Chris Turner on his Spinnaker Handling Fit-Out….!!

A few days ago we published an item on our World Champions’ fit-out for spinnaker handling…. This is what Chris has to say about it:-

I have the kite cleat forward (same on Sake) so I can control the drop. Free’s Graham to have his head out of the boat. I pull the kite down, no need for a sock through the cockpit as you simply stuff the kite forward. After the first couple of pulls you are pulling on the sail itself anyway. Merlins, Scorpions and a lot of traditional UK Classes have this set up, it is nothing new.
Lead is where it is as there was no where else to put it! Handly you can put your toe under it on a windy reach too!
Got a few new ideas that will come for the Nationals…

Chris

 

Flying Fifteen – Spinnaker Chute Cover…

Many of the boats at our Club don’t bother with covers on their spinnaker chutes. At an inland club, we really don’t have the waves to merit it. We hope to soon be able to post a new video though where you can see a Fifteen in a seaway under spinnaker where the nose dives under water for quite a few seconds. Dragons have the same challenge… That’s when the chute cover comes in handy – so long as you remember to close it of course !!

Here is one on a P&B boat. Very tidy and it works. The control line emerges at the forward face of the cockpit for the crew to operate. You only have to yank about 18 inches of line of course, so there’s not much string to get in the way.