To Pole or not to Pole?

by Rob Kothe on 19 Aug 2007 The IRC cruising division has started with close racing in quite varying conditions. Yesterday’s building breeze was good to the Sydney 36CR’s on IRC with six filling the top eleven positions. There was an interesting comparison with three sailing with symmetrical spinnakers and three sailing with only asymmetric spinnakers.

Yesterday, on the long run home, the leading asymmetric Sydney 36CR Equinox’s lead was eaten into by the symmetric spinnaker of Dennis Cooper's Sydney 36CR Amante. Amante overhauled Equinox, beating her by a boatlength over the line but Equinox benefited from its lower IRC rating (of the asymmetric configuration).

The roles were reversed today with winds up to 25 knots and the course mainly reaching, and the asymmetric boats were in their element with a strong reach home and 15 knots of boatspeed being recorded by the fixed polers with their asymmetrics up.

Having six boats in the division is clearly helping the newer Sydney 36CR owners and crews get quickly up to speed.

'We are having a morning briefing prior to the races and we are passing on as much information as we can on the boats and the coming race for each of the owners to learn as much as possible about their boats. It is great to see so many first time participants having so much fun and being so enthused,' said Martin Thompson of Sydney Yachts who is sailing on Equinox.

'We are then also comparing ideas and sailing thoughts after the race and everyone is enjoying the learning and fun side of the boats. To have all of the yachts moored together has also been great for the post race beer and chat.

'If you asked me yesterday I would have been very keen to have a pole and then today when we were coming home with the asymmetric up I wouldn’t have swapped our 15 knot ride for anything.'

After the second race it is one win for the asymmetric boat and one to the symmetric.

Tomorrow's Edward Island race has typically been very good to the asymmetric boats. Two years ago the Sydney 47CR Jem, the first asymmetric only Sydney 47CR, made up huge time coming home with a super flat asymmetric when symmetric boats couldn’t carry their rounder spinnakers, to win the race.

With the non-overlapping headsails being a little less effective cracked, reaching with the asymmetric spinnaker is a huge benefit.

However if the breeze stays well south they will sailing many extra miles in the long run down there. Ahh… the debate continues…..!

Sail-world will check back with the fleet to deliver the final tally and story in the much debated topic of which is best.