Written by Irina Gracheva – Ullman Sails sponsored sailor

In Irina’s last blog, she took us through the trials and tribulations of sailing solo downwind while preparing for the Mini Transat race – a solo race that crosses the Atlantic ocean. Taking note of the many lessons she has learnt while sailing downwind, Irina runs us through the different ways of dropping the spinnaker, as well as the advantages and disadvantages of each method and some useful tricks and tips for your next spinnaker drop.

1. Classic Spinnaker Drop

Eease tackline first – under the boom, going deep downwind. This is the method I normally use on my Mini while having no reef or one reef in the mainsail. It allows me to keep control of the boat with autopilot and to have enough time to deal with the sail. This is also a good method to use as a solo sailor because you can find a good balance for the boat, while having to go to leeward side and retrieve the spinnaker.

The procedure to follow in normal conditions:
– hoist the jib
– bear away to safe and stable course (depends on wind and wave)
– release tackline fully, collecting the lower part of spinnaker in hands
– release halyard, and bring whole spinnaker down, it slides along the mainsail
– spinnaker is collected in cockpit, main hatch or directly in bag
The procedure to follow in emergency conditions/while broaching:
If you enter a broach with the spinnaker and decided to drop it urgently:
– prepare tackline and halyard – they must slide fast
– release tackline fully, without control – your tackline must be long enough to let spinnaker fly flagging after the boat without tension
– start to collect spinnaker from the sheet point
– ease halyard with control then bring clew, tack and foot of spinnaker back together.

Advantages
– mainsail and jib provide wind shadow to the kite and it loses pressure
Limitations
– loss of speed while sailing down
– there is a lot of resistance while the spinnaker is sliding down
– hard to drop this way with strong wind then there are 2 or 3 reefs in the main – there is no wind shadow to hide the spinnaker at the top
– In case of broach during the spinnaker drop procedure, the eased tackline may cause that spinnaker to drop into water and start “fishing”. This is what you need to try to avoid.

2. Letterbox Spinnaker Drop

Pull the spinnaker through the gap between boom and mainsail. I drop the spinnaker this way when I have a reefed mainsail but I must be sure to put the reef ties around the sail material only, not around the boom. I also use this method for a spinnaker drop in an emergency as it helps to control and hold the flapping sail.

The procedure to follow in normal conditions:
– bear away to safe and stable course (depends on wind and wave)
– take the lazy sheet and pass it through the gap between boom and mainsail
– release tackline fully and pull the lazy sheet
– release halyard, and bring the whole spinnaker down as it slides along the mainsail
– at some point ease the leeward sheet

Advantages
– mainsail provides wind shadow to the kite and it loses pressure
– narrow gap between mainsail and boom helps to hold spinnaker with less pressure in your hands
– the foot of the kite is lifted higher by help of the boom, this helps to minimize “fishing”
Limitations
– there is a lot of friction while pulling through the gap
– takes a bit more time to prepare it (lazy sheet between boom and main)

3. Drop halyard first

This is a variation of the classic drop, but may be done when sailing with narrower true wind angle or to drop the spinnaker while broaching.

The procedure to follow in normal conditions:
– keep your course to the wind, no need to bear away
– hoist the jib
– trim sheet even more to stretch foot of kite along boat side (to avoid falling into water)
– release halyard fully without controlling – it must be long enough to let spinnaker fly on top of water
– start to collect spinnaker from the sheet point
– ease tackline when whole spinnaker is inside of the boat
The procedure to follow in emergency conditions/while broaching:
– prepare tackline and halyard – they must slide fast
– release halyard fully, without control, spinnaker will be flagging on top of the water
– start to collect spinnaker from the sheet point
– ease tackline when the whole spinnaker is inside of the boat

Advantages
– in normal conditions this method does not require you to bear away, you may keep your course
– spinnaker loses power immediately and boat will be stabilized fast
Limitations
– you need to collect the spinnaker as fast as you can to avoid “fishing”
– be sure your boat is not going to sail on top of spinnaker – don’t use this method while sailing deep downwind

4. “Mexican” or “Kiwi” drop

This is a drop to the windward side. We start the dropping procedure together with a jibe. This method requires good wind conditions, fast reaction times and advanced skipper’s skills. It is not advisable as an emergency drop. On my Mini 6.5, the rotating bowsprit must be placed close to the center line so the bowsprit does not get onto the new windward side.

The procedure to follow in normal conditions:
– bear away
– jibe with mainsail, release spinnaker halyard at the same time (for solo sailor – jibe with mainsail, get stable autopilot sailing TWA 160-170, ease halyard)
– pull the lazy sheet and whole spinnaker into the triangle between mast and shrouds (to avoid to damage spinnaker by spreaders)
– spinnaker safely slides along the jib and is collected into cabin hatch, cockpit or bag

Advantages
– kite slides along the jib on windward side, this helps to avoid falling into water
– there is no friction or resistance
– can help to save time on the race course as two manoeuvres are performed in one
Limitations
– boat needs to be able to sail stable right after the jibe to focus attention on spinnaker drop