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Spinnaker Rigging Print E-mail
Written by Class Association   

Tack and Halyard 

To rig your spinnaker, first attach the tack to the tack line that comes out of the pole. Then attach the head to the spinnaker halyard and hoist a few feet. If you have a shackle on the halyard, tape it to prevent inadvertent release.

Sheet 

Then attach the spinnaker sheet. The mid point of the spinnaker sheet is attached to the clew, leaving the two ends to run out to the spinnaker blocks on either side of the boat. We recommend attaching a small pennant to the mid point of your spinnaker sheet (a small piece of line spliced through the sheet). Tie this to the spinnaker clew with a small bowline and tape the knot.  Eye splicing a small spectra pennant through the sheet ensures it doesn't snag on the head stay during jibes and douses. It is also faster and easier when rigging and de-rigging because you can leave the spinsheets in place. 

The alternative is a simple loop knot using the spinnaker sheet through the clew as shown (but note the size of the knot and you have to take the sheet all the way out of the blocks to untie the clew).

 

Retrieval Line 

Pull the spinnaker back on port side, and  run the retrieval line under the starboard spinnaker sheet.

The Inside Out retrieval line: Retrieval line goes from inside the spinnaker (starboard side)  through the lower grommet, then outside the spinnaker, then back in through the upper grommets. If you have a pair of upper grommets or a grommet on a tab, tie off the retrieval line with a long bowline (18 to 24 inches long). If you only have a single upper grommet, then tie a small stopper knot between the lower and upper about 18 inches below the knot you use to tie off the line to the upper grommet. The long bowline or the stopper knot will help pull in the lower part of the sail before it becomes bunched up with the upper grommet.

The Outside In retrieval line: Line goes under the foot of the spinnaker outside the sail (port side) , through the lower grommet, up inside the spinnaker, then ties off at the upper grommets in the same fashion as above.

The difference between Inside Out (the majority) and Outside In (a sizeable minority) seems very small. The latter claim it helps with leeward douses. The former claim it helps with windward douses.

Finally, pull the spinnaker into the spin sock using the retrieval line.

It's not a bad idea to label each corner of your spinnaker if your sailmaker has not done so (Tack, Head, and Clew).