Asymmetrical kite on Achilles 24

[Tommy Dickens]

Hi there, I have owned my Achilles 24 for just over two years now and am looking at doing a little upgrading of the sail wardrobe. I was wondering if anyone has an experience of flying asymmetrical spinnakers on an A24 or similar boat and whether it is worthwhile trying. Not quite sure if I could rig something up without the sail interfering excessively with the pulpit.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Tommy.

 

[MoodySabre]

Hi there, I have owned my Achilles 24 for just over two years now and am looking at doing a little upgrading of the sail wardrobe. I was wondering if anyone has an experience of flying asymmetrical spinnakers on an A24 or similar boat and whether it is worthwhile trying. Not quite sure if I could rig something up without the sail interfering excessively with the pulpit.

Any advice greatly appreciated.

Thanks, Tommy.

You could use a tacker The Tacker | No Boom Spinnaker Handler | ATN Sailing Equipment

 

[Tommy Dickens]

You could use a tacker The Tacker | No Boom Spinnaker Handler | ATN Sailing Equipment

That's pretty nifty - am sure I could rig something up like that. Cheers.

 

[onesea]

My answer is buy a big one, for cruising they are only any use in light winds.
After that with displacement hull your doing near enough hull speed so you don’t need the flaff.
Both of mine have attached to the stem head fitting and reached near enough the mast head.
Great in light winds when you, are struggling to get speed.

 

[chris-s]

We flew both symmetrical and asymmetrical on our 22ft Pegasus 700 bilge keeler, great in light-er winds. Yes they can be a bit of faff but worth it.

 

[Tommy Dickens]

Thanks for the feedback everyone, will definitely consider it.

 

[B27]

On a 24ft boat, you could try a used asy from one of the faster dinghies.
I agreewith buying the biggest you can within reason.

 

[MoodySabre]

My son had an Achilles 24 and we have flown a spinnaker without a problem. I think the OP was referring to assymetric I.e. a cruising chute. The issue, I assumed, is that the pulpit on this boat is a long way forward of the stem head making the tack position a bit awkward. That’s why I suggested a Tacker so that the tack is running from the forestay and therefore clear of the pulpit.

 

[Neeves]

We flew a symmetric spinnaker off a J24 and there was a North Sails instructional video on same (technology has moved on since a few decades ago but I' sure there will be a You Tube). Asymmetric spinnakers were not in vogue then.

But google You Tube vids.

Jonathan

 

[Rum Run]

I use a modified spinnaker pole as a bowsprit to get the tack of an asymmetric 4' forward of the bow. The halyard goes through a block on a little crane off the mast cap so it is well outside everything.
The spinnaker pole/ sprit is off a larger boat and 95mm diameter. I chopped 3' and 2' pieces off the original 13', slit the off-cuts and sleeved the centre of the remaining 8' inside and out, riveting everything together. The reinforced centre of the pole runs through a strop attached to the bow, the inner end lashes to one of three deck cleats so the sprit can be centred or biased to either side.
This is on an Anderson 22 and makes downwind light-airs sailing a lot more exciting as the sail is about 300 sq.ft.

 

[B27]

I use a modified spinnaker pole as a bowsprit to get the tack of an asymmetric 4' forward of the bow. The halyard goes through a block on a little crane off the mast cap so it is well outside everything.
The spinnaker pole/ sprit is off a larger boat and 95mm diameter. I chopped 3' and 2' pieces off the original 13', slit the off-cuts and sleeved the centre of the remaining 8' inside and out, riveting everything together. The reinforced centre of the pole runs through a strop attached to the bow, the inner end lashes to one of three deck cleats so the sprit can be centred or biased to either side.
This is on an Anderson 22 and makes downwind light-airs sailing a lot more exciting as the sail is about 300 sq.ft.

Sounds good and a lot more sound than loading the furler foil with one of those 'tacky' gadgets.

I've sailed an RS400 a few times, they have bowsprit which 'gybes' to put the tack of the asy to windward, a nice way to run a bit deeper.