I am rerigging my old C-Class Cat and replacing our old aliminium mast section spinnaker pole with a carbon one and am thinking about fitting a track and car to the front of the main beam so that the spinnaker tack can be moved to windward or leeward. I am guessing this would allow the kite to be flown deeper/higher am I right? and if so will it make enough of a difference to be worthwhile?

If you are mounting a track to the beam and moving the spin ploe side to side at the beam the tack end of the pole is still going to be in the same place. The bridle wires or lines holding the tack end of the pole would not let the end of the pole move from side to side. Just my thoughts.

The pole will be able to rotate at the forestay , I was going to remove the bridle from the end of the pole, and brace the pole with diamond wires.

My gut instinct say that your boat is too fast to benefit from an adjustable bowsprit. It also add another level of complexity you probably dont need on a fast boat like yours. I think it better to spend the time on the water and learn how to sail and trim her to the best.

BTW: Does Emma Hamilton have symmetric daggerboards or asymmetrics?

On another forum there was a discussion about that very thing. Different cats but same scenario. One designer and very fast sailor said that while you are trying to get the pole location set then try to set the spin and re-adjusting the pole, he'd be down the course looking back at what you're trying to do. So far no-one has proven him wrong. The method of keeping it simple definitely works here especially with short crew. His mantra was also get everything else working PERFECT and you won't have time (or need) for the moving pole.

With that fast cat you've got, I would tend to agree.

Good luck,

Clayton

I agree - for around the cans, it would definitely be a cumbersome over complication. However, if you're distance racing, that bit of adjustability might come in handy.

Ok I can see I am overcomplicating things will leave it fixed.
Rolf the boards are symetric