BENETEAU First 18, Assembly Manual

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HOISTING & DROPPING OF THE GENNAKER FROM THE SNUFFER
Snuffer system is a significant simplification of gennaker use, but only if you follow a few simple
steps.
GENNAKER HOISTING PROCEDURE:
1. Un-cleat both gennaker sheets and take them out of the rope bags.
2. Extend the bowsprit to pull the gennaker out of the snuffer bag.
3. Continuously hoist the gennaker. A bit more of resistance is normal in the first few meters of
the hoist. It’s important to hoist gennaker continuously and as fast as possible.
4. Trim the gennaker to move it away from the jib and furl the jib.
GENNAKER DROPPING PROCEDURE:
1. To make dropping of the gennaker into the snuffer possible, you need to sail very deep
downwind angles, which will empty the gennaker and reduce forces. Dropping the gennaker
into the snuffer at closer wind angles, especially on starboard tack, is not working well.
2. Tension the retriever line, to divide the gennaker on half and empty it. Keep the retriever line
under tension and completely ease the working sheet at the same time.
3. Check that the halyard is not tangled and you are not standing on it. Open the halyard and
retrieve the gennaker into th
e snuffer as fast as possible. Don’t try to slow down falling of
the gennaker with the halyard, just focus on pulling it into the snuffer as quickly as possible.
4. When the gennaker is about half-way into the snuffer bag, dropping will be blocked by the
bowsprit. Open the pole-out rope and pull the gennaker in completely.
5. Tension the gennaker sheets and cleat them.