SPINNAKER JIBES ON SALIENT

This document is adapted from a procedure developed and successfully used on String Theory in two Vic-Maui races and in various training races.  It has subsequently been adapted to support inshore round the buoys racing as well.   The purpose of this document is to provide a standard technique for jibing the symmetrical spinnakers on Salient keeping in mind the way the boat is rigged, safety and the conditions in which we will be sailing.
Before beginning to practice the steps below, we must mark the topping lift, both guys and both sheets. These marks will help us to accurately and quickly move the respective lines to their correct positions during a jibe, day or night. The pole car at the mast has already been marked with a white tape line.
• Mark topping lift so that the pit person can tell when the topping lift has been eased enough to pass through the fore-triangle with the pole car at the black band on the mast.
• Mark both guys and both sheets so that the trimmers can tell when a sheet or guy has been hardened sufficiently to bring the pole back nearly square.
The basic idea will be to control the spinnaker with its two sheets only while:
• The boat turns beneath the spinnaker and the spinnaker's orientation with respect to the rest of the world outside the boat remains constant. They key is to keep the spinnaker downwind of the boat.
• The main trimmer jibes the mainsail in a controlled manner.
• The old guy is tripped away from the pole, the pole is swung forward to the bowman, the bowman clips the new guy into the pole's jaws and the pole is brought back on the new jibe.
The entire jibe should take about 10 seconds. The spinnaker should remain full during the entire jibe.
​

Stage 1 - Set-up

Step	1-Helm	2-Floater	3-Main	4-Port Trim	5-STBD Trim	6-Pit	7-Mast	8-Bow
0	Calls for jibe					relays call for jibe to foredeck
1	Keeps the boat going fast, on course		Trims main using stbd. aft winch	Trims spin sheet using port aft winch	Controls guy using stbd. fwd. winch	Makes sure all lines are tidy and free to run	Makes sure pole is level for best trim	Makes sure lazy sheet is over end of pole and bow clear for jibe
2		Makes sure lazy guy is free to go fwd and loads guy on fwd port winch					Takes lazy guy fwd to Bow	Takes lazy Guy to pulpit and sets-up for jibe
3	ready	ready	ready	Ready	ready	ready	ready	ready

​Stage 2 - Entering the jibe

Step	1-Helm	2-Floater	3-Main	4-Port Trim	5-STBD Trim	6-Pit	7-Mast	8-Bow
4	Calls "Square Back" and starts to bear away	loads stbd. spin sheet on cabin top winch	centers traveler	Communicates with STBD trimmer and trims spin. as boat heads downwind	squares pole back and prepares to take stbd sheet when pole tripped.	relays "Square Back", eases the downhaul as pole is squared back
5	Calls "Trip" when far enough downwind	takes STBD guy from STBD trimmer	locks Stb main clutch. Clears main sheet off stbd. aft winch and loads port aft winch	responsible for calling trim of spinnaker and keeps Spin downwind of the boat	Takes up tension on STBD sheet and works with Port trimmer to trim spinnaker.		Trips the pole then raises mast end of pole to mast mark
6	Steers smoothly through jibe.	once STBD guy is off the pole and STBD sheet has control of the sail moves over to Port guy to be ready to take up tension	Centers main and eases vang if needed.	responsible for calling trim of spinnaker and keeps Spin downwind of the boat	works with Port trimmer to trim spinnaker.	lowers topping lift to mark after Mast Trips the Pole	Pushes pole forward to bow	watches for pole to come to him. Calls for assistance from Mast if needed.

​Step 3 - finish the jibe

Step	1-Helm	2-Floater	3-Main	4-Port Trimmer	5-STBD Trimmer	6-Pit	7-Mast	8-Bow
7	Steers smoothly through jibe.	Watches the Bow for the call "Made" and prepares to harden port guy.	Switches to port aft winch	Responsible for calling trim of spinnaker and keeps Spin downwind of the boat	works with Port trimmer to trim spinnaker.	relays any messages required to and from the Bow	Helps the old guy clear the pole jaw if need be, then helps the pole tip swig inboard to the bow	Clips the new guy into the pole jaw and pushes the pole to port, making sure the sheet is on top of the pole
8								Calls “Made”
9		Hardens new guy on port winch	Jibes the main and lets the sheet out on the new jibe	works with STBD trimmer to trim spinnaker.	takes over responsibility for calling trim of spinnaker and keeps Spin downwind of the boat	Hardens the topping lift to pre-jibe position	As soon as the pole is through the foretriangle and clear of lifelines and sail, bring the pole car down to the pre-jibe position

​Step 4 - up to Speed

Step	1-Helm	2-Floater	3-Main	4-Port Trimmer	5-STBD Trimmer	6-Pit	7-Mast	8-Bow
10	Holds boat on broad reach	Trims guy for coarse	Trims Main on Port Aft winch	cleans up Port spinnaker sheet	Trims Spinnaker and calls for pole set	Trims pole height to trimmers requests	Makes sure pole is level for best trim	Clears Bow
11	Heads up to proper coarse	Hands off to port trimmer	Trims main in coordination with how the helm feels	Trims guy to final coarse	Trims spinnaker	Cleans up lines and ensures pole height can be adjusted easily	Cleans up lines and works with Bowman to make sure port Sheet is over end of pole	Ensures port sheet is over the end of the pole and bow is clear for next manouver
12	Smiles and says "Great Jibe!". Keeps the boat going fast, on course	Moves back to propoer position for boat trim	Trims main using port aft winch	Trims spin sheet using stbd. cabin top winch	keeps weight balanced and helps port trim with griding as needed	Moves to position for boat trim	Moves to position for boat trim	Moves to position for boat trim

What IFS

What to do if things do not go according to plan? The maneuver is complex and it takes just one missed or mis-timed assignment to screw it up. However, if EVERYONE knows all the steps:

• Problems will be identified before they become serious
• Problems will be corrected quickly and efficiently
• Communication is key.  Keep talking with each other.

Some common problems, how to recognize them and how to recover if they occur:

• Lazy sheet is not "cowboyed" (over the tip of the pole) before the jibe. If this is not corrected before the lazy sheet is hardened in, the pole cannot be jibed.

Correcting the problem is a straightforward matter of having enough slack in the sheet and flicking it over the pole before twisting the remaining slack around the guy.

• Lazy guy is not free to go fwd.. Usually because it was not cleared after the previous jibe. 
  

Clear the lines and ensure at the end of the maneuver the boat is ready for the next maneuver. 

• Old sheet and new guy are tensioned too soon or old lazy sheet or guy is not loosened, preventing movement of the pole.
  

Trimmers need to communicate with each other and floater on sail trim.  Mast needs to communicate back to after guard that the pole has been tripped.

• Spinnaker gets an hourglass or starts to wrap around the forestay.

   o NEAREST FREE CREWMEMBER must IMMEDIATELY grab the clew of the sail and pull straight down.
   o Harden the foot of the spinnaker net if it is deployed.
   o Steer the boat up a few degrees so that the spinnaker is not blocked by the main.
   o Harden the sheet.
   o Maintain steady pressure on the clew; that will prevent the wrap from getting worse and will eventually reverse the wrap. Be careful to let go of the sail just before it fills.
   o If the problem persists, try lowering the halyard. If that does not help, turn the boat downwind and drop the spinnaker in the lee of the main.