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| The
ATN Spinnaker Sleeve is designed to be easy and efficient to
use.
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"Anybody
can get a sail up--
It takes a sailor to get it down" |
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That statement
is particularly true regarding the spinnaker. The problem is
not to hoist the sail but to get it back on the boat. That's
when the spinnaker sleeve makes the average sailboat owner a
great sailor. Without any help, the ATN Spinnaker Sleeve makes that very powerful
and expensive sail disappear with a minimum of fuss and
trauma. And the sail is ready to be hoisted again immediately,
no more packing!
While it
would seem that a spinnaker sleeve is a simple sailing tool,
and that any one with a sewing machine could design and
fabricate one, when dealing with large sails, the problems
increase rapidly in complexity and cost. It is very plausible
to get hurt or to inflict great injury to others, and to one's
wallet, if the system used is inadequate. But there is no need
to rub it in, especially at sea: it has to work and be
reliable.
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Problems
Solved by the ATN Spinnaker Sleeve |
| The
main problem to solve was the mixing of the control lines and
the sail. |
| A
separate channel (which contains the control line) is sewn
alongside the main sleeve which contains the spinnaker. The
spinnaker and the control line are completely separated. The
separate channel (side sleeve) is made of a different colored
cloth than the main sleeve which shows the eventual twists of
the sleeve prior of hoisting it. There will often be some twists
in the sleeved spinnaker as it comes out of the bag, especially
after long periods of storing and moving it around the sail
locker. Needless to say, those twists are to be removed before
hoisting the sleeve. |
| Another
problem to address was the opening, the mouth of
the sleeve. |
| It
had to be rigid to remain open when pulled against the sail,
slippery to enable it to slide over the sail without chafing it,
light (weight aloft should always be avoided) and sturdy enough
not to break in the bag when stepped on or stored. Fiber glass
was, from the beginning, the material of choice by its
versatility and ease of manufacturing.
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While the round shape
seems obvious, the oval shape is more spinnaker friendly for it
doesn't have the tendency to rotate around the sail as it is
guided by the spinnaker leeches and it is easier to slide
through the hatch when storing below deck. We make them out of
Kevlar and glass which, while expensive, offers a good
combination of strength and lightness.
The control
line is a closed loop, made of 2 different lines. One side is to
hoist the sleeve. It must not kink and it should be small enough
to travel in the side sleeve and through the top turning block.
The other side must be much heavier as it is handled by the
operator to douse the sail. It also must not kink as well as be
long enough to be lead through a snatch-block in the fore deck
and then to a cleat or a winch on bigger boats. |
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| The
cloth problem came from the fact that spinnaker or bag cloth
doesn't breathe and might bleed. |
| The
cloth that is milled especially for ATN is a "tricot",
a mesh like material which is light, strong, and doesn't retain
water. The sail can dry when in the sleeve and it will not cling
to the sail when hoisting the sleeve, even after long period of
wet storing.
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| Finally,
the spinnaker is fastened inside the spinnaker sleeve with a
swivel shackle to allow gibing. |
| The
hoisted spinnaker sleeve must always remain in the same position
at the mast head, on top of the flying spinnaker, while allowing
the spinnaker to rotate under itself. This also gives more
flexibility when loading the sail. |
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| FEATURES
OF THE ATN SPINNAKER SLEEVE |
- Single hand
any spinnaker, reacher, gennaker, MPS, screecher or
mizzenstaysail up to 15,000 sq. ft. (Mega sloop Frers/Huisman
156' "Hyperion")
- High-tech,
ultra-light Kevlar Hoop matches shape of the spinnaker and
will not warp under load
- Single
control line led through separate sleeve eliminates fouling
- Contrasting
visual reference stripe
- Wire pennant
with swivel at head of spinnaker prevents sleeve from
affecting sail shape by allowing the sleeve to accumulate on
the pennant
- Mesh
construction allows sail to breathe, so that sails dry
quicker, even while stored
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| Images
and text courtest of Etienne Giroire / ATN Inc. |
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For
more information or to order an ATN Spinnaker
Sleeve:
1) Contact your local DOYLE loft
2) Email us at info@doylesails.com
3) Call us at 1-800-94-DOYLE
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