Finesse Spinnaker Operations
Initial Setup
- Spinnaker sheets are run outside everything, from aft blue blocks to
clip to the the pulpit.
For a port mark rounding and bear-away set, starboard sheet will
be the guy - put in red block, pull round forestay inside pulpit,
clip to port stanchion.
- Ensure spinnaker is packed. Seriously - "it's in the bag" is not enough.
- Tie sail ties to handrails above bunks ready for packing.
- Move halyards to sternmost holds of forward handrails;
tighten after half an hour (when they have stretched).
- Ensure that Richard is onboard. Help Marco onboard.
Sail Setup
(for a port mark rounding and bear-away set, opposites apply)
- Clip bag to port stanchion base and top lifeline aft of stanchion.
- Port sheet will be the sheet - over lifeline; clip to aft clew.
- Starboard sheet will be the guy - in red block, round forestay inside
pulpit, inside lifeline; clip to forward clew.
- Close bag!
Snug guy and sheet to ensure they don't get in the water.
- Take off pole; unwrap bridles by rolling pole.
- Put pole under jib sheets and rest in pulpit;
clip inboard jaw on port reaching strut ring, jaw up.
- Clip uphaul to its bridle aft of jib sheet, hook behind starboard
reaching strut ring, snug.
- Clip downhaul to its bridle.
- Clip port halyard to base of pulpit, outside jib sheet.
- When the jib is unfurled, put guy into outboard jaw, over furling line,
resting on furling drum.
On Final Tack
(for a mark rounding and a bear-away set)
- Release uphaul from behind reaching strut ring, away from mast.
- Clip inboard pole jaw on mast ring, jaw up.
- Lift pole at pulpit; loosen windward jib sheet and tighten uphaul;
snug downhaul.
- Take halyard from base of pulpit; clip to head and top lifeline above
the bag, forward of stanchion.
- Prefeed guy.
- Unclip vang from mast base.
- Unclip halyard from lifeline.
- On rounding mark, hoist fast and take two turns on winch, then cleat.
- Furl jib.
- (Pit crew) Bring board up, loosen backstay.
- Take bag below.
- Loosen outhaul and main halyard.
- Clip preventer to leeward stanchion base, under jib sheet.
Gybing
- (Mastman) Remove guy from red block.
- (Poleman) Unclip preventer and leave on center deck.
- Wait for boat to head downwind.
- Release downhaul about 2'.
- (Mastman) Take pole from mast ring and put (poleman) under jib sheet;
put old sheet in jaw (old sheet becomes new guy).
- Push pole (mastman) across and (poleman) forward, release old guy from
jaw (old guy becomes new sheet), drop off jib sheet, clip jaw on mast
ring.
- Snug downhaul.
- (Poleman) clip guy into red block, and
(mastman) clip preventer on leeward stanchion base under jib sheet.
Dowsing
- Tighten outhaul and main halyard.
- Clip vang to mast base.
- (Pit crew) Unfurl jib on same side as spinnaker, put board down,
tighten backstay.
- Let pole go forward, near forestay, without letting sail away from pole.
- Pull guy pin to release the sail.
- Pull spinnaker into cockpit and below, foot first, releasing halyard
as fast as the spinnaker can be pulled in; cleat halyard.
- Release uphaul to lower pole; remove pole from mast.
- With Advance Setup (for another set)
- Put pole under jib sheets and rest in pulpit;
clip inboard jaw on port reaching strut ring, jaw up.
- Hook uphaul behind starboard reaching strut ring, snug.
- Without Advance Setup
- Unclip downhaul from bridle.
- Unclip uphaul from bridle, clip to mast, and snug.
- Wrap bridles by rolling pole; return pole to deck mounts.
- Release guy from jaw and return to stanchion outside forestay.
- Return sheet to stanchion.
- Snug guy and sheet to ensure they don't get in the water.
- Return halyard to base of pulpit (around the outside, not under
forestay!) and tighten.
- Remove old guy from red block, put new guy into red block.
Packing (the magical Audrey way)
- Tie head on opposite sail tie.
- Sit with bag between legs.
- Follow edge from head to clew, pushing to side, and place clew
under stern.
- Follow foot to other clew, pushing into bag, and place other clew under
other stern.
- Follow other edge to head, pushing to other side.
- Pack into bag, foot first, tying head and clews at neck of bag.