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Drifter or DRS tacking question

PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 3:13 pm
by Alan
I've been thinking about a light air drifter or DRS after reading various posts about them.

Got a question: Would you rig the drifter with a separate forestay, leaving the jib forestay in its normal location? If so, would the jib forestay be in the way during a tack, or is there a way around that?

PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 7:50 pm
by K.C. Walker
I don't have an asymmetric spinnaker/drifter. Though, I've been interested, as well. My understanding is that you have a choice of tacking around the outside of the asymmetric, or tacking between the asymmetric and the jib stay. The more room you have between the asymmetric and the jib stay the easier it would be to tack between. Also, a 3rd option that I know of, if you have the drifter on a furler you can furl it and then pull it to the new tack.

Maybe someone with some actual experience will chime in here. I don't think this is something that many Daysailer sailors use, though.

KC

PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 11:09 pm
by Alan
Thanks, KC. I hadn't thought of options 1 and 3.

PostPosted: Tue Oct 19, 2010 11:39 pm
by jdoorly
I don't have a forestay. I have 2 furlers, one for the jib and one for the DRS. The furlers are about 2 feet apart with the DRS out on a short sprit. The halyards and the sail's wire bolt rope acts as a forestay. So, when I have the DRS up I have the option of easing the jib halyard to open up the foretriangle. However, the furlers are fast and easy to operate so I will probably do a 'furling' tack/gybe.

PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 7:29 am
by K.C. Walker
Here are a couple of good YouTube videos on
gybing on the inside and the outside http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WbLoLfL0 ... re=related
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YEhfuK_t ... re=related

PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:05 am
by seandwyer
jdoorly - this sounds so interesting. You wouldn't have pictures you could post, would you?

PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 11:32 am
by Alan
jdoorly and KC,

Thanks! The whole concept is a lot more clear now. And I'll add my vote to the love-to-see pictures crowd. :D

PostPosted: Wed Oct 20, 2010 9:48 pm
by jdoorly
I promised DRS pics and yak-yak in a p.m. with k.c. and I intend to comply. But first, I have to borrow a camera and email Doyle Sails for sq feets cause i lost my homework...

I've only flown the DRS once and it was dead downwind in directionless wind- not much of a test. I was on a lake specifically to calibrate my tiller pilot and instruments and just wanted to check fairlead position, etc.