Spinnaker Help

I have a very specific question about launching the spinnaker. Do most folks use some sort of yarn to tie it together in a sausage (like on the AC boats)?

My prior boat was a San Juan 21. When launching the spinnaker we just did it, with one person on the halyard, and one hauling both sheets. I did not worry about getting overpowered by it because it was tiny (and I was chicken, I didn't fly it in too much wind!)

But I look at this masthead rig with what is to me a HUGE spinnaker (this is going to be fun!), and I am a little reluctant to treat it the same way I did my small one.

This is not a cruising spinnaker, and I have no sock for it. I could do that if necessary, but would prefer not to.

Please let me know how you do this.

Thanks.

Couple of thoughts.

You can get a product that I think is called a spinnaker gun. This is a plastic tube that you pull the spinnaker though, periodically sliding a rubber band off the tub and around the spinnaker. This will hold the chute in place while you hoist and get things ready... Your still left with the challenge of getting it down!

The ATN spinnaker sleeve seems like a pretty good way to go. There is also a product called the ATN tacker that allows you to fly a symetrical chute like an Asymetrical. This seems like a pretty nice way to fly the rig with out having to mess with the pole and all the other rigging... Particularly if your short handed. I haven't actually used this type of Rig, but am thinking of picking it up for shorthanded sailing. If anyone on the board has experience with this gear, comments would be welcomed.

regards and smooth sailing.

popping a chute

I've found the chute can be raised single handedly without rubber bands, etc., if you pre-set your pole and oversheet before you raise it. Of course it does have to be stuffed in the bag correctly to begin with.
I've always been a little leary of using rubber bands and having the chute open too violently when it's all the way up. Seems like a good way to prematurely stress the seems and put a tremendous initial load on the rig.

Spinnaker - Results

I tried Don's suggestion and all went well.

I tried this during one of our Friday nght Beer Can races, under conditions that were very light, and with a spinnaker that I think may be a little on the small side.

It went great. I basically did not sheet in hard on the leeward sheet, and let the sail flog quite a bit.

I ignored his suggestion to over sheet the pole, because where we are sailing the river is a little narrow, and we are on a broad reach under spinnaker going up the river. The first time around, the spinnaker ended up passing inside the forestay on the way up. Once I cleared up that nightmare, we tried leaving the pole way out against the headstay, not sheeting in the leeward sheet. Same concept as Don suggested, implemented slightly differently.

Thank you for your suggestions.