How to pack a spinnaker when sailing short-handed:

Credit: David Harding

1 A packing hook makes handling a spinnaker much easier, and it can double as a coat-hook. A compression post or bulkhead is often a handy place.

Credit: David Harding

2. First, find a leech (here it’s the starboard one, as indicated by the green tape) and work your way along it up the sail… until you find the head. You know it’s the head rather than one of the clews because a) it should be marked, and b) you can see the red tape on the port leech.

Credit: David Harding

3. Hang the head on the hook, then work your way down one of the leeches – here it’s the starboard one….

Credit: David Harding

4… until you get to the clew. Hang that on the hook with the head.

Credit: David Harding

5. Now, starting at the head again, work your way down the other leech until you find the other clew.

Credit: David Harding

6. Hang that on the hook with the head and the first clew.

Credit: David Harding

7. Next, work your way down from the head to make sure nothing’s twisted.

Credit: David Harding

8. Now the easy bit: simply stuff the bulk of the sail into the turtle or spinnaker bag.

Credit: David Harding

9. Finally, tie the head and clews together with the bag’s drawstring to make sure they stay together and at the top. Job done!

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