BTW, why would you have a whisker pole if you never race?

We use a whisker pole and don't race (technically)....it's really handy to
pole out the jib when you're on a beam reach in a following sea...then your
jib is always collapsing every time a swell hits a bit beamy...and it's
handy when flying wing=on=wing, especially when there's a bunch of motorboat
traffic....and you can use it to poke your husband at the helm when he's not
paying attention to what you're saying....
--
katysails
s/v Chanteuse
Kirie Elite 32
http://katysails.tripod.com

"Women and cats will do as they please, and men and dogs should relax
and get used to the idea." - Robert A. Heinlein