Spi sheet, line selection for max comfort

Rolfe,

Measure the length you need and e-mail the length to my work e-mail address. I will put new sheet in sail panel package for you. Its a great spin sheet we use is very cheap and good on the hands.

Marcus

Without a doubt, any of the lines listed on this page:

http://www.layline.com/llf/cats/cord_05/Composite_gray.htm

Maffioli swiftcord first developed this line type and we've been using it on the spin sheet since we first used it in the Tybee 500 two years ago (I was crewing). It does wear more than standard lines but it's because it grips in the blocks so well. After four regattas and 523 miles (in the Tybee) our spin sheet showed a bit of wear from the ratchematics. However, your crew will never complain again.

X2

Maffioli

without a doubt.

Rolf
Does the T allow rachet blocks? can you use double rachets?
ie one at the aft point and one at the beam?

Bill

Bill, the Tornado class allow you to use whatever setup you like when it comes to sheeting and other controls. We already have one set of ratchets on the spi, and are thinking about adding another. Have not comitted to buying and testing that yet tough.
Current sheet is painful to trim in, so increased holding power/friction will not solve the problem. We will try the sheet Marcus uses first, and go for the Maffioli Swiftcord if Frode still objects
Got to take good care of excellent crews!

we even run four ratchematics on the F18 and definitely on the Nacra 20...it works great.

Awhile back when I crewed on a T in the New England 100 I felt the same pain. We added a second set of ratchets and it made the pain go away. The reason was I no longer had pressure on hands just keeping a set, so when I needed to trim my hands were more rested. Definitely helped. If your crew has hand problems, you might consider both a sheet upgrade and the second set of ratchets.

What is the diameter of the autoratchets you are using Jake?

(We have already blown one set of 57mm Harken ratchamatics, are talking with the importer about replacements now. )

I've also found that the right gloves make all the difference. If your gloves slip, then you have to wrap the sheet, or grip tighter just to hold it.

The blue latex "Atlas" gloves you can buy for like $6 at the hardware store work wonders for sheeting the spi or jumping a halyard. It really is like having a cleat for a hand. Only problem is that they wear out after one regatta.

At $6 a pair though you can afford to go through them.

Maugh, we are currently sailing with 5mm neoprene mittens

But I must confess, there is a certain amount of line wrapping going on.. Going to the hardware store tomorrow to look for "lookalikes" as I dont think they will have the same brands.

That white stuff you see on the mountains in the background is snow (picture is taken during a jibe, we are aft heavy and spi is not sheeted properly yet).

That is dedication! You must really, really, really like sailing!

Quote

That is dedication! You must really, really, really like sailing!

And I thought I was hyporthermic at Tradewinds! What was the temps? around 50's? plus the wind chill factor? maybe low 40's? and wet? I NEVER WANT TO BE THAT COLD AGAIN!

Yet these guys go out in snow, and others even have icing conditions on there boats!

Yeah - 57mm. The loads on the F18 are probably a bit less..but the I20 should be somewhat comparable to the T. I've never heard of reliability issues with the 57mm blocks on the 20s.

Harken totally redesigned the 57mm Rachamatic a few years ago. If you have the old ones they are pretty much crap. I wrote harken and they mailed me two new ones. I have four on my boat. I'll always have four on my boat. And the line that Jake mentions is the best.

Mike Hill
www.stlouiscats.com

Ok,
how 'bout some less expensive alternatives?
I use trophy braid and it seems to work pretty well. Under half the cost of anything on that page.

what dia. line?

3/8" or 7/16"

I use 3/8.

I just put on the Sampson Apex. I think we got the 3/8s. It was the same stuff that I gave all the crews at the Alter Cup in Long Beach. It is great!!! We were using the Maffoli Swiftcord before this installation and liked it a lot. It is a bit heavier and harder on the hands compared to the Sampson. The Sampson feels really nice and "tender" in the hands. Eileen gives it a two thumbs up. I have a tail of 1/8 inch Vectron, about 2 1/2 feet, that attaches to the spinnaker clew. The way I do that is to prepare a Vectron line with spliced loops at each end. One end gets shoved through the Apex, at the 1/2 way point, and looped the other is to attach to spinnaker. You put the loop through the clew and run the whole spin sheet throught the Vectron loop. I tie the spinnaker sheet together on the trampoline so it is really clean at the front for gybing. At the spinnaker ends, I have a loop on one end and a tail on the other made of the same 1/8 Vectron.

It may be expensive but my crew, Eileen, is really worth it!

Later,
Dan

do you have any pictures?

Mike,

the blocks we blew was indeed the old style non-adjustable 57mm ratchamatics.

We was guided to the scandinavian importer/distributer by the US guys. So far it has been slow going, but Harken US told us to get back to them if things did not work out. We are now giving the guys in Sweden some time to decide on what to do before we turn back to Harken US. It has soon been three weeks tough (including easter), so a reminder might be in place. Jibing the spi with ratchet block is not as easy as ratchamatics, not by far.. It also [censored] snuffing at times.

Having a pigtail for the spi-clew on the sheet is a very good idea. We tied in the spi with sheet ends at first, but jibing and handling became much easier after fastening a pigtail to the middle of the spi sheet and tying to the clew with the pigtail instead. We have used a 3mm spectra as pigtail for ages, and will duplicate this setup on the new sheet. We dont loop it like described tough, it's faster to let the sheet stay on the boat and just tie the pigtail to the clew with a bowline knot. Have not had any trouble with the knot..
I have seen some teams taper their sheets down to 3mm spectra line for the front part not going trough ratchets. I dont think I will go that far.

Thanks for all the tips guys! Will look seriously at adding another set of ratchamatics.

Robi. To avoid hypothermia, put something on your head! With sensible clothing and a bare head, about 90% of the heat you loose comes from the head/neck area. If you can, get a Lowe Alpine Mountain cap for those really cold days. You will not look back, I promise. If you still get cold, let me know and I'll send you a wool loose neck to wear together with the cap.

for some reason I am having a hard time visualizing what you are talking about with the pigtail. How do you attach both spin sheets to the pigtail or am I missing something?
do you splice one end of the vectron through the middle of the sheet- in the form of a T?

PTP: The way we have done it (and many other Tornado teams) is to push the pigtail trough the sheet a couple of times and stitch the end. The pigtails goes on the middle of the sheet, like a T as you say.
The ends of the sheet are threaded back trough the blocks and are tied together with a double fishknot . This knot just lies on the tramp, is inactive and out of the way.
I can make a small drawing if it is unclear, but you can see (barely) the pigtail and the sheet in this picture of an old Ullman 2001 spi.

Rolf,
I think I get it now. This works a lot better than tying the blind ends of the spin sheet to the clew? Does the weight savings help that much?
I wonder whether this would work with the trophy braid line- it doesn't have the tech core to it. I have plenty of extra 1/8 amsteel laying around

It works much better than tying the sheet ends to the clew. The main benefit is that the sheet/spi slides easier over the forestay when jibing, but it also makes the clew easier in really light winds. It also makes it easier to rig in my opinion.

You dont need a core to do this. Just push the end of the pigtail trough the sheet and around it a couple of times, tie it and stitch the end to the sheet.

Does this give you the idea?

Dan

Looks about like what I was thinking of.
Dan- after you do that do you stitch it in? If so, how? Like a whipping stitch or the through 3 times each side then tie off?

Ok, so I did it the way the picture shows- but what do you mean by doing this a couple times?