Check out these cool vids.
A Class with spinnaker – 15.7 MB
http:/
Texel (strap your self in) – 21MB
http:/
Wow! 7 seconds to fully retrieve the spinnaker solo. I love it!
Not too pop anybodies bubble but 7 seconds to retrieve a spi singlehandedly is not very special. Any practiced solo sailor that races his spi boat singlehandedly will achieve that with any decent snuffer. I mean how much room (time) you think you'll get at a crowded C-mark ? The really hard part is getting in and preparing for the douce when "starboard !" is unexpectedly called on you.
Wouter
Regarding the Marstrøm shell, read Gran Segel and the swedish 2004 Olympic Tornado teams opinion: http:/
It sure looks like a good idea, and I guess it have less windage, better weight distribution etc. but I think it's quite informative that no professional Tornado teams use it (as far as I know that is).
Those Swedes make some awesome videos.
-Rob V.
The snail works best on uni rigged boats where you can have the snail close to the mast. You get the weight close to the center of the boat and you "hide" the snail a bit from the wind when going upwind.
The Swedish Tornado team had the snail forward of the jib which gave them bad weight distribution and exposed the snail to undisturbed wind.
Check this link for more details on the spi installation on the A-cat.
http:/
/hakan
Not too pop anybodies bubble but 7 seconds to retrieve a spi singlehandedly is not very special. Any practiced solo sailor that races his spi boat singlehandedly will achieve that with any decent snuffer. I mean how much room (time) you think you'll get at a crowded C-mark ? The really hard part is getting in and preparing for the douce when "starboard !" is unexpectedly called on you.
Wouter
Agreed; in the lighter stuff I'm aiming for around 3-4 seconds from uncleat to gone. I've just got to find a way to pull the downhaul quicker !
in the texel vid at about 6:40 one of the cats is dragging a line... I don't figure it is on purpose, but these guys obviously know what they are doing. Do you think they were doing it on purpose? I guess, on further review it is the tiller- at least in one shot
That was not a line. That was a hiking stick. Because he is sitting on the deck and his crew is out on the wire, he drags it behind instead of risking hitting his crew with the stick.
It sure looks like a good idea, and I guess it have less windage, better weight distribution etc. but I think it's quite informative that no professional Tornado teams use it (as far as I know that is).
Snail snuffer is a lot like the tramp sock we use to run as far as when you launch, the tack has to travel and extra 2 + meters to get to the end of the bow sprit. For hoists and drops you have to run a lot squarer and slower than if you had a sock on the pole. This is not very quick on a 2 man boat where going in and coming out at hot angles is a distinked advantage.
However on a 1 man boat, you can not run the same angles and have to run square to drop to keep the boat in control. There for the snail snuffer does have it's advantages.
See attached pic of our old spinnaker launching system. Notice the opening of the sock in the port front corner of the tramp with a pink sock running diagnal under the tramp.