SETTING THE CRUSING SPINNAKER

Prepare the Spinnaker just as you would a racing spinnaker in flakes or stops inside the turtle with the head tack & clew secured at the top. Leaving the Genoa set, bring the turtle on deck and secure the bottom of it to the rail, forward or to leeward of the Genoa. Run the tack pennant through its fair lead to a bow cleat. Run out the sheet to the lee quarter block outside the shrouds & Genoa sheet.

Connect the halliard to the head of the sail bringing it outside the Genoa and clear of the life lines. When the crew is ready and the helmsman is on a steady reach, release the tie holding the three corners in the turtle and hoist the sail smartly, trimming the sheet as you hoist. Be sure that there is a turn of the halliard on the winch at all times as the spinnaker is hoisted. When the spinnaker is fully hoisted, drop or roll up the Genoa so the spinnaker can draw and, with the boat on course, trim the spinnaker for the apparent wind angle.

TO TAKE DOWN THE CRUSING SPINNAKER WITHOUT A SOCK

Get the spinnaker halliard ready to run; flake it out in long flakes on deck making sure there are no tangles in it. If there is alot of wind attach a down haul line-to the clew to pull the clew inboard. Bear off to a run and pull the clew inboard behind the Main. This will cause the spinnaker to collapse behind the Main. As soon as the sail collapses, let the halliard run and pull the sail down onto the fore deck. If there is alot of wind, stuff the sail down the forward hatch and repack it below deck. The most critical person in these evolutions is the helmsman. If the helmsman maintains the correct steady course, the rest of the crew will have no trouble doing a set, jibe, or take down.