subject: How to Gather your spinnaker equipment ? [print this page] How to Gather your spinnaker equipment ? How to Gather your spinnaker equipment ?
Now for the fun sail the spinnaker. Setting a spinnaker when going on a reach or downwind can be like lighting up the afterburners on a jet aircraft. Sailing with a spinnaker is fast, but because it's attached only at the corners, you can easily get into a love-hate relationship with this potentially unruly sail. Fortunately, you have this book, so get ready to love this big, fat, colorful, nylon parachute.
Before you can set a spinnaker, you need the following equipment.
Spinnaker pole: A lightweight pole that attaches to the mast and supports the tack of the spinnaker when set.
Topping lift (also called the pole lift or topper): Halyardlike control rope running from the mast, used to lift the outboard tip of the spinnaker pole into position.
Foreguy or downhaul: Rope coming from the foredeck area, used to keep the outboard tip of the spinnaker pole from lifting too high.
Spinnaker halyard: Rope used to hoist the spinnaker.
Spinnaker sheets: Control ropes on either side of the boat used to adjust the sail's angle of attack. When the spinnaker is flying, these sheets change their names the sheet on the windward side that goes through the fitting at the end of the spinnaker pole is called the guy or afterguy. The sheet on the leeward side is still the sheet. Of course, when you jibe, they swap names, because now the wind is blowing on the opposite side of the boat. The number of spinnaker sheets you use depends on the boat's deck layout, size, and jibing method. Some boats employ just one sheet per side while others use two sheets (a dedicated guy and sheet) on each side (lazy guy and sheet method).
