Why symmetrical on a cat? That's quite unusual....
An asymmetric with a tack system to allow it to be pulled to either bow or the centre is exactly what he needs.
Many thanks, you've got it, this is a passaging making set intended to provide low stress mile gobbling. I'm interested to know what others think of the use of the topping lift and main sheet to provide support to the top section of the mast. I've previously used runners to support a large code 0 on a similar rig on an earlier cat and never sensed they where actually having to do any work.
Can't see how any "riggers or architect" could give any advice about whether the rig would stay up or break without at least knowing the boat model and current rig & staying arrangements.
got one, complete with snuffer
Seems a little late to ask for advice. I’d like to repeat for emphasis, do not drop your main. You’ll not be able to keep control of any spinnaker without it.
Disagree, it's not exactly what I need, if it was I would not have made the initial post. On a light weight tri or a high performance cat sailing the angles and jibing might give a better vmg, as long as you are constantly paying attention and trimming. On a typical short handed cruising cat you won't, stated from 16 years of experience with a light weight cruising cat using an A sail on a bridle and an enormous mast head code 0.
Not even if you pull the tack to the weather bow? The advantage is obviously that the sail would be much better when reaching, and only a little less good on a dead run.
rubbish, I suspect you have no experience of sailing a cruising cat. The typical rig does not allow you to square off the main therefore, with out a preventer, sailing deeper than 160T you are risking a jibe, and the drive from the main is compromised because it is effectively sheeted in
No been there done that. The code 0 is fine to 130T and the A sail for the 30 degrees to 160T. This is all about hassle free dead running.
You suspect wrong. I do know how difficult it is to handle a spinnaker without being able to drop it behind a mainsail. We rig a preventer on our tri on the rare occasions it’s profitable for us to run deep. That’s when we pull the asymmetric tack to the windward bow. Our kite would be unmanageable without the main though, even though we use a snuffer. The cruising cats I have sailed have all used the same methods, best of luck if you can do better.
I don’t currently run a Code 0, because we can fly the big A up to about 90 true in light airs, which leaves a tiny window for the code sail. Obviously we don’t need anything bigger to reach if it’s more than about 8kn, when we start to be over powered by the Asymmetric. I appreciate the dynamics are different on your boat, but not the sail handling or the useful apparent wind angles, unless your A sail is a bag like a symmetric kite.
. In those days larger boats tended to be IOR masthead jobs, so I cannot really comment with any authority, on how a 7/8 rig performs with the spinny from the "wrong" exit point. But it does seem to me that if the boat can "give" to the initial gusts, the mast has a chance & the crew can take action as required.