kite deployment

[Matt Harden]

We are looking for tips and tricks to aid in getting our kite out quickly.  Our tack is getting jammed under the foot of the jib and against the forestay.  We have helped it out by tying a line from the forestay around the bowsprit and releasing the jib tensioners but are looking for the good stuff on getting this thing up and out quickly.  Millionaires tape? Lube?
I have one of the older Bennet boats and the tack line comes out the side of the sprit making a high angle thru a plastic grommet. 
Also, do you fully deploy the sprit and then raise or partial sprit raise and then full sprit?
Thanks

[Drew Harper]

Sorry, Matt. I'm no help on this as I have no time sailing on a Bennett. Can't imagine what's up. Never had this happen before.  There's some great posts on setting and dousing the kite on this forum.

[Jeff Jones]

Based on my experience, happens when you try to exend the pole before starting up with the halyard.  There's no difference between bennett's and rondar's in this respect, it's happened to me on both versions.

tell your halyard guy he needs to move faster, and the fella pulling the pole out to move just a little slower - until he sees the tack flop out of the launcher a bit.

Once you jam the tack under the clew of your jib you'll have to wait until the kite is almost all the way up before it free's.

Sorry you couldn't sail this weekend, but good seeing 25 back on the water.   Boat looks good - you need to get the bulb upgraded otherwise you're really not legal ;-)  It'll also keep the mast out of the mud.

[Peter Beardsley]

Are there results from Dallas posted anywhere?  Matt, welcome to the class.  Jeff's advice is spot on.  As for good hoisting / dousing threads, check out the following:

http://forum.viper640.org/index.php?topic=436.msg3275#msg3275
http://forum.viper640.org/index.php?topic=689.0
http://forum.viper640.org/index.php?topic=6.0
http://forum.viper640.org/index.php?topic=1015.0

Liberal McLube / liquid soap application to kite / launcher / sock (undo the bungee on the sock, turn it inside out and pull it out through the bow launcher to apply) will also go a long way.  Practice makes perfect too. 

[Jeff Jones]

https://www.regattatech.com/events/DCYC/LeukemiaCup12/scoring/showResultsRoster

Top three places turned out very tight.  

I was sailing with my wife and 12 year old - Mauri Pro led us by 1 point after the first day, monkey was hanging in there.   On Sunday we squeaked by monkey on the last leg of the first race for the win, Mauri finished 4th.  

Going into the last race Juan had to put a boat between us to win without letting monkey sneak past him.    The monkey jumped ahead on the first leg and extended the entire race, winning by a large margin.   We were right on Juan's heels going to the finish, with the next boat about 500 yards back.   Juan was kind enough to drop his spinnaker early take us head to wind just before we crossed the line in hopes that the 4th place boat would get between us.   After some shouting he conceded to let us finish.  

Forth was Farley F from Quantum - who sailed a very good regatta but had some bad luck.   He was much closer to the top few boats that the points show.

Matt's boat was sailed by a few of his buddies, they did a nice job in their first regatta.   Iain Case and Simon Thomas (102 and 103) are getting very quick and right with the pack for much of the race.   Those guys will be contending for a top spot soon.

Next stop, corpus.

[Justin Scott]

Love some of those boat names

"Circle of trust"  heh heh.

Are you in the circle of trust  jeff, because once you out, you're out and he will bring you down.

[Justin Scott]

For hoist.

It key to ease jib sheet as soon as you can crack off between pin and offset.

Pre feed a bit of hoist and tack. Pause. Hoist like crazy on the call "hoist" and pull pole at leisurely. make sure pole is fully out before sheeting in chute.

At least that what I think happens.

Really all that happens is I say "hoist" and the spiinnaker goes up.

[Luke Porter]

Really all that happens is I say "hoist" and the spiinnaker goes up.

Happens that way for me too but I also made a delrin donut to go around the forestay (thanks for the tip Lee). It keeps the tack ball away from the corner. Hard to say if it's made a huge difference yet, only used the kite twice since I put it on, but so far so good.

Luke.

[Jason Hyerstay]

We did my favorite spin move last year. We snapped the jib halyard at the end, tied on the spin halyard, and had to drop the jib for every spin hoist and then swap at the next mark. Finally some real foredeck work for the Viper! ;) Busy busy.

jason

[Drake Borer]

Luke, or Lee,  u got any pics of that fancy delrin ring?  Sounds handy!

[Luke Porter]

Luke, or Lee,  u got any pics of that fancy delrin ring?  Sounds handy!

I'll take some tomorrow.

[Luke Porter]

Luke, or Lee,  u got any pics of that fancy delrin ring?  Sounds handy!

I'll take some tomorrow.

Not overly good pictures but here you go. Sort of a rectangular donut with a diamond cutout for the forestay. Some dips sanded in to make jib shackle access easier although my guys seem to just push it up out of the way most of the time. No tack ball jams so far this year so I'm going to pretend it's the donut and not mere crew work.

Luke.

[Drake Borer]

Thanks for the pics Luke, looks good.  I'll have to have my handy local machine man (J.J.) see if he can make me one.  (That'll cost me some more beer)

[Col Delane]

Luke

How is this doomawacky kept in place?

[Luke Porter]

How is this doomawacky kept in place?

Gravity. The jib keeps it roughly in place but it can move around, which makes it easier to get to the jib shackle. I've seen the tack line go under it at times and it can spin right around but it still seems to work. No tack line jams so far this year.

Luke.