| It seems to me that many sailors, particularly beginners, | | | | start, never, ever (to coin a phrase) fail to pull the |
| are quite frightened of sailing with a spinnaker. There's | | | | spinnaker halyard, and the spinnaker, right to the top of |
| no need to be. But there are some basic traps to be | | | | its hoist. The moment the spinnaker starts to sway |
| avoided. | | | | from side to side the forward drive of the boat is lost. |
| I have sailed in scores of ocean races, including 14 | | | | That's bad in its own right, but as I pointed out, that |
| Sydney to Hobarts, and the best way I can illustrate | | | | puts strains on the boat that are far too dangerous. |
| what I mean is to tell you about an incident when I | | | | For instance the steering comes under enormous |
| sailed as Navigator and local knowledge for a Russian | | | | pressure as the side of the boat starts to take control |
| crew. | | | | and the helmsman has to use all pressure to try to |
| They were from St Petersburg - and they were very | | | | counteract. If he fails the boat broaches, of course. |
| much the modern Russian, smart, self-assured and | | | | The choker, which I mentioned to the Russians, is |
| commercially aware. Though they were 20 years out | | | | another way of preventing the death rolls. It is a simple |
| of date in their sailing techniques they were almost | | | | arrangement which may be as basic as tying a line |
| arrogant in their belief that they were not. This was to | | | | over the sheet, tying a bowline in that line and pulling |
| lead to some firm discussions between us. | | | | the standing part through a block and to a winch so |
| We were running before a good hard northerly on the | | | | that the sheet is pulled down and in to the side of the |
| second day of the race. The wind had been blowing | | | | boat. On some boats a special open-sided block is |
| for some time so that the seas, even though they | | | | used which sits over the sheet and then goes through |
| were running with the current, had become significant | | | | another block in the same way. As tension is put on |
| although not big. | | | | the line, and the sheet pulled down again, the spinnaker |
| I pointed out to the skipper that the big spinnaker was | | | | is held firm and any tendency to roll is counteracted. |
| four or five feet from the top of its hoist, which | | | | While the main way to learn how to sail with |
| naturally was causing the boat to get into a heavy | | | | spinnakers in heavy weather is to practice, there are a |
| rolling pattern. Also the crew had not fitted a choker to | | | | couple of good basic rules to learn. In the first place |
| the sheet, which was not helping. | | | | always keep the boat under the spinnaker. This |
| At first he pretended not to hear me. Then he said, | | | | apparently silly little phrase is actually the best rule to |
| "This is not the Russian way." I insisted that not only | | | | know. It means that if the boat rolls to starboard steer |
| was this heavy rolling slowing the boat down but that | | | | 'under the spinnaker' to starboard and counteract the |
| there were very great pressures being put on the | | | | movement of the hull. By this I don't mean giving a big |
| mast. He insisted, still, that this was not the Russian | | | | swing on the wheel and making the boat turn to 45 |
| way. | | | | degrees. It is more a little kick. |
| I snappily replied he would lose the mast - but it was | | | | The next rule is to reef down. When the boat starts |
| no satisfaction to me when that happened only half an | | | | being hard-pressed when running it is because the |
| hour or so later. We were out of the race. | | | | pressure in the mainsail is trying to turn the boat to the |
| (By the way it is something to see when 12 fit strong | | | | side opposite the main. At its extreme the helmsman |
| young Russians, who don't have much money but a lot | | | | won't be able to counteract this and the boat will |
| of incentive, recover from a broken mast. They had | | | | broach. For this reason it is best to take a reef in the |
| the whole thing back on board within 2 minutes and | | | | main (not always easy when the sail is pressed |
| then had the problem of about 15 feet of overhang | | | | against the shrouds) but nevertheless take a slab out |
| bow and stern. It didn't matter much at the bow, but | | | | of the sail and so reduce the turning moment. Of |
| with the mast in the steep seas at the stern the | | | | course, in the end, no amount reefing is going to allow |
| helmsman had a struggle to counteract the sweep | | | | you to keep the spinnaker up. |
| effect. The mast was trying to steer the boat.) | | | | But all is not lost. Even without the spinnaker the boat |
| A better way to sail under spinnaker | | | | can be kept moving very fast and safe by using two |
| If that's the wrong way what is the right way? For a | | | | headsails. |