Has anybody fitted telltails to their Spinny. The Spinnys are getting flatter and flatter and it must be getting near to a sail shape like a reaching sail where telltails are a method of setting the sail.

If you have had them on the spinny, where is the best place to put them ?

I can't sail without them. My first spin did not have them. When it came time to replace it, the new sail had them, and my down wind improved dramatically. Immediately rumors began to circulate that I was cheating. People "new for a fact" my spinnaker was over sized. In fact it measured slightly under sized.

That's the difference tell tales make.

I'm scheduled to sail Wednesday, I'll try to remember to get measurements and some photos.

I bought my Falcon in January and Matt ordered a red spin from Glaser for me as I didn't care for the purple ...it came with telltails. I think they've been like this for a while now though as I am pretty sure it was Matt telling me to watch the leeward telltail in order to not over sheet (a huge problem I had starting out.) I love it! Now whenever I have someone new on board I just tell them to immediately sheet so thar the leeward one is flying and not to care about the windward one ...then to make sure the luff curls slightly.

Sort of what I suspected, Pete piccies please or some dimensions approx. how far from the front of the sail and how many, thanks.

There's just 2: one on each side. I believe mine are around halfway up the luff or just below that, and maybe a foot back. If Pete doesn't beat me to it I'll measure mine and post.

Check out this pic. You can see the leeward one half way up.
http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-G6MzhlOVn..._128571883832583_1017506_338626493_n.jpg

This is a perfect view. If you look at the very top of this picture, you can see the tell tails.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-o71UtjSc67E/T6FdOBRHOjI/AAAAAAAANWc/1uSVnwgR550/s1600/7.jpg

My sails are AHPC, there may be something on their website. But there are three sets and Robbie D. told me to watch them all! That's another reason to have four eyeballs on the boat.

One set does the job just fine. They are there to get the spin close to perfect and then you ease out as much as you can to hit the sweet spot. Could be only 5 centimeters more, but the last centimeters really matter with the spinnaker.

Gill

Wayne; I had 3 on both my Spis; about 25cm back from the luff; one about 1m up from the tack; one about 2m from the head and the third 1/2 between the two.

Usually best performance is achieved just before the luff is collapsing, hence sheeting out to the maximum and than slightly sheet in does the job. In this case the windward tell tales are stalled. However with a straighter and more tensioned luff this rule may be obsolete.
The real accelerator is to sheet the main correctly while under spi.

Cheers,

Klaus

How do you sheet your main, under spi?

I've noticed what Klaus has said. After I've gotten the spin sheeted to what feels right and look up, sometimes my windward tell tales are still floating up on my main, so I sheet it in to correct and it speeds up quite a bit.

I've been told that if it gets too crazy on the water that I can just over sheet the main to stall it and drive deeper, to try to avoid crashing (in excessive winds.)

Sheet with your teeth.

I know a guy who did that and pulled out a tooth.

Sorry Wayne, no pictures.

Measuring from the tack (sorry)head down and the luff inward:

6' x 13"
13' x 19"
19' 9' x 23"

One on each side is all you need for sheeting. 3 on each side lets you adjust your sheet leads and hoist to the kite and conditions.

I'll keep that in mind, thanks.

I have three sets on mine too, but I only really look at the bottom set. I can't even see the top set from the helm.

https://www.dropbox.com/lightbox/home/Photos/New%20Boat?select=Boat2.jpg

Put a set on quickly last night, just 1 on each side about 1/2 to 2/3rds from the top, quite surprised at how well I had been doing without them on. Setting the spinny normally and looking up and telltails are flying nicely. Quite surprised at how wide a band of tension you can have on the sheet before they really start to not fly though ?

I seemed to have adopted the let the sheet out until the luff starts to fold and then on with a bit of tension and the woolies are flying perfectly. I would guess though if you are new to the game then working the other way, getting the woolies to fly would be more indicative and quicker to learn.

I think Scarecrows suggestion of putting 3 sets on though is very valid as I have no real idea whether the lead angles are correct. Next step.

Thanks for all the info guys.

a) double handed
b) single handed, hiking. Tiller extension dragging thru the water. Let go briefly the tiller/crossbar, adjust the main with the traveller. Grap the tiller/crossbar again and go on sailing.
c) single handed, trap'ing. Don't know, cant touch it. Set the treveller right before going out...

Cheers,

Klaus