How much faster is the new spinnaker

Here's some video of me in a Tandem Island fitted with Spinnaker taking off from an Island and a Tandem without kites. Light winds but shows how much more performance you get.

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Sth East Qld Hobie Island Club Captain.
https://www.seqic.com.au

Nice! I'll get one once I can free up the funds from other projects and commitments.

Nice video. Really gives an idea of the potential speed gain. What would you say the wind speed was?


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Well that says it all. Impressive!
I can see this working well for a down the coast run with a prevailing Summer Nor'easter.

As a modified TI motorist, I fail to see where the spinnaker would benefit my overall speed. BUT, if one was to lose out to a failed motor then a spinnaker might come in handy for light winds. Especially for long excursions.

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Mark
Tandem Island- 2013
2 - Sports - 2014

I really like your setup! Could you give us a parts list for the blocks and cleats you used on your akas? Thanks!

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2015 Hobie Tandem Island Hibiscus
"Third Normal Form"

• Trampolines
• Hobie cover
• Davis Spar Fly
• Kayakbob's Sprayskirts
• Spine Board Hakas

I think that video nailed it. Showed exactly what everyone wanted to see.

Stringy - I was thinking the same with that run from Newcastle to Lake Mac. ( BTW, sort out that parts list above will ya. I'm a bit busy )

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Don't take life too seriously................it ain't permanent.

I have had the joy of a two hour spinnaker run, and it was brilliant. A lot of the time I furled the main so I could see the reacher easier

I can imagine a similar run down Lake Macquarie, or as stringy suggests, down the coast.

Mods....
I had a good look at the line passing under the akas from front to rear, and disagree with spook on this one. The line only has to bend a total of about 4 inches over about a 15 foot distance, so the side forces on the Hobie supplied padeyes are tiny, meaning that there is no need IMHO to replace the self-tapper screws or the padeyes themselves. Spook did admit to overkill...

The other mods generally follow Spook's suggestions, although in some aspects I varied the means slightly.
Bow. I have a crowded bow, with an anchor line and retrieve shackle already there, with a second padeye. So I added a shackle as per spook's suggestion to give the reacher tack block a less stressful angle.

Stern. I discovered, to my shock, that the existing mainsheet block had been interfering with the rearmost part of the luggage deck bungee, to the point it was nearly frayed through! So I did my "normal" fix, of cutting the cord through the frayed bit, and then rejoining the two halves using tight zip ties. I have used these for a long time about the boat, and never had any issues with this method. Meanwhile, of course I don't want a repeat of this, so I added a 2 inch long shackle to move the mainsheet block clear of the bungee. I then added the reacher block to the original padeye, keeping the two blocks separate.

Top batten. Shortened the batten so there is no longer any catching point there. Nevertheless, there really isn't ever going to be a way to avoid partial furling when gybing, with major mods to the mast topper, which I don't think is worth the effort compared to having to make the occasional partial reef

Spinnaker sheeting. I have ordered some blocks to attach out at the ends of the akas as per spook's suggestion.
Looks like I need to get the camera out tomorrow!

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker

Damn this video!

I thought I didn't need another, "Downwind Sail".

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Fair Skies, Max.

Here is the final proof Max, spook hitting 21kmh (that's 11 knots!) maximum, but spending lots of time in the high teens. Very impressive.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJN2W-pV6kw

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker

OOG!

I have had my AI1 up to 18Kmh just once and briefly, it was pretty exhilarating and the bow buried for a sec but then scooped out and the boat felt like it was skipping for a moment. (Here I see the foresail is lifting the bow nicely.)

But that's nothing compared to this sustained dash.

Looks like I might have to stop and see Doug at Maclean outdoors on the way up the coast.

How long does it take to fit?

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Fair Skies, Max.

Hobie's printed instructions, as well as the video, set it all out clearly. I didn't time myself (everything I do with my TI is measured and savoured, like a good wine lol), but a couple of hours will do it.

You need to drill six holes in crossbars (Hobie includes neat self-tappers which have drillbit points, so they make their own holes). In addition, there are six holes through the plastic hull (4 are for optional padeyes along the hull sides, but I didn't hesitate to use them). The turning block at the rear side of the hull needs washers and nylock nuts on the bottom of the bolts.

I almost forgot. There are also four "top hat" fittings which you screw into the rear side of the rear akas, but I have since added a couple of small Ronstan ballbearing 30mm blocks, which I lashed to the akas. The are more secure, and lower in friction that the top hats (which will work fine if you want to see if you need the turning blocks or not)

The rest is easy peasy, and the result is a professional installation, up to Hobie's usual high standards.

You will enjoy it!

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Tony Stott
2012 Tandem Island "SIC EM" with Hobie spinnaker