I need a set of sails for a Nacra 5.0. Does anyone have any experience with square top vs. stock main? Is there a significant performance difference? Anyone have any suggestions on where to get either type? Thanks.

The latest generation Nacra 500 sails are quite'square'. this pic taken at Texel 2007. the boat certainly goes well with this sail 2nd non-daggerboard boat around the island after a 570.

The 5.0 with a chute? What next?

Several years ago, Harry Newkirk and Tommy Fruitticher (with help from Mark Smith) rigged up a 5.0 (the old number for the 500) with the end-pole system from the Inter 17. It was a great platform and sailed like a dream - I raced it for a season, including two distance races... one of which was the 2001 Big Mouth regatta out of Pensacola Beach YC - the very first race my then-future wife sailed with me. We got third place and she reluctantly consented to marry me since I "showed some limited potential." <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

What next? How about the 2008 model Nacra 500 with Sport Package....check out the pics at Keysailing.com.

Thanks guys. Awesome photo. Looks like I need to figure out how to get a spinnaker on my boat. John, do you remember if the 5.0 you sailed with a spinnaker had the original sized jib, which ran lines well back onto the tramp, or did they put a smaller self-tacking jib like you see in the picture above? I understand these smaller jibs are on the 500s.

For the smaller jib I would need to add two blocks to the front crossbar. Perhaps I could use the existing jib blocks for a spinnaker.

How does a spinnaker pole attach to the boat? Is it easily removable, and do you take it off for trailering? How do they hold up if you pitchpole? It looks like you need to add an additional mast tang, too. Are there spinnaker kits available?

The 5.0 that Kirk from Key Sailing let me use for a season was the 1st-gen pin-top main with the overlapping jib, similar to the 5.5. Nobody had self-tackers back then. But look more closely at the picture above - that is not a self-tacking jib.

The 500 Sport looks like a great ride.

The 500, 570, 580 can be purchased with a self tacker. I think the jib cut is a bit different so retrofitting it to an existing boat would probably require a new jib.

you have to have a spinny pole for that jib because the tack goes right down to the pole.