SUPERSAIL WORLD 69 APRIL-JUNE 2018
CHUTE
IT DOWN
C
ould a dinghy-style spinnaker chute be
adapted to make spinnaker handling
on superyachts faster, easier and
safer? Only a couple of years ago many
would have dismissed such an idea, yet this year
Deckchutes are being used on eight high-profile
100-130ft yachts, including a trio of J Class.
This product was initially developed by
Danish sailor Henrik Bartholin with the aim of
helping shorthanded crews handle spinnakers
on standard sized cruiser/racer yachts. The idea
is to be able to drop a kite of any size using a
dropline, in much the same way as the spinnaker
chute of dinghies and keelboats such as the
Dragon class.
The system consists of a Deckchute ring that
forms the open mouth of the chute and is firmly
attached to padeyes on the
foredeck roughly adjacent to
the forehatch. A sock, which lies
along the deck, is then attached
to this ring. This arrangement
means a complete system is not
needed for each kite, although
each one does need its own
sock and drop line.
At the same time as
Bartholin was working on his
new product, development of
a similar concept had already
started in the J Class fleet. They
pooled knowledge and expertise, with the result
that input for this sector has come from some
of the most successful and high profile names in
the industry, including Bouwe Bekking, MCM’s
Nigel Ingram and Jesper Radich.
Given this background, it’s perhaps no
surprise that four of the most successful
yachts at this year’s St Barths Bucket sported
Deckchutes, including the Baltic 112 Nilaya, which
was overall Bucket winner, Svea (J Class winner),To p a z (third in J-Class) and the 115ft Farr ketch
Sojana (first in Class B). In addition the Southern
Wind SW96 Sorceress used the system in the
Royal Ocean Racing Club Transatlantic Race late
last year. The system has also been fitted to the
J Class Lionheart, the Vitters-built Inouï and the
recently launched Baltic 130 My Song.
While much of the initial take-up and interest
has been among superyachts that are seen on
the race circuit, Bartholin says the product is
equally suitable for cruising: “The fact that four
skilled crew can drop a very big kite safely and
fast will make cruising another ball game.”THE CONCEPT
“Historically, the development of modern kite
string drop systems for bigger yachts dates
back to the big America’s
Cup monohulls of the 1980s,”
Bartholin explains. “Later a highly
efficient single patch string drop
system was developed in TP52s...
and has since been used in
racing monohulls such as the
Maxi 72s, but further upscaling
proved difficult.
“The key factor is drop-line
speed, which must be 3m per
second, or more. If line speed is
low, the drop is a mess and the
kite goes in the water. As kite size
increases, so does the need for even higher drop
line speeds. At some point it is just not doable.
But recently a two-patch kite drop system
emerged in the J Class.”
The sail patches are at a little less than 30
per cent and around 55 per cent up from the foot
of the sail, and a little aft of the vertical centre
line of the sail (see diagram). The position of the
lower patch ensures the foot of the sail is pulled
into the sock before it hits in the water. TheA revolutionary spinnaker handling system, similar to that
used by dinghies, is sweeping through the superyacht world.
Rupert Holmes reports on the DeckchuteCarlo Borlenghi