Top Spinnaker Trimming Tips From North's Nigel Young

North's Nigel Young gives Justin Chisholm the low down on choosing and using your spinnaker.

We all know that good downwind speed is all about communication between the spinnaker trimmer and the helm. What sort of information do you think is important communicate to your helm? 

You are right that spinnaker trimming really is all about communication. Effectively the trimmer is steering the boat in most conditions until you are planning at max speed. Once that happens, the trimming communication becomes a little less important as it is obvious to all concerned what is happening!

In the lighter stuff it’s all about pressure in the spinnaker sheet, verses the fastest way to the bottom mark or the best VMG the boat can make.  I have not used a speedometer on a Melges 24 as yet but I know quite a few teams do.  Having sailed the boat for fifteen years now and trimmed the spinnaker for about 10 of those you tend to get quite a good feel for it. 

My main line of communication in all conditions will be to relay the feeling of load in the sheet to the helmsman.  Depending on how good they are will determine how much chat you need to give them.  I have been really lucky over the last eight years to be sailing with top class helms who only really need to know when the pressure is too light in the sheet. Occasionally I will also encourage them to sail a little lower when I feel the pressure in the sheet is too high.

As a trimmer concentration on the spinnaker at all times is obviously vital but which bits of the sail do you focus your attention on? What are you looking for?

I would be watching the luff at all times. Either in the middle of the sail or slightly above half way.  My aim will be to ease the sheet as much as possible all the time but without upsetting the sail too much.  It really is a fine balance between the perfect trim and too much luff curl and instability in the sail.  As the famous old saying goes……if in doubt ease it out!

What is the secret to good downwind speed in the Melges 24: In medium conditions and in full planing conditions?

In the medium conditions which are not full planning it is really important to fully commit to your chosen mode of sailing.  At times in the stronger puffs it will be fastest to sail high and fast and get the boat planning at full speed.  But as soon as the wind drops make the switch back to soaking mode 100%.  Do not waste time, either sail high and hot in the puffs or low and softer in the lulls, normally the middle ground will not pay in the Melges 24 and trying to force the boat to plane early can be very slow.

The opposite applies in full planning conditions. Stack the crew as far back in the boat as possible and sail right on the edge of a spin out the whole time. The faster you go, the more the apparent wind comes forward and the lower you can sail. It seems odd, but if you are not 110% sailing on the edge, you will be slower and higher than the opposition -not a great scenario downwind in the M-24.

How important is it to have good wind information from the person calling the gusts for you? How does this help and what trim changes do you make as the velocity changes?

You cannot sail fast and win without an eagle eyed wind spotter on the boat.  Normally it is common to appoint the tactician to this job as he or she is the best person to decipher what will happen next.  The better the wind information coming to the trimmers and the helm the faster the boat will sail.  Small modifications to trim, crew positioning and heel angle in advance of the changes will mean taking more advantage as each change comes to the boat.  Communication amongst on all these areas is vital.

Talk us through your sequence of actions leading up to, during and after a gybe in medium and in heavier conditions?

Personally I like to get the sail round to the new side as fast as possible once the gybe has been called and the boat starts to turn.  In the light airs I will drop the old sheet and go full speed on the new sheet whilst staying as far as possible on the new leeward side.  You will have to over trim to get the sail to “pop” and as soon as that happens a big ease to normal trim is required to allow the helmsman to assume his correct angle. 

In a big breeze I take care not to allow the clew of the spinnaker to blow too far ahead of the forestay.  I would almost ease it to the forestay and then take up the new sheet as fast as possible.  If I can recall correctly, I almost have both sheets in my hands at the start of a big gybe.

Tell us about the differences between a VMG and PZR kite in the Melges 24? When would you change to the PZR? What benefits does this deliver?

The VMG is simply the best all round spinnaker you can have for the M-24.  It performs well from 3-30 knots and if you want to keep it simple this is really the only sail you need.

However the PZR was developed in the USA for lets say 20 knots and above and works especially well in big waves.  The sail is a little flatter in overall depth and in luff round. The feedback from the helmsman is that they have a bigger groove to work in over twenty knots with this sail.  If you use the VMG in big waves and 20 knots plus you have a more limited range of angles. Having said that you can still be very fast.  Most of the top teams use both sails these days and the change over comes at a point where the boat no longer drops off the plane downwind. However a word of warning here. To change too early in semi planning conditions is death.  Make sure the breeze is going to remain over twenty knots solid, plug in the PZR, then sit back and enjoy the ride. This is what the boat was designed for.

How has North’s spinnaker shape evolved over the last few years?

To be honest we have used the same designs for the last 5 years or more.  That is not to say we have not tried other shapes, fabrics etc. North Sails are committed to making the fastest sails possible and we continue to test new ideas with the top teams.  But having said that the combination of VMG and PZR spinnakers is all you need to win the World Championships.  They are so good that even other sail makers use them, sometimes taking the North badge off and other times leaving them on!  A nice compliment for us either way.

What do you think are the common mistakes made by people regarding their downwind performance in the Melges?

Not committing 100% to their chosen mode of sailing.  If you think sailing low is correct for the given conditions then, do it!  I have won many a race by a substantial margin over the years by adopting this style.  Have faith in your own feelings.