>>Best way to round sound is wait till you're scared as hell. Drop is quickly and possbley a little low to the mark with the skipper staying in the trapeze or not depending on conditions on the expected upwind leg.<<

Low on the mark meaning ; a little below the layline as without a spi you have to head up a bit to keep speed.

I don't how you bag is fitted. We all had a centred bag overhere with either two openings (one to either side) or a a central one in front.

The bag is not the problem, the lines are. When a bagged spi is douced on starboard than it's can be raised on port. However spi can be raises and dropped on the windward side of the boat although that requires a slightly different technic.

I must add that I haven't really done these windward technics myself (I think I've lowered it like that once)

Windward Dropping :

Pull the winward sheet so that the spi clew is pulled over the forestay. When it does that uncleat the halyard and pull the spi in much like you would when on teh lee side of the boat. The jib will guide the spi towards you and prevent the spi from flapping to much or being blown to lee to much. Name of the game, gently when cleated and quick as soon as uncleated.

Windward raising (never done that)

Move spi to luff of boat well away from diamonds and stuff. Put knee on it. Grap the halyard. Yell "Go" to the skipper, so he dips the boat downwind and then rounds up again. You pull the spi up around the going deep part of the curve quickly while raising you knee to let the spi go. Let is drag a little the prevent the spi from being blow onto the spreaders etc.

It is always adviceable to have bungees tied to your spreaders and stays to prevent the spi from being blow past the spreaders and hook there.

Of course dipping the boat straight down wind momentarily and then rounding up again allows you to pull and lower to spi on any side you want. You don't have to jibe.

And ohh, I think Steve is right ; loosen the luff to reach higher instead of tighten it. I never reached much with a spi can you tell ? With me if was always downwind, downwind, downwind to the C mark.

Wouter