[C320-list] Racing rigging

[DennyBrowne@Verizon.net]

A Cappella has a main halyard, two genoa halyards, two wing (spinnaker)
halyards, a pole lift, double ended mainsheet, double ended foreguy,
traveler lines, an outhaul, a main cunningham and a vang, all led to aft to
the cockpit. Gets a little busy around the companionway at the windward and
leeward marks, and inevitably, the main stops pulling as the trimmer/pit
person tails and eases halyards and the pole lift. Oh, and we have twings on
the spinnaker sheet that seem to get overlooked consistently amid the chaos,
resulting in considerable inward pressure being applied to the stanchions by
the afterguy.

 

I'm thinking of the following changes, and would appreciate feedback from
anyone who's tried any or all of this, just thinks it makes sense or thinks
I'm off my rocker:

 

.         Installing a pole lift cam cleat on the mast, where the mast or
bowman can tend the spinnaker pole without getting in the main trimmer's way

.         Adding rope clutches to the mast for both genoa halyards, and not
tailing them at all in the cockpit. I already have large cam cleats for the
spinnaker halyards, so they really don't need to be tailed for any reason
other than keeping the cabintop less covered with twisted lines. Avoiding
this mess at the expense of having the main work doesn't seem like a fair
tradeoff. Despite our habit, we really don't need to winch in a halyard
anyway, if we are rigorous about not trimming the sail until it's fully
raised.

.         Adding a Garhauer triple block with cam cleat atop the traveler
car, so the mainsheet doesn't require the cabintop winches at all. This will
provide 6 to 1 purchase, which may not be enough for the last foot, so a 4
to 1 tackle on the standing end of the mainsheet may be required as fine
tune.

.         Leading a double ended boom vang to a cabintop cam cleat outboard
of each cabintop winch. This, to provide easy access to the vang from either
rail, should it need to be released quickly in a broach. 

 

The idea of all this is to remove the need for two crew at the front of the
cockpit, banging into each other and not getting to all the stuff that needs
to be done. It would enable us to race with six crew (bowman, mast man,
mainsheet, two primary winch trimmers and a driver). If we only have five,
I'd do without the mast man, and with only four, I'd lose one of the
trimmers.

 

All thoughts are welcome, hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving!

 

Denny Browne

A Cappella #935

Redondo Beach