Spinnaker gear
Sean,
Spinnaker gear is something for racing in a spinnaker class. If you have the kind of knowledge, experience, desire and money to back up your question, then it adds an element to racing that's exciting, demanding and expensive.
However, since you asked the question on this forum, you probably have not had lots experience using a chute. In my opinion, having a chute on a boat and using it will add two more people to your crew, one of whom MUST be an experienced foredeck man. And that is for racing. Maybe just one extra person when you are cruising.
You'll get into all kinds of new terms with a chute: sheet, afterguy, foreguy, twing, spinnaker halyard, spinnaker car, spinnaker, turtle, topping lift, spinnaker pole, spinnaker gybe, pole dip, end-for-end, etc. Spinnaker work, which I don't have a lot of experience with, is an aspect of sailing where everything can go wrong, usually all at the same time, and, if you don't race, it just is not worth it, in my opinion. My guess of the cost to rig for your boat for spinnaker work would be in the neightborhood of $4,000.
On the other hand, if you just want to go faster on broad reaches and in light air, get yourself a crusing chute, AKA asymmetrical spinnaker. I have had one on my boat for 20 years. It is a great sail to use off the wind, but not particularly effective straight downwind. On my boat, I set the cruising chute out of a sock, so it is easy to handle even for one person. The sock keeps the sail muzzled until you want to use it and also keeps it under control when you are dousing it.
You gybe a cruising chute, from broad reach to broad reach. I use mine without a pole because it was designed to be used that way. You make up in extra speed what you lose in straight line course efficiency when the wind is dead aft and you are tempted to pole out a crusing chute. It sounds dumb, but it works.
Being a guy, you are tempted to get all the go-fast stuff you can put on your boat. We all succumb to that lure, but if you don't really want to race with the big guys and experience the agony and ecstacy of bad and good spinnaker work, then a cruising chute is for you.
Get a second opinion. Maybe even several more. It's your money we are talking about here. And maybe even a little peace of mind.
Best of luck,
Morgan Stinemetz
[Edited by Morgan Stinemetz on 04-17-2001 at 04:33 AM]