pole angle. |
Helm:
| Harden up onto new course. |
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DROPPING
THE SPINNAKER
N.B. Start the drop in good time. You
will lose much more ground by hanging on too long and rounding up onto
the windward leg in a tangle than by dropping a few yards early. It is
normal to drop the spinnaker to windward (although a leeward drop is
feasible).
Helm:
| Stand up in the boat. |
| Give the order "Down
Spinnaker" |
| Grab the spinnaker halyard,
uncleat and keep in hand. |
| Take the spinnaker sheet from the
crew. (This prevents the sheet running free and going over the
bows). |
Crew:
| Stand up in the boat. |
| Hand the spinnaker sheet to the
helm. If you leave it loose it may go over the bow and under the
boat during the drop, especially on a run. |
| Unclip the pole from the mast and
pull it in, giving a quarter turn to disengage the ramp and allow
the pole to be recovered. |
| Unclip the pole from the guy and
slide the pole back to its stowage position along the boom. N.B.
If it is blowing and you have difficulty stowing the pole, forget
the pole until the sail is down. Call "Ready". |
Helm:
| When you see the crew is ready,
start easing the halyard and sheet, controlling them as the crew
lowers the sail. |
Crew:
| Pull the sail down (you will reach
it via the guy), and stuff it into the bag. Make sure the sail
does not get twisted while lowering. One method is to pull down
along the windward edge of the sail, stuffing that side of the
sail first, then the other edge, then the foot. |
| N.B. For a leeward drop (normal in
yachts) the sail must be pulled in under the jib, and stowed in
the leeward bag. It is reached via the sheet. The crew must go
down to leeward, which may not be possible in a blow. |
| Finish stowing the pole if
necessary. |
| Tidy up halyard sheet and guy. |
| If necessary adjust the pole
height so that the pole lies parallel to the boom. If the pole is
angled up, the aft end can foul the helm’s lifejacket in the
tack. |
Helm:
| Get into windward mode and
concentrate on sailing the boat and rounding the mark. Ignore the
bits of string! |
Gavin Barr, W1282
"Thistle"
30th September 2001.
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