Spinnaker Launch
Printed From: Laser 28 International Class Association
Category: Laser 28 General
Forum Name: Sailing
Forum Description: Everything on sailing the boat
URL: http://www.laser28.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=361
Printed Date: 05 May 2024 at 1:42pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 11.03 - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Spinnaker Launch
Posted By: jez rees
Subject: Spinnaker Launch
Date Posted: 02 November 2009 at 11:33am
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Flicking through the nice photos and video on the Club Voile et Regates de Magog website I see that top boat Colibri and others are using a bow launch.
On Farr Out, we're using a companion way bag and pre-feed prior to hoist - thinking that we don't want to lose the weight on the rail upwind re-packing, also we really don't need the weight on the bow of the bowman messing around downwind. What do people prefer? Colibri are obviously fast but I'm not sure whether the lake conditions make it different. Our last big broach was caused by weight on the bow unsticking our rudder in a gust.....if it's faster though we will change! |
Replies:
Posted By: murph
Date Posted: 16 November 2009 at 11:13pm
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Hi there, Many of us use the bow launch system, as it produces the quickest launch as well as allowing us the flexibility of doing jibe sets at a moments notice. We have hooks set up just inside the companion way, so we can always pack the spin from the top step and not have to send somebody down all the way inside on an upwind leg. When a boat has a lightweight crew, then the issue of sending them down below is negligible, so it really is a matter of choice. Cabin launches are fine, especially if you have a local sailmaker who can keep repairing the spin after it gets caught on a piece of rigging on the way around the whole rig as you are sneaking it up as you get to the weather mark....... There is no need to send the bow crew past the mast on the downwind leg, except to re-set the headsail in the Tuff Luff / Head foil, and that happens moments after your rounding. Our foredeck crew only ventures on the foredeck if the need arises, in other words if a major f** up occurs. Lots of different ways to get around the race course, which is one reason this is such an awesome sport.  What kind of conditions do you normally sail in? I am assuming you sail out on the ocean, so big swell, current, tides, all that stuff.... The Laser 28 is very tender, so yes you are right when you want to keep the weight off the bow in big wind and wave conditions. Conditions will dictate the best way to proceed, but you should try the bow launch, as it might come in handy some day....... Regards db |
Posted By: WJRyan
Date Posted: 17 November 2009 at 7:47am
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Curious about how you set up your cockpit so you can pack it, you mentioed hooks? Have any pics? Thanks, :)bill ------------- Bill Ryan, Room4Crew, #155 |
Posted By: jez rees
Date Posted: 17 November 2009 at 3:54pm
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Thanks for the info, confirms what I thought. There are plusses and minuses with everything. The companion way launch is useful for us but the pre-feed and lauch have to be quick and good. I sometimes sail on a Beneteau Figaro and this has a bow launch which I thought was done to make it easier single handed (hoist and then square back)and they tend to be going longer legs.
As for the set-up for the companion way, we have two light and taught lines running from the hatchway upto forward of the windows underneath the cabin top. The bags hook on this and can be pushed forward so you can get below. We quite often have two kites plugged in; heavy and medium or light and medium depending on the wind conditions. Although we mainly sail in quite a sheltered bay, (the venue for the 2012 olympics) we're quite often in waves and a lot of wind. It seems to have been howling for weeks here - 72knots in a gust on saturday. We raced on sunday when it was only gusting 30 odd! Check out the FarrOut blog for photos of too much weight on the bow in a lot of wind: http://farroutlaser28.blogspot.com/2009/10/how-to-get-your-gybe-wrong.html Cheers, Jez |
Posted By: khardy
Date Posted: 17 November 2009 at 5:14pm
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Interesting discussion.
I have a strong preference for launching out of the companionway. Fist, I don’t like having the chute up on the bow, nor the crew that has to put it there. We are very careful to run the sheets so the chute is on the correct side prior to the mark rounding. If we find we’re rigged for a bare-away set and we need to jibe set, we hook the sheets and halyard together and pull them around from the weather rail. You have to think ahead when you douse at the leeward mark – anticipating which side you will want the spinnaker on for the next downwind leg. This will dictate a leeward takedown or a windward takedown. But again, if the wind shifts you can always just hook the sheets and halyard together and pull them around. In three years of sailing this way I’ve never ripped a spinnaker. Occasionally the spinnaker gets stuck between the main and the stays but a quick tug on the mainsheet tackle usually clears this. Before I bought my L28 I was bow on a very competitive J-24 in one of the most competitive J-24 fleets (in the U.S. anyway.) All J-24’s launch from the companionway. The L28’s previous owner launched from the bow and I sailed that way for a month or two. I do not regret switching. Jez, thanks for the link to your exciting photos. |
Posted By: frfletch
Date Posted: 18 November 2009 at 3:16am
| I love it. On boats this size we launch from the leeward rail, under the mainsail, instead of the bow. Our experience is that we can actually hoist the kite before reaching the windward mark on a bare away set with minimum risk of it filling. At the mark, the guy is pulled in and we are away. From the bow the crew must wait longer to hoist because it will fill. Pros and cons of both, but we developed a preference for this way back on my 1/4 tonner years ago, and took it to the Laser. We pack down below or in the companionway depending on number of crew and conditions. |
Posted By: fatjohnz
Date Posted: 18 November 2009 at 10:25am
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Interesting info khardy, I'll have to do some research to completely understand how you are doing this companionway launch. The only time I've ever done it is as a windward launch on a smaller boat in light wind.
We've been doing most of our launches out of the forward hatch as a leeward set behind the jib. I like the pictures from Jez. Makes me want to ask, how many broaches would you work thru before you douse the spin? We've had some entertaining rides; broach, recover, broach, recover. john |
Posted By: jez rees
Date Posted: 18 November 2009 at 11:04am
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Just the one major broach will let them catch up from behind.... Since we fitted a decent (both sides of the cabin top) kicker and boomstrut, I think the broaches have become less!
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Posted By: khardy
Date Posted: 18 November 2009 at 11:52am
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A windward launch from the companionway? I’ve never tried this.
Also, I didn’t mention that the spinnaker is stored in a large square bag which hangs in the companionway. The four corners of the bag are clipped to lines which run fore and aft on each side of the companionway. The lines are attached to pad-eyes screwed into the underside of the coach-house. The bag is only 12” deep so the spinnaker is hanging close to the opening. This is the key to the system – it means the chute never has to be re-packed. It goes up, it comes down, and it goes up again. No packing or tape running necessary. The only time the sheets and halyard come off is if the spin ends up on the wrong side and we have to pull them around. With planning this doesn’t happen often though. |
Posted By: fatjohnz
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 2:29pm
| Jez,help me, I'm a rookie. How does a kicker/strut help w/ broaching? john |
Posted By: jez rees
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 3:37pm
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I suppose it's what you call in the states a vang, but I guess you know that. When she starts to go, i.e when the rudder starts to stall or even just on the gust, the pit will ease the kicker and de-power the main to put her back on the rails. We've installed a decent amount of purchase so that we can bring the boom up and down with ease and depower very quickly. There's also a Barton boomstrut to hold and spring the boom up.
It's not so often now that you hear the helm scream "KICKER!" as he's got the tiller pulled to his chest. |
Posted By: fatjohnz
Date Posted: 19 November 2009 at 4:26pm
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Ah yes, vang makes more sense to me. Do you let your boom go all the way to the shroud? I have a stopper in the main sheet to keep the boom off the shroud but I should probably put some more length so that the boom is just touching?
It *is* quite a crazy feeling when the rudder lets go and the stern goes into a power slide.john |
Posted By: WJRyan
Date Posted: 25 November 2009 at 7:28am
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Would you have any pictures of how you hang the bag? My visual skills are lacking for I just can't "see" how you do this! Thanks! :)bill ------------- Bill Ryan, Room4Crew, #155 |
Posted By: jez rees
Date Posted: 29 November 2009 at 7:53am
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Hi Bill,
I was down at the boat today and took a photo of the launch bag set-up. http://farroutlaser28.blogspot.com/2009/11/spi-bag-for-companion-way-launch.html Cheers, Jez |
Posted By: WJRyan
Date Posted: 30 November 2009 at 7:19am
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Thanks Jez! Certainly gives me something to thunk" upon! :)bill ------------- Bill Ryan, Room4Crew, #155 |
Posted By: khardy
Date Posted: 30 November 2009 at 10:23am
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That's basically what I have only I got the bag from APS at:
http://www.apsltd.com/c-2456-j24spinnakerpolesaccessories.aspx I has batten stock sowen into the top edges to keep it open. |