- By far the biggest performance boost I got was bumping the spinnaker hoist by 3 feet and putting a taller kite on. Just to where the taper starts. The mast is a tree-trunk compared to similar sized yachts... it can take the force that far above the shrouds. My spinnaker luff length is now 37.25', and the additional power just rips downwind in the heavy air, and is actually more stable than the old "thimble kites" because the width to height ratio is much skinnier (but the total width remained the same) and the head is less shadowed by the main. Helps a lot in the lighter winds having the kite higher and bigger.
Wow. Do you know how many times I've cursed all those masthead kites I race against on Wednesday nights? I was always worried that I'd break my rig if I moved the hoist any taller. But if your rig has not busted in the Squamish breeze, I figure I'd should be OK in English Bay. Now you've given me something to think about.
