Asymmetric Spinnaker Help!
Printed From: Yachts and Yachting Online
Category: General
Forum Name: Repair & maintenance
Forum Discription: Questions & tips on the subject
URL: http://www.yachtsandyachting.com/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=6751
Printed Date: 15 May 25 at 3:47am
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 9.665y - http://www.webwizforums.com
Topic: Asymmetric Spinnaker Help!
Posted By: scrimbo
Subject: Asymmetric Spinnaker Help!
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 12:58pm
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Right guys...me and a friend have got hold of a nice cheap Laser 5K. We are fine with sailing it, and want to get into racing it more, with a bit of fine tuning needed, so therefore i put a few questions to all you other asymmetric sailors. How do you attach your spinnaker sheets? (i know there is the classic bowline, but with bagging the 5k spinnaker the knots get caught on the forestay) I have thought about splicing both ends of the sheet in various ways ( http://www.apsltd.com/images/CATEGORY/medium/1558.jpg - http://www.apsltd.com/images/CATEGORY/medium/1558.jpg or http://www.apsltd.com/images/CATEGORY/medium/1557.jpg - http://www.apsltd.com/images/CATEGORY/medium/1557.jpg ) or pulling out and stitching a loop of core in the middle. How strong would a stitched loop be (bearing in mind sheet loads on a 5 arent light)? Is Holmenkol sealnglide really worth it and make a difference? A whole £35 can will just about do a single spinnaker I believe? Cheers for your views guys
------------- Oli Scrimshaw RS600 49er 645 59 Grafham Water SC |
Replies:
Posted By: ham4sand
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 1:04pm
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find the middle of the sheet, make a bend, push this bend through the clew eye on the spinnasker, pull the rest of the sheet through the loop you have created, pull tight, feed the sheets through the various blocks, and tie the two ends together securely. that way the knot is IN the boat, not ON the spinnaker ------------- John Hamilton cherub 2645 - cheese before bedtime cherub 3209 - anatidaephobia laser 176847 - kiss this [FORSALE] |
Posted By: scrimbo
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 1:12pm
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Yeh, I thought about doing a larks head (or whatever you will call it) onto it, but im still concerned that this will get caught when pulling the kite down to windward, and also that i may never be able to undo it again after a big breeze. ------------- Oli Scrimshaw RS600 49er 645 59 Grafham Water SC |
Posted By: ellistine
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 1:31pm
We have it like that on our 4000. Never been a problem. ------------- |
Posted By: Neptune
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 1:33pm
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Does that mean that outings in your 600 are going to be
even rarer on the circuit now Oli? Mark RS600-963 |
Posted By: scrimbo
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 1:39pm
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haha, fair point, but hopefully not. Ive been away doing the heavy boat stuff so far, but im back now and hopefully will be getting back out there. I shall however be "playing" in the 5k at points. ------------- Oli Scrimshaw RS600 49er 645 59 Grafham Water SC |
Posted By: JimC
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 2:19pm
| run sheet through the clew eye and put a half hitch round the opposite sheet. Tape round and across the clew to make it even less snaggy. |
Posted By: alstorer
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 2:22pm
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We goa bit further- find the middle of the sheet, and pull a short section of the core out through the cover. Stich to hold this loop in place. Stick the loop through the eyelet, and put the tails through the loop. We have a webbing eye, which makes getting it undone a bit of a pain. ------------- -_ Al |
Posted By: scrimbo
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 2:36pm
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This is what I used to do, and how i do when i am setting a boat up for teaching, however i have had it pull through the clew, making it impossible to fly.
This is more along the lines of what i was thinking, but im worried the core may break the stitching and pull out a large length. Has no one any experience with Holmenkol or any similar products? ------------- Oli Scrimshaw RS600 49er 645 59 Grafham Water SC |
Posted By: marke
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 3:53pm
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Following what Al said - find the centre of the sheet; pull a bit of the core out and splice a thin piece of spectra (or similar) about 150mm long into the core. Push the core back into the outer to make it look neat. Attach the clew using the thin spectra - the sheet then has a smooth surface to go around the forestay on drops and gybes. Holmenkohl really works well on B14 kites - it doesn't recover the fresh crackly kite feel, but it does make the cloth shed water and very slippy around the forestay. I easily covered two kites with a single £30 bottle. I was very sceptical when I first tried it, but it is easy to apply, really works and lasts a long time - in fact my favourite kite is the oldest one I have - made good with holmenkohl. Expensive - but good value |
Posted By: simonrh
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 4:18pm
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Oli, Is it you I end up chatting to on Wednesday afternoons up there while messing with my Vortex? Just bought the 5K? Next time you are up have a look at the vortex kite sheets as they hang out from under the cover. It's not pretty but just dragged the core out in the middle of the sheet, stitched through the cover and put a thumb knot in it. Kite is then attached with a short Dynnema larks head loop. Hasn't failed yet. Pimp my MPS website is good for info. ------------- Vortex Asymmetric 1064 Dart 18 7118 Smartkat stunt sailor extraordinaire |
Posted By: scrimbo
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 4:41pm
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Many thanks! This what i like...a bit of boat pimping
Certainly wasnt me.... may well have been my helm Mark though. Ill find out if it was him and if so still take a glance at the sheets. Does it not worry you putting a thumb not in it as this then promotes it getting caught up? Cheers ------------- Oli Scrimshaw RS600 49er 645 59 Grafham Water SC |
Im thinking that the Holmenkohl may well be worth it, as it may give some life to our old old spinaker (with lots lots of patches) and save us the £700 of a new kite. Who would have thought sails for such a 'mature' class could be so expensive?Posted By: simonrh
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 4:51pm
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Must have too many 5ks now at Grafham then. The guy I was chatting has just bought his a couple of weeks back? never mind can never have too many boats. Looks a bit like this: http://www.mustoskiff.com/downloads/pimp-my-kite-sheet.pdf But rather than splice the narrow loop into the middle of the sheet as shown, I have just milked hte core through and put a little stopper in the end then stitched and whipped it to keep it from sliding around. Vortex is probably easier and safer as it has a chute and sheets are pretty much kept tight most of the time. ------------- Vortex Asymmetric 1064 Dart 18 7118 Smartkat stunt sailor extraordinaire |
Posted By: Flick-Flock
Date Posted: 20 May 10 at 8:59pm
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We just have the larks head on our 5k and its never caused us any problems (the problems are usually helm or crew related :D) We've also put some fabsil or some kind of waterproofer on the kite at the start of the season, and the kite does feel a bit nicer, especially after a swim. Another think we did this year thats really helped is lube up everything the pole touches on the way out and its made launching the pole much easier. Im sure someone who can stay drier in a 5k will have some better advice though. ------------- Swimming after Laser 5000 5069 |
Posted By: Rockhopper
Date Posted: 21 May 10 at 10:59am
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With all the fives i have had 5241,5272,5311 all we did was have the inner core pulled out and stiched making a very nice loop however on the last we a seperate piece made that was thread through the middle then stiched.If are having trouble getting it round the forestay it might be also cause you are not running deep enough to blow the kite round making it easier on the crew ------------- Retired now after 35 seasons in a row and time for a rest. 2004 national champ Laser5000 2007,2010,National Champ Rs Vareo |