On Sun, 07 Dec 2003 09:59:18 +1100, K Smith wrote:

Lloyd Sumpter wrote:
On Sat, 06 Dec 2003 14:42:44 +1100, K Smith wrote:


Lloyd Sumpter wrote:

Hi,
OK, here's a boating-related question (Most Rebs and Dems will have NO
IDEA what I'm talking about, but what the hell...):

What's the Story on Cruising Spinnakers (I like to call them "downwind
floppy genoas, because they act more like gennys than true spinnakers)? They
used to be All The Rage, now I rarely see one.

I'm getting a new genny for Far Cove in the near future, so was
wondering if a C.S. was worth the cost.

Yes we used to call then jenickers & they're good. On a previous boat I
was on we had one that came well past the aft lowers & almost to the aft
cockpit when sheeted on. It was cut very full, however it made down hill
passages much more enjoyable. Make sure you have the hardware to easily pole
it, some workable preventer & chafe protection (even for the spreaders because
you'll be surprised how well it works to windward in very light air).



Ah, yes: a pole. Hadn't thought of that. I had one on both my earlier boats,
but the shrouds on Far Cove are placed such that a whiskerpole is hard to set.
In very light air, I've been known to rig up the boathook from one of the
shrouds.


Needless to say they're a compromise for serious windward work but are
OK up to a close reach.

Rarely do cruising yachts, beat to windward for actual passage making
so their lack of on the wind performance is no biggy, besides you just spent
heats on that iron topsail for exactly that point of sailing:-)



Well, in the "protected waters" of Georgia Strait, I prefer to go upwind,
because:
1. There's often not a lot of wind, and although I can make 6+ knots on 7
knots of wind upwind, I don't make much more than 4 downwind.

I'm sure you know all about this but that 6 kts in 7 kts to windward is
an illusion?? Your VMG (Velocity made good) in those premises would be terrible,
indeed you'd get where you're going much quicker if you slowed the boat down.


No illusion. True, your actual tack angle may be closer to 60% than 30, but I
can DEFINITELY get to where I'm going faster upwind in light air than downwind!
Even more true if I'm not going "directly" upwind: note my downwind examples
have the wind at 160 deg. - the equivalent upwind would be 20 - one long tack
followed by a short one (or moter at that point) and I'm there.

Please stop posting the garbage at the end. You sometimes have interesting
things to say, but a few more of these posts and you're getting bozo'd.

Lloyd Sumpter
"Far Cove" Catalina 36