I was wondering about the differance between the symetrical and asymetrical spin. I see that most cats use am asym. spin, and I also saw that the trapseat spin is a symetrical spin. Can a cat use a symetrical spin? will it do any good? I actually have an old symetrical one from a monohull and enough parts to rig it up on my cat. I was thinking of setting it up mainly for fun, it would be cool to try even if it did not provide to be any great benifit.



Could a symetrical spin be used? would the set-up be different from the asymetrical one??



Many thanks for your input!!

For people to give you intelligent answers, you need to let them know what kind of boat you have. It would make a difference as to whether they would recommend symmetric or asymmetric. A Hobie 16, for example, usually sails straight downwind rather than tacking downwind -- or at least tacks downwind at very deep angles. So it might be more likely to benefit from a symmetrical spinnaker. Cats with daggerboards or centerboards that tack downwind at greater angles and have more leeway resistance benefit more from an asymmetric spinnaker.

Maybe rephrase your question with boat type.

OOPS!



My boat is a P16

Hi



Yes ,-you can experiment with a fuller symetrical spin .

set it up and have fun .



The assymetric kites were developed for faster sailing craft

{like cats}that can readily build apparent wind by reaching moreso or sailing at higher angles to the true wind direction while keeping a certain degree of attached flow around them.. Because of the boats high speed movement and higher angles it sails both faster and progressively lower angles downwind .

As the boat builds speed the apparent wind moves forward allowing you to bear off downwind more at higher speeds .A boat sailing downwind with the sails stalled --{without attached flow around them } --will sometimes be traveling at half the speed of a cat sailing with attached flow ,--again as this skipper initially reaches up and gains flow they are able to progressively sail a lower course at this speed and new lower angle due to apparent wind the boats speed has built up .

A sysemtrical kite will let you reach to some extent ,but is much more limited than the assymetric kite designed for this purpose .



hope that helps -

wish I had a little better command of language ,

here learning also -

take care

Carl

O.K....but how do you manage the need for a spinnaker pole and gybing a symetrical spin on a cat?

blocks on the bow and run it like a drs. float the tack between the two bows.

You could gybe the same way you gybe the pole on small dinghies. Bungie pole return system alongside the boom and you are done. Takes a little practice and momentary low angles to bring the chute around, but it's done all the time.



However, I don't think a cat is the place for a sym chute. I don't think you will be able to get low enough (without a huge degree of apparent wind) to really use the sail like it wants to be used. What you gain with the sym chute, you loose by your main not being about to sail that low.