Originally Posted by John Williams
Every once in a while, usually once or twice a season and irrespective of which spin boat I'm sailing, my leeward spin sheet will get wrapped on the crew dogbone/Hobie handle/trap loop as I set and sheet in for the first run. It actually happened to me twice at Tradewinds; once when Mike and McKenzie were just below us in a tight rounding - it was an unwelcome addition to the already-exciting situation. It only seems to occur when it is breeze on, and only in the set. I've tried keeping the sheets coiled on the port (leeward for the set) and starboard sides of the tramp, and it happens even if I have the sheets through a retainer in the back of the trampoline (skipper country). It invariably delays sheeting in and pulling hard just makes it worse, as your pulling down on the crew's trapeze line (or cable) while the kite just flogs.

Spin crews - have you seen this? Suggestions for prevention (beyond not sailing with a kite wink )?


Haven't experienced that - but maybe the skipper could take the slack up on the leeward sheet as the kite comes up? (careful not to sheet in and make the hoist harder). When driving, I've been working on getting most of the slack out of the sheet and having it held up so the crew can grab it and be almost home with the sheet when they're ready for it. (however, I completely forgot about working on this at Tradewinds).

Jake Kohl