Photo journalism

[Spacewaist]

I could forgive the cover of the September Issue of YM; a good photo of a yacht on an exhilarating reach taken from the leeward quarter, so let's sheet in the main a bit further so we can get a good shot under/behind the boom?

This month shows a yacht running dead down wind under spinnaker with the mainsail sheeted in so hard it's almost scandalised, presumably so that we can see the helmsman. (Doesnt seem to be using a spi-pole, either.)

Yachting magazines are in part instructional; they publish articles on sail trimming and should lead by example rather than trashing their principles in journalistic excess.

Now where have I heard that before, Greg?


<hr width=100% size=1>A pontification from the Panjandrum of orotund bloviation AD2003

 

[jamesjermain]

The boat is actually being sailed in a very sensible and seamanlike manner. When sailing dead down wind with the spinnaker, the backwinding effect of the main can make the sail unstable. Since this is by far the major driving force on this point of sail, it makes sense to haul the main amidships to allow the spinnaker to fill, remain stable and giive the boat maximum speed. If, as I agree looks likely, the skipper has not set a pole (for what reason I know not), this tactic becomes even more important.

This particular cover was not actually taken by Yachting Monthly and was certainly not staged.

<hr width=100% size=1>JJ

 

[bedouin]

Looking at the picture, there is no indication that the boat actually carries a spinnaker pole. In that case there would be no way to keep the spinnaker flying unless the main were sheeted in hard (rather like gybing the spinnaker).

Looks like a great trick - but I can't imagine it is particularly stable even with the main sheeted in

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[Spacewaist]

Sorry - cant get there.

If you're going to fly a kite then you sd have a pole. Kite wd fly perfectly OK with pole back and plenty of air and youd get added drive from the main. Twd need to be sheeted to spill air into the kite but not scandalised like that.

If you ARE going to sail without a pole with your main sheeted in like that, in order to fill the kite, it wd be more seamanlike to use a gybe preventer. It might look a flat sea, but if things are so sensitive that you are concerned about a collapsing kite then theres a greater likelihood of an involuntary gybe.

<hr width=100% size=1>A pontification from the Panjandrum of orotund bloviation AD2003