What would work better on a reach...

[Judders]

It looks like a broad reach in very light airs this weekend. If there is enough W in the wind then we may well have the symetric kite up and the pole right forward... I wonder what would happen if I binned the pole and just tacked one clew down to the stemhead...

Has anyone ever tried it with a symetric kite? I feel that it should not work but I am not quite sure why.

 

[fireball]

for a start the tack would be too low ... so the sail would not set properly...

 

[europe172]

Try it, I have seen it work, it depends on so many factors you don't know until you give it a go /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[Judders]

Well one could use a strop, just as you do with an aysemetric.

Might be a good weekend for a play in light airs I guess.

 

[lw395]

It can work fine, but will be less stable than with the pole. The luff will also be down to leeward a bit so a little less effective area perhaps. Have done it while fixing the pole!

 

[bbg]

It can work, depanding on all kinds of things. But to answer the question in your title, the pole will almost certainly work better.

In fact it is fairly easy to try. Set up normally, but with an additional tack line led to the tack (obvious, really), then down through a block on the stemhead and back along the deck to the cockpit (a winch). Once the kite is up and flying on the pole, you can tension the tack line while slowly easing the guy. Reverse the process to go back on the pole.

Maybe a bit more work this time, but you'll be able to see how well each works.

 

[Martin999]

Can this work the other way round ie when dead downwind can you fly an asymetric like a symetrical on a pole?

 

[flaming]

[ QUOTE ]
Can this work the other way round ie when dead downwind can you fly an asymetric like a symetrical on a pole?

[/ QUOTE ]

Absolutely, and it's a good trick to sail deep with a cruising chute.

The anwer to the original question is the pole will be better. The look you really want is the leading edge vertical, or better yet rolling to windward. Achieve this by setting the pole low and easing as much sheet as possible.
With no pole you will just get the leading edge sagging to leward.

 

[Martin999]

When racing (eg RTIR) is it Ok to use the spinnaker pole with a cruising chute?

 

[Mulge]

Provided you've declared the cruising chute I think you can pretty much do what you like with it - but what goes for the RTIR might be much frowned on elsewhere. The only rule that seems to be followed invariably in the Day Glo Green class is that anything slightly out of the ordinary must not have been practiced before the day, but you should do a quick run through on the start line after the P signal of the previous class.

In case too many hardened RTIR racers frown on my happy go lucky regard for the rules I base my views (but not my race habits as the skipper is more principled than me) on an entry on the forum for the RTIR in 2007 when a poster boasted of passing many many yachts on the east side of the island to come third, simply by keeping close to the shore round Bembridge. Never did see any evidence that his prize was withdrawn on the basis that he failed to complete the course by not leaving the Bembridge Ledge mark to port.