After reading the post on I-17 sailor needing advice on pointing, I came to the realisation that I should ask you guys about sailing with a Spinnaker, since it is a new thing to me (on a cat, anyway.)
I sail a Mosquito 16ft cat, similar to your class although a bit underpowered in comparison - 100kg boat weight, 12,5sqm main, 3,5sqm jib, 16sqm spinnaker (the spinn. is an add-on - not std in the class.)
A few questions I have are as follows :
- Under spinnaker, trying to head up onto a beam reach, the boat suffers from excessive lee-helm. Bearing off helps alleviate this, but at times it may be necessary to sail high. like in a distance race where
there may be a long beam reach. (Mast is plumb, if I rake back I get weatherhelm upwind.)
- As the wind increases I find the need to bear off even more - a factor no doubt due to apparent wind moving forward making you bear off.
- I have been keeping the traveller close on centred, mainsheet in fairly tight, even in 5-8knots, as the gusts come I bear off, as they die I head up. Even in this wind range I find the highest I can "point" seems
to be a broad reach. In under 5knots I can head up higher. At this point crew is on leeward hull, I`m sitting forward & inboard trying to raise windward hull. Head up in lulls, bear off in gusts.
As the breeze increases I move weight back & outboard, eventually getting crew on the wire in 12 knots plus.
Centerboards are always half-down.

My question is : Does this sound like the right technique to sail with a spinnaker in these wind ranges ? What do I do as the wind gets up above 15 knots ? Are there any "newer" techniques to sailing fast with a
spinnaker ?
Anyone with valid go-fast info, please let me know.
The learning curve just got steeper.

Steve