Twin Headsails
As things were winding down at the seminar, Paul asked about twins and whether they were worth having, vs. flying a spinnaker as much as possible and winging out a jib the rest of the time (I think that was how he asked the question). So here are some random thoughts and experiences using twins:
1) I have assymetric spinnakers so I'm not able to sail quite as deep as the symmetric-spinnaker boats. Once you're in the trades (basically the second half of the race), it's all about downwind VMG to Hanalei. When it was really windy, I was tired, or late at night, the twins allowed me to get excellent VMG with virtually no effort or drama. Of course I could always get better VMG with the spinnaker but I had to sail higher angles for speed which, when it was windy (20+) meant I was more likely to broach. As Greg has said, this race is not about sailing as fast as you can, but sailing fast for as long as you can.
2) If you have symmetric spinnakers you need to test and see how hard you can push in the ocean. I believe your spinnaker flying time will be significantly limited if your autopilot cannot steer the boat reliably in "windvane" mode, preferrably to the True Wind angle (vs. Apparent). You may want twin headsails if you aren't confident the boat can handle flying the kite without your constant attention.
3) In terms of sail area, twins will get you more bang for the buck on a masthead rig (obviously). When planning your setup remember you are trying to get projected area - you want whisker poles as long as your rating and sail size will allow. To borrow Synthia's term, "elephant butt" due to shorter poles gives up projected area. On the other hand, the flatter you get the headsails the more stress is put on the poles.
4) I used the Forespar "Line-Control" poles so I could adjust their lengths. The downsides are they are heavy, they don't telescope without sticking (no matter how well you clean and lube them) and they aren't designed to end-for-end so when using a single pole, gybing it is awkward. However you don't have much choice if you want a pole you can use with multiple sizes of headsails, plus the storage issues.
5) This race really puts your pole track to the test. Make sure the screws are tight, you keep checking them during the race, and maybe take some big plumbers clamps or similar to strap the track to the mast if it starts coming loose. (This may affect your ability to reef the main however - best to watch the screws!)
6) In 2006, I used approx. 112% LP twins made from nylon and flown from a common luff (i.e. "butterfly twins"). I bought them used, otherwise I would have had twins with a longer LP. I used a single whisker pole which in my experience largely defeated the sail handling benefit of twins - the ability to gybe without having to go forward.
7) For the 2008 race I used 155% LP twins and two poles. This allowed me to project a sail plan 35 feet wide on a 30 foot boat! I hoisted the two #1 genoas together in the twin grooves of the aluminum foil of my Harken furler. To avoid chafe on the genoa sheets, I attached them to the clews with Yale "Loups" (Dyneema), then clipped the pole jaws into the Loups. I also put a short strop at the tack to lift the sails slightly, reducing the chafing of the sails' foots on the pulpit. This was a great setup - until I broke one of the poles.
8) When sailing with the twins, you can pick up additional boat speed by sailing a bit higher (than DDW), to get some wind flowing across the sails. You have to experiment and watch your instruments to see what angle results in the best VMG. Remember, it's all about VMG to the Tree!
9) If you sail higher you will ease the windward whisker pole forward. This slack in the sheet will allow the pole to sky a bit, opening the leech, and you will be tempted to rig a downhaul on the pole. If you do, rig it from the tip, not from the middle - otherwise you will snap the pole like I did.
10) Similarly, it is possible to dip the pole into the water on a big enough roll - a pole downhaul or foreguy would not be wise in those conditions.
11) With twins and a reefed main, you can blast right through windy stretches, get some rest and be reasonably assured of not breaking anything. Combined with the autopilot in wind vane mode, you can sail right through a squall with the boat pretty much taking care of itself.
12) Again with two whisker poles, you can gybe at will by just turning and bringing the main across. This is great when it's really blowing. Imagine gybing your boat solo in the Slot, in big waves - you will do this on every significant shift in the trades (if you want to be competitive).
13) On larger boats with symmetric kites, a sock can take a lot of the drama out of gybing. Pole forward, sock most of the sail, gybe the pole, unsock the kite on the other side. Be careful about combining a sock with a spinnaker net - it's very easy to get a tangled mess up there. (But now I'm getting into another subject.)
Any comments from others about twins?
