Spinnakers are known for problems – they can quickly become overpowered, the sailboat can breech, or they are just a hassle to hoist. Regardless of the problem, there are really only three common mishaps – each of which can be avoided with a bit of prevention.
Here are the three most common spinnaker mistakes you should know about:
- Shrimping: When dousing the spinnaker the tack goes into the water, and now the crew must recover the lines typically from under the hull.
- Hourglass Twist: If the tack isn’t made fast enough and the clew is too loose, the spinnaker can twist into an hourglass shape.
- Wrap Around the Forestay: Just as the name says, but it happens as wind spinning in a vortex off the main twists the spinnaker around the forestay.