Hi Steve

With regard to the spinnaker size, we started off using the same limiting parameters of the pole length and the hoist height, and we were both sheeting from the sidestays (although I remember you wanted to experiment with sheeting further back). So I expected our spinnakers to be pretty much close to the same size, but when you voted in a set of rules for the spinnaker you included sail dimensions which appeared to be smaller than our spinnakers. I have just retrieved the set of spinnaker rules that Kevin Webb sent to me so I'll get the tape measure out and re-check.

We are planning to include a set of spinnaker rules into the Mosquito rules next year as an appendix, but at present I'm not planning to put in any sail measurement restrictions. We have restricted the three corner points on the boat which seems enough to me, and is also simpler than specifying the head and tack positions and the 3 dimensions of the sail as well (3 rules as opposed to 5). I'm open to persuasion if there is a good reason to have sail measurements but I haven't heard it yet.

We have cats and sloops with spinnakers here - about half-and-half, but so far the cats are dominant on the race course. No-one has come close to Gary in any conditions (except for me on a good day).
I also tried sailing sloop for part of last season and I found I needed 15 knots or more to stand any chance of keeping up with the performance I would have expected cat rigged. I'm sure if I stuck with it for longer the strong wind performance would be very good indeed (mainly because of the extra upwind speed), but right now I can't see how the sloop can ever be competitive below 15 knots. Time will tell.

Tim