Symmetric pole systems

Tried single-ending our Laser 2 pole - great except that it made heavy weather gybes even more iffy.

I recall that a lot of the top L2's used to attach the uphaul to a bridle connected to each end of the pole. This clearly eliminated pole-bending - which is a major problem with the bendy L2 pole (we solved that by using a (strictly speaking illegal) 505 pole), I was never clear how they stowed the pole alongside the boom without clipping it to something at the mast end, unclipping again when hoisting, which would be a faff; also, the downhaul would need thinking about.

We tried the ramp and loop, but it is always necessary to make sure that the rope is in the ramp slot when pushing out, and it's sometimes reluctant to come out again when taking the pole in. Then again, sometimes it jumped out on its own - the loop has to be just right, then it wears through...

The original hook system was pretty unsatisfactory, though, and we ended up with Jim C's keyhole on the uphaul-downhaul arrangement, with a lump for it to butt up against in the middle of the pole (* we used a plastic bullseye fairlead for want of anything better). It's a great system if you just want to hoist or drop - you don't have to consider the uphaul-downhaul at all - just push the pole out or bring it in. To gybe, twist the pole to get the bullseye the other side of the keyhole, then push out, end for end.

On an earlier boat we had a sort of amalgam of the ramp and keyhole methods, wherein the keyhole fitting was held between two lumps (bullseyes) in the middle of the pole when deployed. This had the benefit that gybes were easier, but you had to twist the keyhole into/out of  place every hoist/drop. Overall worse than the simpler one-lump system.

As Jim says, it's not perfect, but the keyhole + one-lump is the best I've used.

I have to say I never had any trouble with the ramp engaging when the pole was deployed. And in spite of my own prejudices I have never had trouble with one releasing again on the retraction. Don;t want to be asking silly questions but did you mount the ramp on the top of the pole or the side, as they only really work if mounted on the side...

In my Scorpion days I successfully used a pole without a downhaul - but you had to have twinning lines and be very carefull to use them in a blow.  The great advantage of this system was that the pole could stow along the boom, on either side, and was prevented from flopping about by some strategic velcro. 

However now I sail a somewhat faster boat I can see thet this made the gybes a bit tricky because the pole had to be removed just before.  Now that I appreciate how speed through the gybe makes things easier I would use a system which allowed me to just gybe and then sort it all out afterwards. 

The L2 rules are very free when it comes to the uphaul-downhaul, which given the inadequacy of the pole is a real boon (I wonder if Vanguard L2 poles are any stiffer?).

Come to think of it, had we not been using a now-illegal, stiff 505 pole on the L2 (one of the top boys was allegedly using a J24 pole before the rules were tightened!), I'd maybe have persevered with the single-ended pole setup, which obviates pole bending.

Then again, as Redback points out, speed through the gybe is vital and for that the single-ender is a disaster, so perhaps the bridle-slung pole is the real answer - no bend and still a double-ended pole. Worth the fiddle at hoist & drop time, and the price you pay for Laser's under-speccing. Perhaps explains why the top boats were using bridles when the class was at its peak

Looks like the pole has been de-restricted, in which case my advice is to use the keyhole setup and if you find the pole too bendy buy a 505 pole.