I sailed a H17 a lot at our college club, so I've got a decent idea of how they're set up, and I've come up with a CHEAP (less than $100) snuffer system that works better than a lot of production models. You can build it in a few hours.
If your girlfriend is anything like my wife, the snuffer will make or break the spinaker thing.
My e-mail is
fastcatmichael@hotmail.comGood luck
Michael Coffman
t4.9#32