Spinnakers
Spinnakers
To spin or not to spin. With the development of asymmetrical spinnakers (asym), the decision whether to add a spinnaker to your sail inventory got a lot easier. If you are sailing a long downwind leg (anywhere from a beam reach to a run) a spinnaker can add several knots to your boat speed, and a lot of fun and excitement to your trip. Nothing quite captures the beauty of sail like a colorful spinnaker on a sunny, breezy day.
The simplicity of the asym design makes it easy to set up and fly. All you need, if your boat is not already equipped, is a block on both sides of the transom, spinnaker sheets, and a tack line at the bow. To make launching and dowsing the asym even simpler, I advise adding a sock when ordering from your sailmaker. Learning to use the sock is easy and means less time on the foredeck for launching and take down.
Jibing the asym takes some practice, but as an alternative, you can dowse, jibe and reset on the new tack. I’m available to help you through the purchase, set up and flying of your new favorite sail.
If you have a traditional spinnaker, but are anxious about jibing the pole, no problem, I can walk you through that too. Let me help you have more fun sailing down wind.
Captain Dan
