On Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:13:36 GMT, "Sir Thomas of Cannondale"
wrote:

But :: these are regular symetrical spinnakers. The kind that need pole,
guy, etc. Spinnaker track ..

I got thinking .. ?? What would happen if I just flew the spinnaker
without the "stuff".

It can be made to work under some conditions. Probably the easiest is
beam reaching in light to moderate conditions. If you have a
reasonably strong bow pulpit just attach a short piece of line or a
sail tie with a snap shackle on the free end. That becomes your
virtual pole, and the sheet is lead back aft to a turning block as you
normally would. This will give you a *big* increase in speed,
especially in light wind.

Broad reaching or dead down wind can be done also by just letting it
float out on its sheets (use very light lines for sheets). For
control purposes attach a slack line to one clew and lead it to a
block on the bow (that is your virtual down haul or foreguy). The big
risk running this way is getting the spinnaker wrapped around the
headstay which can be a really miserable experience. I once had to go
up the mast and cut a spinnaker down.

All of this is easier if you are used to flying a spinnaker the
conventional way and know some of the tricks of the trade in advance.

Have you considered getting a pole and snuffing sock? The pole helps
stabilize the chute when running, and the sock makes the sets and
takedowns relatively easy. Practice makes perfect, and consider
getting a tiller pilot if you don't already have one.