I've just recently bought a new Hobie Tiger. I noticed something strange about the spinnaker setup: With the stock spinnaker pole bridles the head of the spinnaker does not get right up to the pulley on the mast - even with the spin halyard tight. There is at around a foot long 'pigtail' of spinnaker halyard between the pulley and the head of the spinnaker.

I spoke with a local Tiger expert who said that a bunch of the boats at nationals were rigged like this. He used to lengthen the bridle lines to get rid of this 'pigtail', but has since changed his setup to match the fastest boats (which seems to be how the boat is rigged as stock on the 2005 models).

We can't figure out why this pigtail at the top of the chute adds any advantage. It seems like on a reach it lets the chute twist off to leeward which doesn't seem like a great idea.

Anyone care to explain the merits (or otherwise) of this system?

Chris.