Asymmetric Spinnaker (Kite) Control

A significant aspect of sailing shorthanded is developing practiced routines to control all sails. Asymmetric spinnakers (kites) need special attention because of their large surface area and power potential as well as the potential to wrap them around the forestay, or furled headsail.

I have found that it is best to write procedures for all aspects of my shorthanded sailing. Although, I have sailed for many years solo and doublehanded, I still refer to these cheat sheets. At the beginning of the season I review them, when new crew sail with me I require that they review the protocols. When I am offshore, I have electronic and laminated copies so that I can refer to them when I am tired. The last thing you want at 3am is a kite issue.

The protocols for shorthanded use of kites are very similar to fully crewed, except in three areas. First, you don’t have the luxury of each crew member taking one task, you must do it all. Second, when the kite is flying, I normally trim it a little tighter than I would when fully crewed. I don’t have the time or energy to constantly trim the kite. Always remember that it is important to both look after one’s fatigue level as well as the performance of the boat. If you try to make the boat perform at 100% it is possible that this will be too fatiguing for the sailor, and you will then sail with errors later or at dramatically reduced performance. I prefer to sail at 95% for longer periods of time. Third, when the wind is rising, I drop the kite and pack it sooner shorthanded than if fully crewed.  As many have said before it’s important not to screw up!

Hoist (raise, set) the kite

Beneath I list the sequence of events that I use on Fearless. They are similar on most small boats whether fully crewed or shorthanded. I provide my protocols and also provide links to videos available online. If you find other good resources, please let me know in the comments and we can provide links for others.

The first key step is to make sure that the kite is not twisted in the bag. To do so one “runs the tape”. From the clew (or tack) you run your fingers along the leech tape all the way to the head of the sail. If there is no twist proceed to run another tape, the foot for example. If two tapes are not twisted, then your kite is ready in the bag.

1.        Clip bag to lifeline

2.        Attach sheets to clew, or to the clew pendant

3.        Pass tackline under sheet and attach to tack

4.        Attach halyard to head but on inside of sheets for outside gybe, or outside for an inside gybe.

5.        Tighten tackline and make tack – feed tack out to the bow

6.        Pull sheet to bring clew to shrouds (cross sheet to cabin top winch)

7.        Hoist kite*

8.        Drop jib and clip to deck**

9.        Trim sheet and adjust course

10.  Immediately flake tackline and halyard in cockpit ready to drop the kite

*When I hoist the kite I either pull on the halyard in the cockpit or at the mast. Because of additional turns in blocks when pulling in the cockpit there is more resistance and it’s a harder and slower job. At the mast it’s a much faster process. On the mast I have a cam cleat that can be used to temporarily hold the halyard. Then I move to the cockpit and take in the spare line and hold the halyard in the cabin top clutch (and remove from the cam cleat).

**Note on Fearless the bowsprit is relatively short precluding the simultaneous use of a jib and kite, except at restricted wind angles. Therefore, I use the jib to block the wind from inflating the kite while it is raised. Then drop the jib and strap it to the floor with bungees that are attached to the deck. A padeye is attached to the deck astern of the forestay that is used to attach the tack of a spinnaker staysail. This staysail is raised using the jib halyard.

Dropping (dousing) the kite.

1.      Flake halyard and tack starting at bitter end (do not coil)

2.     Raise jib

3.     Sail downwind (but not dead downwind)

4.    Have 6ft halyard loose between winch and clutch

5.    Grab lazy sheet

6.    Open tack clutch

7.    Gather foot of kite

8.    When gathered, open halyard clutch and stuff kite down companionway

9.   Take halyard out of self tailing mechanism and leave a couple of turns on the winch

10.  Put sail down the companionway with a squirrel beneath (if doublehanded)

11.  Sail course, trim jib and main

12.  Restow sheets, tack and halyard

13.  Pack kite including checking tape

Packing the kite

Packing a kite shorthanded is more of a challenge as its also important to be able to keep a good lookout and to be ready to adjust course or sailtrim. To pack the kite I use a simple method of spreading the kite beneath decks with the head closets to the bow. Then making sure that the kite is not twisted I take the clew and tack to the cockpit where I have the bag prepared to pack the kite. Attach the tack and clew to the bag, gather the foot and stuff it into the bag. I then pull in the leech, the middle and luff of the kite and repeat this sequence until the head of the kite is ready to attach to the bag. It sounds easy. Actually it is with a little practice. Try it. Send a video of how it works for you.