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Go Faster, Easier on Your Cat!
It's pretty cool watching those guys with spinnakers flying around the course, or blasting down the bay. Sort of makes you envious. But you know full well that this will not work out for you and your crew, right? After all, those guys are all Pros, with all kinds of expertise and experience on the fordeck. It takes lots of know-how to be sure the spinnaker doesn't snag going up for the set, or get an hourglass while jibing, or make a huge sea anchor when doing the take down.
You might turn to your crew and say something like, "Wow! Isn't that neat?" And you probably would get an immediate, "Forget it!" Have you ever noticed that there are very few male/female teams flying spinnakers? They are fast, but they are a lot of work and most certainly take a lot of experience.
There is a Better Mousetrap
In 1997 I made a big discovery. I happened on a sail concept that had some distinct advantages over the standard spinnaker -- it was much smaller and easier to handle, it could be furled rather than dropped and packed, and it was as fast or faster.
And, to my amazement, I was actually able to sail to windward in light winds. Not only was it faster than the stock boats around me, it also pointed higher. What a discovery!
Now you can stay up with and perhaps pass those big-boys and still have a happy crew. It is very easy to sail this new headsail that we have named the Hooter!
Picture yourself in a triangle race in your home pond. You have the Hooter furled out at the end of your carbon bowsprit before the start. Off you go, but you went to the wrong side of the course upwind and are mid-fleet around the weather mark. As you round the mark, you ease the main and jib, and release the furler line. The Hooter unrolls and you sheet in and off you go, passing most of the boats that rounded ahead of you to leeward -- you are going deeper and faster.
You arrive at the leeward pin in 2nd place behind one of the spinnaker-pro boats. They have overstood the mark and must head very deep to douse their spinnaker -- and they have it on the starboard side so the crew will packing the chute on the leeward side while going to weather.
Meanwhile, you simply head down for no more than a few seconds while the crew furls the Hooter, and then you enter wide, exit close for a beautiful mark rounding and the lead. The crew is already on the wire -- all high and dry and comfy. From there on you have the race in the bag (Whoops! Guess that is an expression the Spin Guys use -- we don't need no stinking bag.)
Check it Out
Wouldn't you like to gain those great speeds the spinnaker guys have,
plus add that same great speed upwind? And it can all be done easily,
without the hassle and problems of spinnakers requiring a professional
foredeck ape as crew.
Ever heard of a Hooter?
It is a great, new headsail that is as fast as a spinnaker downwind,
can go to weather in light air, and is all easily handled by roller
furling. It was featured in our December 97 Issue. To check it out,
click
here.