Hoisting the spinnaker from the cockpit

by Jack Hardie.

In the Nationals, a few years ago, we were the only crew hoisting the spinnaker from a bag on the bow. Everyone else was hoisting from the main hatch. Being ardent followers of fashion we soon followed suit. It’s faster on the drop, it allows the jobs to be shared out more easily and it keeps the weight off the bow. If nothing else, it’s a useful test of crewing ability—any crew who are fatally garrotted by tangled spinnaker sheets probably weren’t worth saving in any case.

If you haven’t tried the cockpit launch yet, then see below for one way to do it. There may be better ways but this seems to work.

Before you start, you’ll need a bag made to completely fill the main hatch when viewed from above. This is suspended on two horizontal shockcords or tight lines running fore and aft between bulkheads, so that the bag can be pushed forrard into the saloon when it’s not needed. You’ll also need to check that your spinnaker sheet, guy and halyard are long enough for when the spinnaker is stowed in its bag.

Normal hoist to leeward

H – helm, C – cockpit crew, M – middle crew, F – foredeck crew

H – Call for the pole.
- C – Free leeward tweaker (twinning line)
- M – Set pole height from rail (swivel cleat at foot of mast)
- F – Fit pole to guy and mast
H – Choose a line for the mark
- C – Feed spinnaker out of bag around the foresail and out to the pole end
- M – Keep weight on rail; pull guy thro’ pole end until spinnaker tack reaches the pole; pass guy to cockpit person.
- F – Set mainsail clew outhaul for the reach
H – Call for the hoist; start to bear away and ease mainsheet
- C – Trim sheet and guy
- M – Ease kicking strap; balance the boat
- F – Hoist quickly (spinnaker halyard exits and cleats at arms length above the deck on the starboard side of the mast).
H – Set the new course
- C – Trim sheet and guy
- M – Release foresail halyard
- F – Gather foresail and pull to the centre of the boat

Windward hoist

Harder, so plan ahead to avoid it if you can.

H – Steer as far downwind as conditions and competitors allow. Tell the middle person to go.
- C – Release leeward tweaker. Help to keep all lines free running.
- M – Remove the spinnaker from the bag and gather the whole lot in a bundle against your chest. Walk forward as far as you dare (not so far when it’s windy!), watching for lines snagging around winches etc.
H – Call the hoist
- C – Hold the guy
- M – Throw the spinnaker forrard and up around the forestay.
- F – Hoist—quickly!
H – Start to resume a proper course
- C – Set guy and then sheet
- M – Set pole height
- F – Fit the pole to the guy and the mast
H – Resume a proper course
- C – Trim sheet and guy
- M – Release foresail halyard
- F – Gather foresail and pull to the centre of the boat

Leeward drop

H – Line up the boat for a smooth rounding.
- C – Set foresail sheet roughly and cleat
- M – Hoist the foresail to a mark on the halyard
- F – Set mainsail clew outhaul for the next leg. Watch for snags as the foresail goes up.
H – Begin to round the mark
- C – Help the guy to run free.
- M – Grasp leeward spinnaker sheet forrard of the tweaker and walk back with it, pulling the spinnaker into the hatch.
- F – Take pole uphaul and halyard in hand and uncleat halyard. Pay out the halyard as fast as the middle person can handle it.
H – Luff onto the new course
- C – Set the genoa. Tidy the spinnaker lines
- M – Set the kicker. Sit out.
- F – As soon as the spinnaker is under control: drop the halyard; release the genoa skirt if it is caught on the rail and then stow the pole.

Windward drop (easier than it looks)

H – Line up the boat for a smooth rounding.
- C – Set foresail sheet roughly and cleat
- M – Hoist the foresail to a mark on the halyard
- F – Set mainsail clew outhaul for the next leg. Watch for snags as the foresail goes up.
H – Begin to round the mark
- C – Keep the spinnaker filling as long as possible
- M – Stand at the bow in light weather or near the windward shrouds in windy weather. Hold the guy out and up, as near to the spinnaker as possible (human spinnaker pole).
- F – Hold the pole in one hand and the uphaul in the other. Ease the uphaul to lower the outer end of the pole and release the jaw of the pole from the guy. Leave the pole in the dipped position.
H – Round up onto a proper course
- C – Help the spinnaker sheet to run free. Set the genoa.
- M – Walk back into the cockpit pulling the spinnaker after you and stowing it in the bag.
- F – Let the spinnaker halyard fly. Stow the pole and check the genoa skirt is ok.
H – Fine adjustment of course sailed and mainsheet.
- C – Tidy the spinnaker lines.
- M – Set the kicking strap. Sit out.
- F – Sit out.