big boat, little hatch, mexican

I race on a 42 ft. Beneteau with a big asymmetrical chute. We always
douse the thing behind the genoa and down the companionway hatch (the
"fid" takedown). The reason for going down the companionway is that
the forward hatch is really too small to stuff the sail down it (bad
boat design - Beneteau, bad). Skipper won't install a bigger hatch.

I would like to see if we can manage a windward takedown and/or a
mexican takedown (windward jibe takedown), but we're afraid of ripping
the chute on the rigging.

So the question: Can you douse through the companionway on a windward
or mexican takedown on a big boat? If so, do you take the sail
windward or leeward of the mast, and inside or outside of the shrouds?
What sort of problems and foul-ups to watch out for?

Thanks.
Eric P.

rebel450 wrote:
> I race on a 42 ft. Beneteau with a big asymmetrical chute. We always
> douse the thing behind the genoa and down the companionway hatch....
> I would like to see if we can manage a windward takedown and/or a
> mexican takedown (windward jibe takedown), but we're afraid of ripping
> the chute on the rigging.
>

Why? Are there unsecured sharp pointy things sticking out up there?
Sounds like somebody needs to spend some time up there.


> So the question: Can you douse through the companionway on a windward
> or mexican takedown on a big boat?

A Mexican takedown with an A-sail is different from a plain vanilla
windward takedown. The sail comes down to windward, but immediately
after a gybe and it is deliberately put against the rig (mostly inside
the foretriangle, so it's mostly against the genoa) and slid down onto
the foredeck. The main is gybed but the A-sail is not.

The Mexican (named because off San Diego where it was first practiced,
the crew was looking at Mexico while doing it) is for a tight circle
gybe rounding, an excellent tactical move at certain times.

A windward takedown would be great if running wing-and-wing with the
A-sail, or using an asymmetric set on a conventional pole, and the sail
could be flown free (floated, we call it 'round here) well clear of the
rig and thus pulled aft to the c'way.


> ... If so, do you take the sail
> windward or leeward of the mast, and inside or outside of the shrouds?
> What sort of problems and foul-ups to watch out for?
>

If you bring the sail inside the shrouds, watch out for it (and
especially the halyard) getting jammed in the 'V' where the lowers meet
the mast. Inside has the benefit of less likely o drag in the water, but
the potential downside of shredding the sail and/or never getting it
more than 2/3 the way down.

Hope this helps

Fresh Breezes- Doug King