I've never seen a snuffer type spin rig on a beach cat up close. The last few months I've been racing on a friends Farrier 28R trimaran that has an asymetric spinnaker flying off a bowspirit pole just like a lot of beach cats. These Tri's (as well as most other monohulls) don't usually use any special deployment or retrieval systems, other than a bag. I've been wondering why the Tri's don't run a snuffer type setup or even some kind of roller drum (like on the M20) to spool up the spinny. Is there a limit to the sail size for a snuffer or other device to work?
Any thoughts?
I think size would have something to do with it. Snuffers are pretty rough on the sail material, and the bigger the sail, the harder it would be to pull into the bag, making it even worse potentially.
Also, I think Snuffer systems were invented based on the necessity of removing the spin from the tramp. In effect, there are space issues with the smaller cats whereas theres not necessarily that limitation on the larger boats.
The 3 races I've been in on the F28R, we've had difficulty launching and then retreiving the spinny. Having a one line deploy/retreival like on beach cats would not only improve our racing but also make it great for single handed sailing. Right now it's a three person job (at least for us): One on the helm, one to release the halyard & tack lines and one of the wing net to gather the beast in (that's usually my job 
.
I think it was Bill Roberts who posted a copy of the original patent for the snuffer design, but it wasn't on a stick in front of a cat.
It was actually a funnel shaped tube glassed into the deck and a sock leading to the ****, of a monohull resembling a Flying Scot.
I would think that a high perfomance boat like a Farrier/F boat could install one like that and put it to good use.
Pulling down a spinnaker on a C28R is a bit exciting. You have lots of sail to keep on tramp and get stuffed before she washes overboard. Surprises happen. I usually bring it down and don't have much of a problem. You got to work fast and watch for problems. A week ago my sailing partner wanted to do the spinnaker drop duty. I agreed as it was only blowing 12 or so. I set him up great and started feeding the halyard when he got about 2/3 of the sailing on the tramp but didn't get it into the bag. Guess what. Over the side the sail goes. Now you have a problem. We cleaned it up after a few minutes and instead of going back to harbor we wanted to see if we did any damage. Sure enough we tore a panel.
Today my sail is at Calvert being fixed.
They make socks for big boats spinnakers. As long as you have them rigged correctly they work well. Cost about $300.
Mark,
But isn't the 'sock' you refer to the equivelent of a roller furling jib? i.e. the sock get's bunched up at the top of the mast and when it's time to bag the chute, you pull the sock down over the spin leaving everything attached?
mike
i sail a f-28R in australia caled scud,in your post you mentioned you had problems hoisting and retreving the kite so i thought i might give u some advise too pass on,
my spinnaker is lanched from the hatches on the side flots,i attached a bag(both floats)witch fits around the rim of the hatch (make shure there are no sharp eges)with prees studes so i can change it over too the other side, u can leave all the sheetes and halyrds on the spinaker and stick it in the hatch ,in it will always stay dry
advise about hosting have 1 man on the side the spinaker is been lanched holding it all togather,
first pull the tack out 1metere past the foward beam
then pull the head as fast as u posobaly can ,hen finish pulling the tack out.
also i have my sheets with abou 1-2meters slack during the hoist with 1 turn around the winch and then cleated in.
another thing are the cluches for the tack and halyard they tend too cloose on the way down,i change mine too the ronstan typ
the whole system works great with two people and even singel handed in 35+ (hapened a couple of times) 
ive watched other guys on f-28Rs down in aus with socks and bags on the tramp running it over ripping it ,and screaming at each other , actulery i saw 1 last weekend they ended up running on the rocks 
,but at the end of the day ous works best(and cheap)
any moore questions feel free to ask trough my email taipan029@aol.com
regards kurt
F-28R
aus 006
taipan4.9
aus 029
If one watched the Americas (LVRR) racing, you noticed that those BIG spins were indeed "snuffed" using a line attached both mid foot and head. Though not into a snuffer bag, the spin was able to be quickly dropped in the sewar and collapsed.
I crew on a F-27 and now an F-24, position is bowman. Snuffers are hard on spinnakers. On the F-24 we ease the sheet, grab the clew, ease the tack, ease the haylard. The key is to get it inside of you so the wind blows it back at you. I still haven't figured it out how some people can race the F-24 with only 2 people. any ideas? It gets real busy at the mark roundings. 