Asymmetrical vs.
Symmetrical Spinnakers
Added 03/05/2004
Hey all,
I was fortunate enough to have both an assymetrical and a symmetrical
spinnaker come with my 26mkII, but unfortunately I know little about
flying these sails. I started crewing on a J-35 working foredeck so
I'm learning a lot about the symmetrical and I'd like to start
playing around with the spinnakers on my own boat. I haven't used an
assymetrical before but I've been told that they don't use a pole and
just clip onto the bow like a jib, only on the outside of everything,
is this true? If so I'm thinking this might be an easier sail for me
to learn on, what do y'all think?
thanks again,
Brent
1970 26mkII #1234
Brent
I had an asymetric spinnaker made for my 45. It's a reaching chute. Unlike the
symetric, you don't pass the sail from side to side. It tacks to the bow of the
boat outside of everything. You need to have both of your spinnaker sheets twice
the length of your boat. So, each sheet needs to be able to reach from the cleat
or winch around the bow and most of the way back to the block on the opposite
side.
With this sail, you must let the trimmed sheet fly free while you sheet in on
the opposing side. The sail will fly forward of your bow until you trim it in.
UK sails has a CD that illustrates the use if the Asymetric. They call it the
"Flasher".
John
Brent
Maybe I should revise what I last said. I do have the UK Sails version, what
they call The Flasher. It is an asymmetric reaching spinnaker.
I have raced on the F27 Corsairs. They are equiped with the asymmetric. On the
Corsair the sail tacks to the bow sprit to get it away from the boat. The sprit
has a small degree of rotation that allows it to sit off the center line of the
boat. The process of turning is the same. Jibe and let the trim sheet free to
allow the sail to fly entirely forward of the boat.
Sheet in on the leeward side.
Brent,
I also had both types of spinnakers come with my 26MkII.
I have sailed both successfully on Fling.
The asymetrical design does clip onto a small bowsprit the previous owner put
on.
It is fairly easy to sail by myself...sort of handles like a really big genoa.
Not sure where you would clip it if there is no bowsprit ahead of the front
guardrail.
You can't go into the wind as much and the boat will really heel alot if you get
gusts. I have actually had that spinnaker up with my smallest jib at the same
time. It looks pretty cool but I don't know if the two headsails actually
made the boat go any faster. In light winds, the asymetrical does help to
give Fling about 1.5 knots faster than a 155 genoa...just not as close to the
wind. I use it all the time while cruising.
The other spinnaker requires the pole. I have sailed with this spinnaker
myself many times...but only with the help of autopilot. It does greatly
improve the downwind performance of the heavy 26MkII. I can often go for
miles at 6.0 - 6.5 with not alot of wind. It's a thrill. It is
however pretty dangerous if you have limited crew...it is easy to underestimate
the power of the wind when trying to swing the pole around or retrieve the sail.
Most boats (as you are learning on the J-35) use several people.
I just thought I would let you know it is possible to use both sails on the
26MkII with good success and limited crew. Have fun but be careful.
I practiced putting them up, moving the pole around, jibing, etc...all while
docked several times when there was zero wind before I ever tried it in wind
conditions out on the lake.
Ken Eubank
Fling Columbia 26MkII
Wisconsin.
Hey John,
Can you guide me through the rigging a bit? I've currently got
blocks on each side of the transom and winches just forward from
those and was under the impression that these were for spinnakers.
So do I connect both sheets to the clew of the sail, and when gybing
from starboard to port (windward side starboard to windward side
port) I would release the sheet on the port side all the way out of
the block and then sheetin in on the starboard side to bring the sail
across then recover the other sheet and re-run it to prepare for the
next gybe? Is that right? You refered to a winch or cleat around
the bow, what would it be used for (I know I'm not getting this all
the way yet).
Thanks!
Brent
Hey Ken,
Do you have any pictures of the bowspirit? Since this sail came with
the boat I'm assuming it was used on the boat so maybe they had
something rigged up? How do you have your sheets run? I have blocks
on my transom and winches just forward those, I was thinking my
sheets would run back there, does that sound right to you?
thanks,
Brent
Brent
The way that I have mine rigged:
1st I have the sail tacked through a block on my anchor platform. This will
allow me to adjust the height of the tack, thus allowing flattening or softening
the shape of the sail.
2nd, With an asymmetric sail, there is a cuff that shackles to the tack, wraps
the headstay or furling system and shackles back to the tack. This is the pivot
point of the asymmetric. This may be unique to the UK Flasher. The Cosrair on
which I raced had a bow sprit and no cuff.
3rd, I have two sheets, each double the length of my boat. Each sheets through
the blocks on either side of my transom and then back to my jib winches. Of
course, each has a stopper knot. Both sheets are tied to the clew of the sail.
When I gybe, from a starboard to a port, I'll release the port sheet and let the
spinnaker clew will fly forward of the bow, then scramble to take up the
starboard sheet. Take are that the free sheet does not fall under the boat,.
Most of the times when quick, the free sheet comes to rest across the headstay
and bow pulpit.
I just looked at this UK CD. It's very good. But, at 178mg, I can't email it.
I'll wager that the local UK sailmaker would gladly send you one, if you
expressed and interet in a Flasher.
John
John:
I bought a Doyle version of the same kind of sail. They call it the
Universal (Maybe it's Utility, I forget) Power Sail, or UPS. You can
use
it like a spinnaker, drifter/reache or a light-air genoa. It will sail
closer to the wind than most sails of it's type, Doyle says.
I got this sail at JSI's Flea Market last May. It was made for another
customer, but He didn't like the color -- it's kind of aqua blue-green -- so
he refused to take it. I got it pretty cheaply and they are cutting it down
a bit on the luff to fit my boat.
Apparently, this sail can be tacked like a genoa. Doyle sells a small
Harken roller furler which is used to tack this sail. You just roll it up
like a genoa, jibe or tack, then roll it out on the new jibe. I also got
thus furler cheap.
I haven't tried this setup yet. Doyle still has the sail. I had to
move
the headstay and the primary furler back a few holes on the stemhead fitting
so I could fit the UPS furler on it..Thern I had to measure the distance
from the upper swqivel to the top of the lower swivel on the UPS furler. I
took a really long time to get around to doing all this, so it's not
Doyle's fault. SHould be ready pretty soon. Now all I need are some snatch
blocks and lightweight sheets.
I'll let y'all know how it works out.
Steven Gaber
Sanderling, 1967 C-31 #77
Oldsmar, Florida
BRENT,
THIS IS A REAL LATE REPLY. I HAVEN'T HIT THE LIST FOR A WHILE. I
HAD AN ASYMMETRICAL SPINAKER FOR MY C-28. ITS ALWO KNOWN AS A CRUISING
SPINAKER. I GOT IT USED IN REALLY GOOD SHAPE. I ALSO GOT A BLOOPER
EXTEMELY CHEAP IN GREAT SHAPE. THEY MUST NOT BE USED MUCH. IT WAS
REALLY TOUGH TO HANDLE THAT ALONG WITH THE SPINAKER, BUT I DID MANAGE.
WHAT YOU'VE HEARD IS RIGHT. TACK IT AHEAD OF YOUR OTHER FORESAILS.
OR FLY IT WITH A PENNAT ON THE TACK OR ON A SHEET RUN THROUGH A PULLY ATTACH AT
THE SAME POINT. I THINK I USED 3/16" OR 1/4" FOR THE SHEETS, AND
YES YOU NEED TO HAVE THEM TWICE AS LONG AS YOUR BOAT. BEFORE YOU START THE
TACK, LET THE LEEWARD SHEET FLY. AS YOU COME ABOUT PULL IN ON THE OTHER
SHEET AND THEN MAKE FAST. YOU SHOULD HAVE
HE SHEETS FUNNING THROUGH A PULLY ATTACHED AS FAR BSTERN AS POSSIBLE, THUS THE
NEED FOR THE 2 BOAT-LENGTH REQUIREMENT.
OTHER THAN THAT YOU HANDLE IT LIKE A FORESAIL. IT CAN BE DONE
SINGLE-HANDED, AND IT CONTRIBUTES A LOT TO YOUR BOAT IN LIGHT AIR. THE
EXTRA LENGTH OF THE SHEET CAN BE A BOTHER, BUT MAKE SOME PLACE TO ROLL AND
STORE.
I ALSO GOT A USED DRIFTER AND IT WORKED PRETTY MUCH THE SAME AS THE CRUISING
SPIKAKER. WITH MY C-41, I THINK I WILL JUST FIND A DRIFTER AND USE IT.
IT YOU GET ONE WITH A LUFF WIRE, YOU CAN FLY IT FORM A FORWARD POINT OR BLOCK,
MUCH THE SAME, CLIPPING IT TO A FOREWARD STAY IMPROVED THE EFFICIENCY QUITE A
BIT. (I HAD INSTALLED AN EXTRA FORESTAY WITH A SMALL BOW SPRIT.)
LONG ANSWER AS WELL AS LATE. I CAN JUST TELL YOU THAT IT WAS FUN USING
BOTH THE CRUISING SPINAKER AND THE DRIFTER.
ART A