J-30 Spinnaker Sailing

Setting Up the Spinnaker Sheets

Take the spinnaker sheets out of the starboard rear compartment in the cockpit. The spinnaker sheets are thinner and longer than the jib sheets. Assuming the wind is coming from the port side, run the spinnaker sheet through the rear-most starboard side block. Hold on to one end. Run the other end forward through the next starboard block, and attach the end to a stanchion on the starboard side near the shroud. Run the spinnaker guy through the rear-most port side block. Cleat one end. Run the other end forward through the next port block, and continue forward around the outside of all stanchions. Continue to run it forward, around the bow, and then continue aft on the starboard side. Attach the end to a stanchion on the starboard side near the shroud, near where the sheet is attached.

Things should now look as in the diagram below.

Be sure that the guy and sheet, forward of the blocks, are outside all stanchions, shrouds, and lifelines.

Spinnaker Pole

The spinnaker pole on the J-30 is larger than on the J-24, but can still be lifted by one person in the same way as on the J-24. Always keep the jaws of the spinnaker pole up, as shown below. This will make it easy to un-hook from the guy when "tripping" the spinnaker pole (when jibing).

Let's assume the wind is coming from the port side (for starboard side case, just reverse all the sides). Note that the Spinnaker should not be set unless wind is aft of beam (it can be used on a beam reach, a broad reach, or a run, but not on a close reach or close hauled).

To set up the spinnaker pole:

Hook one end of the spinnaker pole to the mast
Hook the other end to the guy (on the port side)
Attach the foreguy to the bottom ring of the Spinnaker pole
Attach the topping lift to the top ring of the Spinnaker pole
Pull on the topping lift to raise the Spinnaker pole until it is horizontal

It should now look as in the diagram below (foreguy and topping lift aren't shown).

Setting the Spinnaker

To set the spinnaker:

Attach the spinnaker sail bag to the starboard side shroud (there are two hooks on the bag)
Attach spinnaker halyard to spinnaker head
Follow the red and green stripes along the spinnaker leeches from head to the clews, to make sure sail isn't tangled
Attach sheet and guy to spinnaker clews
Pull on spinnaker halyard to raise sail

The diagram below shows the spinnaker being raised.

The sail should come out of the bag smoothly. Trim the guy and the sheet as necessary. Let the sheet out until the port side of the spinnaker luffs, then trim it in. Be ready to let go of the sheet to avoid a broach.

Jibing and Tripping the Spinnaker Pole

To prepare for a jibe, the helmsman tells the bow man to "trip" the spinnaker pole. The bow man unhooks the spinnaker pole from the mast, and unhooks the guy. The helmsman does the jibe. This should put the spinnaker more to the other side of the boat. The bow man then hooks one end of the spinnaker pole to the new guy (previously the sheet), and hooks the other end to the mast.

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