Third Spinnaker Handling Class

Well, yesterday was the third day of spinnaker handling class, and it was 1000% better than the last one! It was 65 degrees and sunny with about 5-6 knot winds—just about perfect for using a spinnaker.

Sandi dropped the class, so we invited Leslie's friend, Chris (KO), to join us, since he'd taken the class a few years ago and had done quite a bit of spinnaker sailing.

We packed about 6 chutes to take with us, so we could get a lot of practice raising and dousing without having to repack. Then we made our usual pilgrimage to Eric's Deli for lunch, and left the docks around 12:30 pm.

We motored up to the San Mateo Bridge and did a set. We each took turns doing an end-for-end gybe. We then practiced doing MOBs using a spinnaker. If you think MOBs are complicated with a main and a jib, try it with a spinnaker!

Next we practiced the 1-line and 2-line dip-pole-gybes. Then we rigged a symmetrical spinnaker as if it were an asymmetrical, so that we could practice doing inside and outside gybes. Everything went pretty well, and Leslie said we did a great job!

Finally, on our way home, we hoisted 2 spinnakers, side-by-side. It looked really weird, but we actually went pretty fast in the light wind that way! Leslie says there was some instructional justification for this. It demonstrated how we would use a blooper (or tall-boy) to balance the forces from a single symmetrical spinnaker (to reduce the chances of a windward broach).

Eventually, we realized we were going pretty slowly and it was getting dark and cold, so we fired up the engine and motored back down the channel. We had everything buttoned up on the boat before we reached the docks about 6 pm, so we just hosed down the boat and went home.

Thanks to Leslie Waters for all of these pictures and the additional pictures in my Picasa web album!