505 Crivello launcher - Zack Marks

(aka single pole double launcher line system)

This past Midwinters Andrew Jones and I decided to try out a new spinnaker pole system. Gonzalo Crivello our sailing team coach inspired the idea and helped implement it. The system is simple. It is just like the double pole system except that two launcher lines go through one pole. Two blocks hanging on the mast launch the pole rather than the traditional ball and spiro. The lazy guy system is still used.

I really liked this system because it allowed us to get all the benefits of a double pole with minimal modification. The only things that we needed to add were two harken 150 aluminum cam cleats, two deck blocks, a new outboard fitting for the pole, two launcher lines (27 ft of 5mm FSE robline was my choice but anything that can be tapered will do), two metal rings, and two hanging blocks on the mast rather than a spiro. Before we began drilling we made sure to consult our friendly North Sails representatives to confirm that we were on track. Ethan and Lin assured us that it could be done and that was all the confidence we needed.

We started by drilling and installing the deck blocks and the cam cleats. We made sure to place a section of G-10 behind the cleats and blocks to act as a backing plate. We then removed our old single spiro (we tried running both lines through it and it didn’t work) and attached a double spiro part borrowed from Ethan. We removed the block on the side of the fitting before attaching it in order to hang our new blocks. This fitting was used simply to hang two blocks from the mast. Anything that you can use to achieve the same effect will be fine. For a new outboard fitting Ethan gave me the number of a local machine shop guy who was able to create some custom delrin fittings. I thought that I knew what I wanted but it wasn’t quite right, more on this later. After this we tapered the launcher lines spliced the rings to the outboard ends and ran them through the pole and the cleats. We were able to finish this about 2 months before midwinters so we had plenty of time to practice. We discovered a few things.

Gybes were very quick. As I said before, we got pretty much all of the benefits of a double pole without the second pole, second topping lift and downhaul. The difference was that because we launched the pole with just blocks rather than a spiro the load of the pole that is usually on the mast was transferred to the deck block, hence the G-10 backing plate. This also makes it a little more difficult to release the pole because it is so loaded up. The good side is that once it is uncleated the pole retracts with no hesitation. Also with no spiro you lose a little bit of effective length on the pole. Another issue was that we did not place the inhaul bungee at the very end of the pole. This allowed the launcher lines to twist around the back of the pole.

In light air, when retracting the pole, sometimes the ring would continue to pull the spinnaker in rather than let it float out. This would make the spinnaker collapse. Other than eliminating as much friction as possible I am not sure of a way around this. The final issue that needs to be resolved is my outboard pole fitting. I got a delrin fitting made, but I did not place a metal ring internally to prevent the fitting from wearing down. Also the rings that I used on the launcher lines were a little bit big. This resulted in the fitting getting transformed a bit such that the ring would kind of sit in the fitting. This was bad because the ring could not spin. Occasionally the ring would be stuck in the middle of the lazy guy and I could not launch the pole anymore or push the pole forward. A better end fitting should solve this issue.

The system worked well at the event. We only had one gybe wipeout and that was because the pole retracted into the vang. I think that with some more modifications to fix the previously mentioned bugs it will work better. Overall we had a great time at midwinters. Everyone should make it down to sail off of sunny Pass-a-Grille beach next year!

Pole Talk

With winter only stubbornly fading away in northern climates, pre-season rigging time is at a premium.

Tank Talk is going to feature a series of articles on all things spinnaker pole. Hopefully, some of this information will speed up double pole conversions for those looking to make the change before the sailing season.

Lastly, we'll have a look at the future of spinnaker poles in the class and if in fact we should secure them to the hull instead of the spars.

2011 505 Midwinter Championship - Chris Brady

The last weekend of February saw 505s and Contenders converge on sunny St. Pete Beach for the 2011 Midwinter Championship. For the 505s it was a shift in venue from Fort Desoto to a site that was centralized and included tight fitting suits not worn by folks named Meller or Falsone. For the Contenders, this was a preview of the upcoming April 2012 World Championships that will sail out of one of St. Pete Beach's many resorts. With Denmark's Soren Andreasen in the Contender fleet, it was also an opportunity to see some of the talent that will hopefully be attending the event.

Friday's sailing saw five races in 12-15 knots. Each race favored the left side of the course for more pressure, meaning that starts and holding your lane were essential. The team of Diaz/Bourdow found lanes in each start, found their settings, and put their bow down for five bullets. Keeping pace were Bixby/Brady and Nelson/Barclay with a strong early showing from Wyles/Dunn. After a tough start, Robson/themantheycallClayton James finished Friday with two strong races. In the debrief, Steve and Augie talked about finding a compromise between sailing too low upwind and having the boat feel bound-up. The consensus seemed to be that bound-up is a never, but that if it feels too good...it is...and you're reaching. Adjustments that were discussed included rake (different across the fleet), ram down, and board height. Downwind, boats wire ran into the beach for pressure, and skippers and crews had to work together to continue to pass waves. This meant avoiding the backs of waves and walking forward on the wire to initiate surfing. The Contenders also saw a dominant performance from Andreasen. Ben Moon jumped between Soren and the Canadians for a string of seconds.

 Saturday's sailing was light, but the breeze was consistent enough to get another four races in for the 505s. Again, the left side of the course paid in terms of pressure, and holding your lane after the start dictated who rounded in the top three. With the pressure coming off the beach, the sit run was a test of nerves as sailors risked sailing off the course or losing the inside to stay in the pressure. Working the waves was still possible, and skippers and crews had to work together to find waves to surf while maintaining pressure in the sails. Diaz/Bourdow were once again dominant and Steve, Augie, and Ethan later talked about the the crew dictating the angles downwind until a tactical situation dictates otherwise. Bixby/Brady and Nelson/Barclay also had strong days with 8722 nearly taking a bullet from Steve and Augie. Dohan/Beardslee got back on the water after a string of DNCs and had three strong races. "The Boys", Marks/Jones and Thompson/Turner were both fast but were forced to drop an OCS each at the end of the day. Brooklyn's finest, Deinhardt/Schluter sailed a strong last race of the day. The Contenders also saw another dominating performance from Soren, but also got Gil Woolley back after a day one breakdown. Saturday ended with a wonderful dinner in Pass-A-Grille and all the usual regatta talk including gun control, Egypt, yoga, and new 505 nicknames. Mr. Barclay has firmly rejected "chicken fingers" as it doesn't quite work with "the professor". 

Sunday started interestingly as a bewildered Contender sailor found his boat in knee-high water while still tied to the dolly. After carefully recounting his evening, including contacting witnesses, Mr. Moon upgraded his initial plea of "no contest" to a firm "not guilty". No harm was done and both fleets got off the beach in more breeze than had been forecasted. After one light race that saw Diaz/Bourdow and Soren finish their string of bullets, the RC wisely sent the sailors into the beach. The Longs sailed their strongest race with a third followed closely by fellow Fleet 13 sailors Thompson/Turner.

Quick Notes:

1. The venue shift was an upgrade. There was more breeze than in the bay, the crews could walk to a deli, and housing could be had in walking distance of the beach.

2. Having Steve Bourdow at the regatta was great, and there should be a push to encourage more wrong coasters to come out for the event next year.

3. To say New England wasn't properly represented would be an understatement.

4. Your humble author is of the belief that a jibing board is awesome, except for when you can't stop it from jibing. Ethan's got a good jibe stopper, and I am of the belief that it makes a huge difference when wire running in 13 knots with the board pretty far down.

5. Big thanks for the great RC work! Nine races in two days was a great way to start the regatta, pulling the plug on Sunday was a great call.

6. Big thanks to Ethan and Lin for organizing the event, SPYC for hosting it, and Trudy for housing a portion of it!

7. Next up: Dave and Jay host the 505s in sunny North Carolina the first weekend in April. Three committed Chicago boats with 12+ committed already! Get on it!

Congratulations to Augie and Steve on a convincing win!

Final Results can be found here.

Road to the 2010 Worlds - Ted Conrads

This past summer Brian Haines and I traveled to Aarhus, Denmark to compete in the SAP 2010 505 World Championship. Much to our surprise, we were able to post a pretty reasonable result at the event, finishing 12th at the Worlds and 10th at the pre-worlds. I’ve been asked to provide some background on the event and our preparations leading up to it.

I distinctly remember sitting on the rail of a J105 on the Berkeley Circle watching the 505 class tearing up wind in 25 knots of breeze wondering what on earth I was doing sailing a keel boat. Just a few hours later, I was sipping a beer down at the St. Francis Yacht Club with Brian, who had been competing in the 2008 505 PCC’s that day. Brian and I resolved at that point that we would team up to do the 2009 World’s together.

I was very excited about the opportunity to sail such a thrilling boat with not only one of my closest friends but also one of the best sailors I know. That said, I was a bit intimidated by the technical and physical aspects of sailing a 505 on the Bay during August. Suffice it to say, my concerns were laid to rest as the class welcomed us with open arms. The support and encouragement was immediately apparent from the moment that Steve Bourdow and Nick Adamson introduced Brian and me to Doug Hagan. Doug reluctantly parted with Waterat # 8554 so that we would have the opportunity to get started with a great boat.

Without a doubt, the single most influential factor contributing to our improvement in performance has been the generosity with which the veterans in the class have shared their knowledge and knowhow. From the start Brian and I were included in practice sessions put together by Nick Adamson, Steve Bordouw, Mike Holt and Carl Smidt down in Redwood City, while Doug offered useful tuning tips and insights from Hawaii. The opportunity to get our asses kicked by these guys from day one set expectations of what would be required to compete at a reasonable level.

It became abundantly clear that we would have to focus intently on developing our feel for the boat, having spent way too much time during college racing boats that are arguably better suited for Disney Land than competitive sailing on an international level. Between working and other commitments we have made an effort to get as much time as possible on the water in breeze. Given our small size at roughly 180 pounds each, we’ve been forced to develop a technique for keeping up the pace in heavier air. This involved sailing at Treasure Island during weekday nights and competing in as many regattas as possible along the West coast. The 2009 Worlds certainly provided us with the opportunity to improve on our heavy air technique. If nothing else, we learned to recover from capsizing quickly!

Reflecting on our improvement during the 2010 Worlds, perhaps the most important factor was our comfort in a variety of conditions. We’ve managed to develop our ability to compete in breeze by sailing a little lower and faster on the beats while relying on our smaller size to make substantial gains on the runs. Specifically, by watching the top guys on the West coast we learned to sail more powered up on the runs by sailing slightly higher angles and moving our weight way aft rather than aiming to sail a shorter distance to the mark by sailing deeper angles.

On lighter days, we focused more on tuning and our sail plan. One of our key observations was that the top Europeans were sailing with far more mainsail twist than we were accustomed to while also bringing the boom to weather past centerline. Additionally, we raked substantially further forward in the light conditions than we had in the past and switched to a flatter BM main that seemed to twist off a little better. Brian and I benefited from the opportunity to tune with and learn from Augie Diaz as we sorted out our settings for the light and moderate conditions.

By all accounts the 505 class has lived up to its reputation for being the most welcoming, killer group of sailors out there! I look forward to many more years of sailing in the class and am excited by how much more we have to learn.

Editor's note - Brian and Ted will be competing in the SAP 2011 505 World Championship in Hamilton Island, Australia later this month. Good luck guys!