I'm planning to get started with some long distance races. Never really raced before. I only have a cruising spinnaker and no whisker pole. If I enter into the regular division I will be in the same group as people with a conventional spinnaker, pole, and all the lines. Seems like I would do poorly against such boats. Is that true?
Some races I'm looking at do not have a jib & main division. They might let me enter under my jib & main PHRF, but I suspect it will be a very lonely finish.
Any advice would be appreciated.
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Greg Jackson
SV Jacqui Marie
2004 C36, MKII
tall rig, wing keel,
There's no reason not to have a try with your cruising 'chute but my experience would certainly indicate you want a proper spinnaker pole at least, if not a conventional 'chute. You can use the cruising chute with a spin pole on the tack, it does involve a number of strings (3 on the tack and 2 on the clew) but this more or less the exact setup that was used on Maxi boats and TP52s until the bowsprit craze finally took over. GloryDaze uses asymmetrical spins (bigger than a cruising chute but the same idea) on a conventional pole and appears to do quite well.
If the breeze is up the white sails approach often does well too. Just pick your poison.
Jason V
Vancouver, BC, Canada