Sail Number of the Day

   I cannot recall if it was a rules requirement or not. At the time no-one had thought of any other way to do it! They weren't used for reaching, and I believe the idea of a pole was optional too. The crew just had a sheet in each hand..

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MerlinMags Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Admin Group Joined: 19 Mar 04 Location: UK, Guildford Online Status: Offline Posts: 589	Post Options Post Reply Quote MerlinMags Report Post Quote Reply Topic: Sail Number of the Day Posted: 01 Sep 14 at 10:31pm
	I cannot recall if it was a rules requirement or not. At the time no-one had thought of any other way to do it! They weren't used for reaching, and I believe the idea of a pole was optional too. The crew just had a sheet in each hand..

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 01 Sep 14 at 11:29pm
	No, that can't be right Mags, I've just been looking through a couple of Uffa's pre war books, and while there are precious few photographs of boats with spinnakers they all seem to be setting them outside the forestay: in front of me for instance is a nice photo of a line of 6 Metres and they are all reaching with the pole near the forestay while other shots show them running with the pole squared back and luff and leech clearly on opposite sides of the forestay. Edited by JimC - 01 Sep 14 at 11:29pm

MerlinMags Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Admin Group Joined: 19 Mar 04 Location: UK, Guildford Online Status: Offline Posts: 589	Post Options Post Reply Quote MerlinMags Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 02 Sep 14 at 1:32pm
	OK, so it must have been in the rules...in which case I wonder if it was down to the original idea behind the class which made sure women crews would be able to cope with sheet loads, thus encouraging equality and balance within the fleet.

Time Lord Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Far too distracted from work Joined: 03 Dec 13 Location: Warwickshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 301	Post Options Post Reply Quote Time Lord Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 02 Sep 14 at 1:50pm
	Mags. Possibly more to do with the Merlin's roots on the Thames where they sail strange courses? Wonder if Rockets had a similar restriction?
	Merlin Rocket 3609

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 02 Sep 14 at 1:58pm
	Its funny though because it wasn't just the Merlins, didn't the XOD notoriously retain that rule for a long time? Looking through the pre war Uffa books there's very little on spinnakers, but I found a set of rules for the International One Design, and it mentions that spinnakers may be carried around the forestay and sheeted outside the shrouds, which very strongly suggests in other classes that wasn't allowed... Edited by JimC - 02 Sep 14 at 2:00pm

SimonW Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Newbie Joined: 15 Dec 06 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 26	Post Options Post Reply Quote SimonW Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 02 Sep 14 at 2:22pm
	Setting the spinnaker inside the forestay is clearly spelled out in the Seabird Half Rater rules, which date from about 1890, although I don't know why it was that way in the first place.
	Simon Wilkins Once upon a time a Soling and Lark sailor

rogerd Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 25 May 04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 1076	Post Options Post Reply Quote rogerd Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 16 Sep 14 at 8:24pm
	Sorry a few days late

patj Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Really should get out more Joined: 16 Jul 04 Location: Wiltshire Online Status: Offline Posts: 643	Post Options Post Reply Quote patj Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 25 Sep 14 at 6:20am


Medway Maniac Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 13 May 05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 2788	Post Options Post Reply Quote Medway Maniac Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 25 Sep 14 at 10:25am
	There's the class responsible for me forgetting how to spell cygnet!
	Wilsonian SC 3000 Class

JimC Send Private Message Find Member's Posts Visit Member's Homepage Really should get out more Joined: 17 May 04 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 6662	Post Options Post Reply Quote JimC Report Post Quote Reply Posted: 25 Sep 14 at 10:36am
	Oh rotten 'ell, I forgot my own boat!!