Symetric Spi takedown - which clew to start from?

[fobos8]

Hi guys

I sail on a 45ft yacht and am on the bow. In the past when we do a convention spi takedown (pull spi underneath the Genoa) I grab the lazy guy from around the shrouds area, get hold of the clew and proceed to pull on the foot and take down the spi. However at the weekend we tried taking the spi down slightly differently. I grabbed the lazy spi sheet from the pole end at the front of the boat went back to the hatch and got control of the foot and took down the spi still from underneath the Genoa and to the leeward side of boat.

So my question really boils down to which clew is it best to start from when you take down you spi for this type of takedown. The clew at the pole end or the one flying off the sheet in the shroud area?

Cheers, Andrew

 

[flaming]

Hi guys

I sail on a 45ft yacht and am on the bow. In the past when we do a convention spi takedown (pull spi underneath the Genoa) I grab the lazy guy from around the shrouds area, get hold of the clew and proceed to pull on the foot and take down the spi. However at the weekend we tried taking the spi down slightly differently. I grabbed the lazy spi sheet from the pole end at the front of the boat went back to the hatch and got control of the foot and took down the spi still from underneath the Genoa and to the leeward side of boat.

So my question really boils down to which clew is it best to start from when you take down you spi for this type of takedown. The clew at the pole end or the one flying off the sheet in the shroud area?

Cheers, Andrew

The clew at the sheet end, so your original method, is better. Several reasons....

1. Because at that size of boat you will be dip-pole gybing, so you as a dedicated and diligent bow team will have ensured that the lazy sheet is over the top of the pole ready for a possible gybe. So just grabbing it to pull will still leave it looped over the pole preventing you from pulling down. It's just got "risk of snafu" written all over it.
2. Because in order to do this you will need to ease the pole to the forestay before starting the drop, even in light winds, so you will loose drive from the kite ahead of the drop. Otherwise with the kite off the pole I would say you stood no chance of pulling a 45 footer's kite around the forestay when it's full in a decent breeze... And if you just smoke the guy out with you hanging onto the lazy sheet... Well, make sure you've got a go-pro running if you try that... Kite will end up well in front of the boat, and you'll probably run it over.
3. But with a conventional drop in light - medium winds you can leave the pole back until the halyard has been blown and still get the kite under control.

If you want to drop using that corner of the kite, then the way to go is a windward drop, clearing the pole out of the way and flying the kite off the 2 sheets, then easing leeward sheet whilst the bow team pull the guy into the hatch on the windward side of the boat.

 

[fobos8]

thanks Flaming.

On our boat we always do end to end gybes. In light of this do your recommendations still apply?

 

[flaming]

thanks Flaming.

On our boat we always do end to end gybes. In light of this do your recommendations still apply?

End for end on a 45 footer....!? What sort of boat is it?

 

[fobos8]

Its a 1944 International 8 metre

 

[flaming]

Its a 1944 International 8 metre

Ok... I think it still applies though, as the risk of a snafu seems too high to me. If you got it a bit wrong I can see the potential to pull the corner of the sail over the end of the pole, which is likely to result in sticking the pole through the kite.

I guess my main question to you on going away from decades of accepted best practice would be "what is it that you are hoping to improve by doing this?"

 

[Motor_Sailor]

. . . I guess my main question to you on going away from decades of accepted best practice would be "what is it that you are hoping to improve by doing this?"

My first thought.

 

[fobos8]

At the weekend we had very light airs, the lazy guy which I usually pull from to get the spi down was detached (to help the kite fly better).

Because of this I grabbed the lazy spi sheet from near the pole to get hold of the spi.

It just occurred to me what is best practice when taking a spi down - which clew to get hold of first, the one nearest the pole or the other one?

 

[flaming]

At the weekend we had very light airs, the lazy guy which I usually pull from to get the spi down was detached (to help the kite fly better).

Because of this I grabbed the lazy spi sheet from near the pole to get hold of the spi.

It just occurred to me what is best practice when taking a spi down - which clew to get hold of first, the one nearest the pole or the other one?

In very light winds just grab the working sheet. Or probably just the bottom of the sail.

Best practice in normal breeze for a standard leeward takedown is 100% the clew not on the pole.

 

[fobos8]

Okay - many thanks

Should we be looking at dip pole instead of end for end?

 

[flaming]

Okay - many thanks

Should we be looking at dip pole instead of end for end?

If end for end works for you then it's probably slightly faster, and the meter style yachts are not usual by modern standards in that they have comparatively small kites and very narrow bows... If it's working for you then keep doing it. If you're finding it very hard to get the pole gybed and back on the mast then consider it.

 

[fobos8]

Cheers - Its working well. We make sure that before we trip the pole that the lazy spi sheet gets loaded up to take the pressure off the active guy. The way its easy to get the pole off and round.

 

[Neil_Y]

On 3/4 tonners we would rig for light winds (when the weight of the guy and shackle became noticable) with thinner sheets and plastic snap shackle, running through tweekers (very small block on thin line) that could be pulled down to the rail when it became the guy. We had them rigged and could quickly change the sheet to a single much thinner rope. It made quite a difference.

 

[c.buck]

Hi guys

I sail on a 45ft yacht and am on the bow. In the past when we do a convention spi takedown (pull spi underneath the Genoa) I grab the lazy guy from around the shrouds area, get hold of the clew and proceed to pull on the foot and take down the spi. However at the weekend we tried taking the spi down slightly differently. I grabbed the lazy spi sheet from the pole end at the front of the boat went back to the hatch and got control of the foot and took down the spi still from underneath the Genoa and to the leeward side of boat.

So my question really boils down to which clew is it best to start from when you take down you spi for this type of takedown. The clew at the pole end or the one flying off the sheet in the shroud area?

Cheers, Andrew

It depends on so so much.
A) what side of the forestay you want the spinnaker to come down on so that it's ready and rigged for the next time.
B) whether you are taking it down on a reach or dead downwind
C) how capable your bow team is
D) There are more things to take into account...

I would however say, that it should always be easy, as long as you are pulling down a giant flag and not a spinnaker. Make sure that whichever end you are not holding on to, is blown loose in the wind. Then managing the halyard so it doesn't fill, and you've got it nailed! Good luck - videos here first?