Most sheets and guys go through a fairlead or turning block at the stern of the boat before running forward to the spinnaker. Spinnaker sheets and guys should be run before connecting to the spinnaker. You can bring the spinnaker bag up on deck for this, or leave it in the v-berth if there is a hatch suitable for pulling it through. This step can be done at the dock before leaving, or any time, as long as someone knows it has been properly packed. Leave that corner outside the bag, then start again at the head and run the other tape. If you find any twists or loops, work then out. Continue until you reach the next corner. Find the head of the sail, run it between your fingers down one edge of the sail (or the tape, referring to the thicker reinforcement on the edge), making sure there are no twists or loops. To launch a spinnaker from a bag without twists, someone needs to run the tapes when the spinnaker is packed. ('kite' or 'chute' are common nicknames for a spinnaker) Racers do things a little differently, but you will need to master a basic bareheaded set before you get too fancy. The jib is down, and you're ready to turn the boat down wind. Steps to Set itįor simplicity, we'll assume you’re out for a simple sail, not racing. The pole is trimmed lower in lighter air, though a detailed spinnaker trimming guide is outside the scope of this post. The topping lift and foreguy keep the pole in a level position, perpendicular to the water, and can be adjusted to match the car position. On the mast, there will be a pole car or ring with an attachment point which sets the inboard height of the pole. Most poles have a pole topping lift and a downhaul (also called a foreguy). Trim to keep the pole at a right angle to the wind. The spinnaker guy is used to control the position of the pole, and the angle of attack of the sail to the wind. Not all boats use separate sheets and guys, so there may not be a lazy guy/sheet.

The sheet on the windward side and the guy on the leeward side will be the lazy sheet and lazy guy. When the sail is set, the lines not under load are the lazy guy or sheet. The sheet is used to trim the sail as we adjust the pole with the guy. In either case, the guy connects to the sail, not the pole, and runs through the jaws of the pole. While the guy is a pole control, some boats use dedicated sheets and guys, while some use a single line that switches function between sheet and guy as the sail jibes from side to side. Spinnaker Controls and LinesĪ spinnaker connects the boat with a halyard at the head of the sail to hoist it, a sheet on the leeward side, and a guy on the windward side. In this article, we'll focus mainly on symmetrical spinnakers. Symmetrical sails aresailed deeper downwind with the poles, whereas asymmetrical spinnakers are better at reaching and sailing at higher angles, and are simpler to set and handle. The tack and leech of a symmetrical sail depends on which side the pole is on - the pole side is the tack. A symmetrical spinnaker has both sides the same length and requires a pole to position. An asymmetrical spinnaker has a tack and a distinct leech. The symmetry refers to the length of the sides of the sails. Spinnaker come in two types: symmetrical and asymmetrical. There's a little more to it (of course), and each step has a few things to get right. You may have a few more lines, but the general process is: prep the spinnaker, connect the lines to the sail, hoist the pole on the windward side, then hoist and trim the sail. It seems daunting, but the principles of setting a symmetrical spinnaker are the same whether you're on a 420 dinghy or a fifty foot racer.

Set the pole by putting the sheets and guys in the pole's jaws.

Attach the halyard to the head, make sure it is outside the headstay.

Run your spinnaker sheets and guys before attaching to tack and clew.

Prepare the kite by finding the corner and making sure the sail isn't twisted.How do you rig, set up and hoist a spinnaker? Wouldn't it be nice to break that sail out of the bag for the ride back down wind? You're sailing upwind, and all around you colorful spinnakers fill and flutter as boats sail the other way.

Tack and clew