Stephen,
We will be doing ALOT of distance practicing this winter out of Galveston. If you want to fly down for a weekend and crew with me on one of these runs, it will give you some feel for a spinn that may be of some help. There are quite a few tricks we learn trying to make the spinn work in distance sailing, as opposed to windward/leward. Some of this really pays off when we bouy race. Let me know. I also need crew for the Wurstfest Regatta Nov 10th and 11th in San Antonio. Interested? BTW how much do you weigh?

Lee