274 UNDE R S TANDING THE RAC ING RUL E S OF SAI L ING THROUGH 2 0 2 4
necessary task.” Appeal 72 reads, “Without a spinnaker pole, a spinnaker is less efficient and more unstable. As a boat prepares to round a leeward mark, removing the pole is one of the first necessary steps. From that time until the spinnaker is lowered, holding the guy by hand is a less effective but nonetheless useful means of controlling the spinnaker, which remains a “necessary task” even without the pole. The interval of time is normally a brief one, since generally there is no advantage in flying a spinnaker without a pole.” Also note that there is no requirement that the tack of the spinnaker be in
“close proximity” to the outboard end of the spinnaker pole. The rationale is that it is generally faster to have the tack close to the outboard end, such that there is no reason to penalize a boat if she chooses not to do so. Note that rule 86.1(c) (Changes to the Racing Rules) permits class rules to
change this rule.
“I see a lot of boats flying asymmetrical spinnakers from bowsprits; I assume this is legal?”
Yes. Rule 55.3 specifically states, “No sail shall be sheeted over or through any device that exerts outward pressure on a sheet or clew of a sail at a point from which, with the boat upright, a vertical line would fall outside the hull or deck.” Rule 55.3 is not broken provided that the bowsprit is used to attach the tack (the windward corner) of the spinnaker or as a lead for a line attached to the tack.
