Inter-17 wants to rig for Hooter and Furler,.Advic

On my Taipan 4.9, which is very much like the Inter 17, I have rigged up the Hooter System.

I really like a number of things about the Hooter and the entire system:

1) It is a snap to furl and unfurl. Going around the weather mark I simply release the furler line and sheet into the marks I have on the sheet and start reading the telltales on the spinnaker (just like you would for a jib). No worry about the halyard being all the way up, or any other worries normally experienced with spin sets. And I don't have to worry which side I had doused -- I can do a set on either tack or even during the jibe.

When I need to furl, I head down a bit (just as you would for a normal spinnaker drop) and furl with one good yank.

I rig the furler system with a 1:2 retriever system (not 2:1, nor 1:1) which furls the sail twice as fast as if you were simply using the 1:1 (one line running from the furler drum to the *). Use small, strong line from the drum to a turning block and then back to deadend at the shackle below the drum. Then attach a bigger, more comfortable line to the turning block that leads through your cleat and to the *.

With the small line you would only bring in one foot of furlling line for every foot you pulled, and the line would have to be small, hard to handle, would tangle easy, and would cut your hands.

With the 1:2 furler line, you have bigger, softer, more comfortable, shorter line and for every foot you pull, two feet of furler will be pulled in. Much, much faster.

You need to give a pretty good tug to get it started, but once it starts it zips in to full furl.

I have been able to come into the C marks on starboard with all the rights (inside overlap and right to make a tactical mark rounding) and just as I enter the two-length zone, furl, jibe and come out close-hauled right next to the mark. Not many can do that with any kind of spinnaker setup.

2) The Hooter has been on the cutting edge of headsails for years, but traditionalist have clung to the big-shouldered cuts. But I have been able to beat around 90% of the standard spin boats. I grant you I was not in the lead all the time -- a lot of the time -- but not all the time. Then again I am almost 65 years old, too and sailing against a bunch of young hotdogs.

I simply do not think that the big shoulders on the spins are necessary and may well be more drag than power.

I think when we came upon the Wild Thing technique off the wind, we also discovered that the Hooter would be much better suited and much more controllable than standard spins.

Many don't concur, but look at what is happening to spinnakers everywhere (the I20, et al) -- they are opting for smaller, flatter spinnakers! Duh!

That is the basics. The setup is similar to the spinnaker except that for going upwind in light air, the pole needs to be more reinforced (the luff of the Hooter becomes the forestay). In light air I could outpoint stock boats and go faster until the wind got past single trap -- then there was just too much drag and too much power.

Here is a link to more stories about the Hooter and more informational links from there:

http://www.catsailor.com/update_hooter.html

And here is a picture of a Hooter on my Taipan 5.7

Let me know if you have any more questions.

Thanks,

Rick White

Yo Rick,

1. First of all,.I am extremely impressed that you are taking time to answer me.....thank you.

2. Considering my winds,...15 in summer,..20-ish all winter( with blasts),

...what sail size/shape would you design for me, the boat and the area?

3. Consider this also,....I would then race in Spin Cat class,..against five I-20's and a Hobie Fox. My # would be 107 to their 98......is this enough of a edge?

4. I am 48,..like a sane ride,....like my arms and legs where they are........

Advice please..!

regards,

Bruce Andryc

>>Consider this also,....I would then race in Spin Cat class,..against five I-20's and a Hobie Fox. My # would be 107 to their 98......is this enough of a edge?

Looks like your racing under Texel handicap or ISAF, both these systems have a girth rule with respect to headsails. Meaning that your hooter will be rated as a jib and not as a genaker. The hit you'll take now is more than just 3 points but somewhere in the order of 10 to 15 points !!! meaning you'll have to outsail I-20's and foxes outright and that won't happen single handed. Sorry

Wouter

Wouter,

Ouch,....how can this be?

find me a 'wrinkle'...

Bruce

Bruce - I used to have a P19 with reacher (not the official Hooter) in San Diego, and now have an I20. For living in the VI, especially, I would stick with a spinnaker rather than a roller-furled hooter. Reasons:

1. Sailing in 15-25, you'll have all the power you can handle on a reach, so the flat hooter will be useless on it's best point of sail. Forget about trying it upwind in 10+ knots (as Rick mentioned).

2. A furled headsail will cause more drag (a little) when not in use. This will be exacerbated in string winds like you have.

3. If sailing downwind in strong winds, you'll need to head deeper than usual to avoid capsize. A round-cut spinnaker can handle this deeper angle better than a flat-cut sail. For >20 conditions, I bet you'll go main-only even downwind just to survive.

4. I agree that unrolling a hooter is faster than hoisting a spinnaker, but it's not that big a deal compared to the other points #1 - #3.

5. I sailed the I 20 in 20-25 kts last March in San Diego Bay with 3 people (600 lbs) of crew weight. It worked well with 2 trapped and one sitting, and we really rocked downwind in the flat water (20-25 kts peak boatspeed in gusts). Even with the smaller I17 sail, you'll have plenty of power upwind or downwind. I think that the 15-20 kt range is probably the ideal windspeed for the I17 (plenty of power but still under control).

Sail fast and have fun,
Alan Thompson
I20 - San Diego

P.S. I visited St. Thomas in June a few years ago, and I'm envious about your sailing conditions!

Alan,

1. thanks for the info,....good story too about sailing the I 20 with 600 pounds,...that boat will take it too!

2. Wind is always on here, make no doubt.

3. come back for Rolex, BVI week,....there may be a !-20 available to rent!

regards,

Bruce ( still trying to figure it out)

St. Croix