'97 rules query

[Torchy]

As far as I can tell from reading the '97 rules I can fly a masthead spinnaker if I want and the only consideration is how well a '97 rules kite will set...as it will probably have been designed to be fractional.

Am I right?

[JimC]

IIRC the majority of new kites were masthead during the lifetime of the 97 rules, but only a few masts were as long as the 2004 mast height restriction.

[Will_Lee]

That's right.

[Neil C.]

To begin with, most of the new '97 boats had fractional kite hoists, e.g. Born Slippy 2674. After a year or two people worked out that you could have a longer luff making them masthead hoist, e.g. Shiny Beast 2676, which was probably quicker.

[Torchy]

Good... I'm sure the '97 rules kite Roland has offered me (made for Loco) will be masthead.

I'll wait until he's back from Spain to pester him.

Loco's "97 rules sails" are her Red Eyes main (currently being valeted but looks very good) and an apparently brand new Evolution jib.

Fyfe's also are basically sound but are having the Gnav sleave repaired and jib foot strengthened.

Which rules we sail under will depend on how we get on and how she feels.

[phil_kirk]

Slippery's kite was masthead and 97 rules but the mast was a touch shorter than 05 rules mast cap limit.  This was only because it had been extended to fit with it's intended sails on a different hull. 
As touched on before it's important to get the sheeting angle right to get the kite to set correctly.
If a kite wasn't cut for that boat you may need to adjust pole length or halyard point and or move the sheet blocks to get things working right.  I'm sure in Loco's case you shouldn't have a problem  though.

Happy sailing

[Torchy]

Roland said the kite he has was made for sailing Loco under '97 rules, so I guess it's masthead and the right geometry. It was the one on Marmite at the show...sneaky.

Loco should be ready for a sail this weekend

[simon_jones]

The kite Roland is referring to is from Born Slippy, not Loco as Loco was built to 97 rules and converted immediately to 05 rules, so I'm not sure that it will fit as Born Slippy did not fly a masthead kite in 97 rules.
You may have to fit a block lower down the mast for the shorter luff length.

[Torchy]

Thanks Simon...will check again when he's less busy

[Neil C.]

I'm guessing it's a pink and green kite with DPY printed at the tack? (Born Slippy's red and white kite would be a bit too knackered for Dinghy Show display). We actually had this kite made for the Flying Trifle 2652 when the '97 Rules came in. DPY was Dick Parker Yachting, Dick being and Aussie who had made a few 12 Foot Skiff kites, but now living in the UK. It was cut for a fractional hoist. It seemed to be very twitchy to begin with - it was very hard to let the luff curl without collapsing the whole kite. Simon Roberts had one made for Cheese Before Bedtime at the same time and found it to be almost un-useable! We put ours away in a bag for a few years when we had a new suit of Batt's made for Born Slippy in '98. A while later we thought we would stick the DPY kite on Slippy, only to find that it was a perfect fit and flew perfectly well! I presume it was down to slightly different sheeting angles etc. I think it's still in quite good condition. 

[dean_ralph]

Loco did have a stainless ring attached lower down the mast for a smaller kite, not sure if it was removed.

[Torchy]

The ring is still there...attached to some shock cord. I was told it was a de-sprangler

Not what a 'sprangle' is tho' but I guess I'll find out...

[Torchy]

I think spinnaker halyard should pass through the ring on the way to the sail...I guess by adjusting the shock cord (which is very long) you could adjust the distance of the head of the kite from the mast (fore and aft)

[pratn0]

its to stop the halyard wraping around the spreaders while going up wind.   it should not affect the hoist hight

[Torchy]

OK got it...that is logical - because of the mast bend