Rich Hampel wrote:
Tacking a large genoa though the 'slot' between forstay and jibstay is
a breeze if
1. the staysail is on a boom and able to be 'restrained' on the
traveller until the genoa goes 'around'
2. you use a tricing line - a line from the cockpit to a block at the
stemhead or bowsprit cranse then back to a 'patch' at about 70% LP
along the foot (or all the way to the clew) .... when needing to tack,
pull the tricing line and the clew of the genoa gets pulled forward
enough to 'bunch' the genoa so that it easily passes between the
forestay and jibstay. The AC boats of the 70s and 80s used tricing
lines on the large genoas to get the genoa around and across the large
baby stays used on these boats - just a large 'jerk' on the trice line
and the clew shoots forward, the sail bunches momentarily and falls
through the 'slot' .... works very well on a cutter rig with staysail.
Just use thin 'slippery' line .... or use the same line that you
already use for the tack line of an Asymmetrical Spinn.


Great idea. A tricing line. I'll try it!