by Guest » Thu Dec 23, 1999 1:00 am
Yes, that is most likely the spinnaker pole. It is common on racing boats to have some way to stow the spinnaker pole on the main boom to keep it ready to use, by keeping it there they may even be able to leave the topping lift (or pole lift) and the vang for the pole rigged and pre-adjusted for instant use. This keeps the pole from; a) being lost overboard b) getting in the way on deck c) getting stepped on in the cockpit or d) getting tangled up in the cuddy. Also on the new Day Sailers (version IV) first built by Sunfish/Laser (1992-1995) and now built by Cape Cod Ship Building (1996- ) access to the cuddy during a race is not as easy as on the DS I and II, the trade-off is that the new model is more self-rescuing since the closed (sealed, really!) cuddy will not fill with water if the boat capsizes. (extremely rare unless racing!)
Rod Johnson (rjohnson24-at-juno.com)