Sweeet!!!!!

cisco said...

Spinnaker flying is a buzz too.

Pick a spinnaker that has a flat cut if you are flying from a 40 footer or more.

Fit it with a sheet across the foot tied at 1.5 times the foot width with the tail coming back to the boat as a trip line.

Anchor from the stern, hoist the spinnaker about 3/4 up, jump in the drink and position yourself in the middle of the foot line, then fly.

You will need about 10 knots of breeze or more but 15 knots may be dangerous.

Bloody dangerous!!!

Here's me trying it about 20kg ago - I mean 20 years ago.....

Poods

Poodle said...

cisco said...

Spinnaker flying is a buzz too.

Pick a spinnaker that has a flat cut if you are flying from a 40 footer or more.

Fit it with a sheet across the foot tied at 1.5 times the foot width with the tail coming back to the boat as a trip line.

Anchor from the stern, hoist the spinnaker about 3/4 up, jump in the drink and position yourself in the middle of the foot line, then fly.

You will need about 10 knots of breeze or more but 15 knots may be dangerous.

Bloody dangerous!!!

Here's me trying it about 20kg ago - I mean 20 years ago.....

Poods

I have a similar photo of myself (not digital so can't post) in exactly the same stance as you poods except I was looking UP steering the sail. That too was about 20 years ago.

When I did look down I nearly crapped myself because I was 40 foot up in the air. The boat I was flying from was a Peterson 42 IOR 2 tonner.

If anybody is going to try this, it is essential that you have the trip line secured to the boat so that someone can get you back down by unbalancing the sail if it blows up suddenly.

Also never tie anything solid, like a bosun's chair into the line. It could knock your brains out.

What you can do by weight shifting is get the sail into rhythmic side to side oscillation which can be very exciting but remember to only have the sail hoisted about 2/3 to 3/4 up the pole or you will be flying too close to the boat.

We did it one Sunday arvo in the Mooloolaba River just across from the Wharf Tavern during the Sunday session and created a sensation. They were all yelling out "I wanna do that, I wanna do that!!!"

Also did it one day at the beach out the front of Mooloolaba with an onshore breeze when a surf carnival was on. We drew 7'2" and I think we had 12 to 15 foot of water just outside the break.

I didn't fly that day, leaving it to the others and I think I had the motor running the whole time just in case she started to drag into the beach. It was a gorgeous sunny day with the white sand, blue water and the many colours of flags, banners and bright costumes of people having a great day at the beach. The image is etched into my mind forever.

Ha! cool pic and a hot looking cat, Curved foils and flying a hull! ....No wasnt me.