The Simbo rig.. anyone tried it?

[sharpey]

Hi folks,

Am in a position to try a Simbo rig... well perhaps a varient of it.

You can read about the Simbo rig here. downwind twin sails set up for Simbo safe ocean and coastal sailing Najad 570

I am thinking about using my telescopic spin pole (in it's fully retracted state) to pole out the windward genoa, and run a dedicated control line for the genoa (separate to the genoa sheets) to a block on the toe rail (as you would with a spinnaker sheet), then to a cockpit winch.

I'm thinking of using the main boom (prevented at 45deg off centre) with the main up, and the end of the boom becoming the pole for the leward genoa. The leward genoa would have the same independent control line as the windward one, and run to a block on the toe rail as well.

Any thoughts?

This may seem like a lot of hassle, but we're not comfy flying the Spinnaker with only 2 crew and the helm on board, especially as forecast winds are on the fresh side.

Cheers,

James

[Orion Jim]

Keep in mind when your gooseneck and main boom were spec'd out by the builder/designer they never took into account that a headsail would be sheeted to the end of the boom. Lots of unplanned stress introduced to the main boom, gooseneck, and mainsheet. If nothing else you'll void any warrantee you might have if in fact your boat is new.

[Stumble]

My concern with the Simbo has always been that the foil manufacturers didn't intend their products to be used this way. The stresses place on the foil by the twin sails act to pull the two channels apart which isn't something that was ever intended. It may work fine, and some foils will certainly work better than others, but I just don't trust the equipment to do this.

If you want to increase downwind sail area just add a asym on a furler.

[sharpey]

Understood Re stress on gooseneck etc. I was of the mind that this would be minmised by preventing the boom.

Our fuller is an alado, which is actually designed to run twin headsails.

[robert sailor]

Running twins in one foil has been used for years and years (did it myself starting 30 years ago) and I have never heard of anyone having any sort of structural problems. Same with using a boom end for sheeting a head sail. It does allow you to furl on the go and never have more sail up than you need. Its not something I ever worried about.