Crew Organization for Spinnaker Hoists, Jibes, and Douses By Ullmans Sails

Getting Back to Basics
Crew Organization for Spinnaker Hoists, Jibes, and Douses
Wed, 7th Jan 2009
By Ullmans Sails

Read it here

http://www.ullmansailssandiego.com/sailing-news-san-diego-southern-california.php?news_id=54

I think this a very useful article from them, do visit their websites; Its along article which I am very tempted to break them into smaller post, Going to be very useful if we are to train up new crews. What is missing in from article is gybing an asymmetrical spinnaker with a dip pole setting.

Anyway, I particularly likes this point

Pit Person:

1. Ease the pole down to the bow, quickly and smoothly, using the topping lift/uphaul. DO NOT hit the bow person in the head! This might make them very upset and cause dissention.

It doesn't hurt when the adrenalin is pumping, the jibe need to be hoist ,spinnaker to be drop; but you will feel it during the upwind.

Sean

RSYC Platu Club Series

Last weekend, we were given an opportunity to sail on aili's platu for the club series. She had some homework to finish therefore yew, Pik yi and I decided to race her boat for her, we have with us also Michael, ai li's regular crew.

Wind was really soft on Sunday around 2 to 6 knots perhaps. First race we got into a good start and took the lead right from the start, we manage to leave Tom ( the series leader) behind, and then we left them even further after the windward mark, as the other platus seem to have problem hoisting their spinnaker in the light air ,for the record there were a total of 4 platu out on the water . We finished race 1 with a bullet.

Race 2, wind got even softer and showing sign of dying off, we were off to a good start again, manage about a boat length lead from the nearest boat ,Tom. But then in the last downwind back to the finishing line, we got complacent;

Pik yi was reminding us about how good the club's fried squid was and kept repeating that we must have some when we get back; and then that is when a puff of wind came from behind, and brought Tom, leveled with us, and with the momentum he gained, he took us on line. We finished second in Race 2

Oh well, the weather were nice for sailing as the sun was kind in the afternoon and it started to drizzle a little on our sail back ; we did have the fried squid; but it could have tasted a lot better if we had won both the races. It was a great light workout for yew and I after we have not sailed since Thai platu Open. Pictures to come once I get it from pik yi.

Sean

July 22nd 2009 another Tsunami

The email message have been circulating in the internet; just received 2 mail regarding it just this morning,

Anyway I hope this just a myth, as usual I will Google around to check the authenticity of it;
did not manage to find anything reliable yet;

But looking at the email, I really doubt the authenticity of it since there isn't any source,
so I am not buying it,

Phuket Race week Starts on the 22nd July, this may brings down my air fares.


Sean

Platu 25: Dropping the spinnaker

In a windward leeward race, we always do the windward drop, this is how I usually do it, drop the pole , have someone man pole , hoist the the front sail and take the spin clew from the man pole guy, jump into the front hatch , call for drop, collect everything, out of the hatch and hike out for mark rounding [really important] ; have a quick look through the sail ties/halyard, call all clear to the helmsman.

Some may have some concern about jumping into the hatch; this is actually the match racing styles, but the platu hatch may be a little small for guys with big frame; so another workaround would to have the pitman go into the boat; where the bowman pass the spinnaker to the pitman waiting inside the hatch and he does the collecting while the bowman fire the spinnaker instead.

Preparing the drop,
This is crucial for a successful drop, things to make sure before a drop will be the down haul,check if it is in the way of hoisting the front sail; but since we are dropping the pole 1st, this will not be an issue;

so another thing to make sure are the the front sail sheets, we are doing a windward drop and going for a port rounding; therefore is always a good habit to move the sheets to the start board side of the hatch.




Sean