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Learn how to fly a Spinnaker solo…
After many years of racing on other peoples and then my own boats with a full crew I moved to double-handed and then onto solo racing but I don’t accept going any slower than the fully crewed boats downwind. Over a couple of years I set out to learn and test the various skills and techniques of solo racing and cruising skippers to manage the spinnaker in all conditions from light airs up to stronger breeze and now feel confident to fly my symmetrical spinnakers in up to 25kts of true wind and occasionally more (although more can get a bit too exciting!)
In this video I show you what I find to be the best technique for launching, gybing and dropping a symmetrical spinnaker when solo sailing, I use much the same technique when sailing with an asymmetric kite.
Yes it may be a cruising Westerly Sealord I’m sailing in the video but I used this technique and process on my previous racier boat and it transfers to many other yachts.
I hope this gives you the encouragement to give it a try as spinnakers are nothing to be scared of with the right technique and provide fast, fun downwind sailing.
As part of my business I do provide own-boat tuition for couples and solo sailors to help with the various challenges that are to be faced, please feel free to contact me if interested.
George Isted
The Solent Boat Butler
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For my day-job I run a small business repairing, maintaining and refitting sailing boats (often contessa 32’s due to my long experience with them) I'm mostly in the central Solent area of the UK. Being a cruising and racing sailor with many thousands of inshore and offshore sea miles logged I like to think that I bring a great deal of real world experience to my work and help many new (and not so new) boat owners to improve and maintain their sailing boats. When I'm not fixing boats I also provide some own-boat sail training, help owners with deliveries and provide consultancy services to those that are refitting their own boats for cruising or racing.
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Disclaimer - I hope that viewers both enjoy and learn something from my videos but please remember to take the appropriate precautions for any DIY refit works you undertake with appropriate PPE and the correct tools for the job. If you are in any way unsure as to how to go about a project or are unsure if something on your boat is safe please consult a professional.
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Music credit - bensound.com