# Reaching struts



## dpboatnut

I know they''re for reaching, when the pole goes forward and the guy''s angle gets very small, but they seem to be used only in distance races and not buoy races. Is that correct? So are they a chafe and wear preventative rather than essential bits of gear? How should they''re length be determined, and are there any rules about their use? I seem to recall PHRF allowing them, but that some people quote an (old?) RRS rule prohibiting "outriggers".

Thanks,
-Chad


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## Jeff_H

I have not seen a reaching strut used on a race boat in more than 10 years. They do improve the lead angle for the spinacker guy when power reaching but that is less of a problem since most boats went to low stretch line. They may still be used on bigger boats on long offshore legs but I have not seen boats even equipped for struts in recent years. As far as I know, they are still completely legal. 

Jeff


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## Silmaril

The reaching strut should be used whenever your pole is forward enough that the guy would hit the shrouds. Close reaching with a chute, in otherwords. With the newer blends of lightweight high strength lines out today, you must make sure you use a strut to brevent break-down of the fibers from chafe on the shrouds. I use mine whenever the guy will be touching the uppers. Even on short distance or bouy racing. I need a full crew(7 - 8) on my older 37'' IOR boat, so it''s not a big deal. If you had fewer crew, the extra step might seem like too much work on a short course. Mine takes only a few seconds to put up and take down. Just remember those days when your guy was rubbing away on your shrouds if your heavily loaded guy parts with a bang.


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## Silmaril

As Jeff mentioned, it really is a throw back to the olds days, small high aspect mains and silly huge foretriangles. My 3/4 oz tri-radial is about 1,400sf and makes for a lot of work. Hense my need for a lot of crew when racing. I only singlehand a chute in VERY light winds! I would imagine if your guy doesnt hit your shrouds, it would be a waste of time. Mine does, so I use it!


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## dpboatnut

Thanks for the replies. My boat is an older CCA rule boat, with an 8'' beam on 29'' LOD, and only a 10'' J dim. The guy starts getting on the shrouds pretty quick as the boat reaches up. I''ve tried running the guy through a snatch block on the rail, but that doesn''t really solve the problem.

I''ve seen the photo of Stan Honey''s Cal40 crossing the finish line of the Transpac reprinted several times lately, and noticed he was sporting a strut. He also has an intersting "reverse twing" on the bottom of his boom, to hold the sheet further outboard. Since my boat has similar proportions to his (broadly...), I began to think his might be a good example to follow.

Oh, and just arrived in my mailbox, the cover on the current issue of Sail Mag has a Farr with a reaching strut, although I suppose Jeff might say any boat with teak decks is not a "raceboat". I think it''d still woop mine, though...

Best,
-Chad


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## sailingfool

I always thought the primary purpose of a strut was to ease the load on the guy by providing a wider-angle. I remember needing two-hands on a primary winch to trim a guy close-reaching in a breeze without a strut on even a C&C 33 - put the strut up and it was much more manageable.
I think the use of of tweaker blocks allowing trimming the guy to the rail amidship spelt the end of strut use on most boats by providing similar leverage without the extra hardware or running around...


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## Silmaril

It''s all in the angles. On my "vintage" IOR design, if you use a block out at the widest point of beam, you would not have a fair lead back to the footblock. The farthest forward I can have a guy with a fair lead to the footblock then puts the guy on the shrouds when the pole is just off the headstay. Therefore, I use a reaching strut.


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## Sabreman

I know that this is an ancient thread, but I'd like to resurrect the discussion. Two questions:

1. When we have the symmetrical spinnaker flying on a reach, the pole is against or nearly against the headstay. In that position with the guy lead to the aft corner of the transom, it's nearly impossible to trim because the guy is pulling the pole nearly straight back, dragging across the lifelines, chafing both. Last year, we led the guy to a block amidships on the rail and the angle was better but not great. While a reaching strut is the obvious answer, what do you guys do?

2. I picked up a relatively short strut at Bacon's that I think will work. The traditional attachment point is on the mast, but I think that I recall seeing a photo of the strut attached to the point on the deck. Ideas? I was planning to attach it to a sliding eye fixed at the forward end of our inboard genoa track and then lashing the middle of the strut to a stanchion to keep it from riding up.


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## jackdale

Sabreman said:


> I know that this is an ancient thread, but I'd like to resurrect the discussion. Two questions:
> 
> 1. When we have the symmetrical spinnaker flying on a reach, the pole is against or nearly against the headstay. *In that position with the guy lead to the aft corner of the transom, it's nearly impossible to trim because the guy is pulling the pole nearly straight back, dragging across the lifelines, chafing both. * Last year, we led the guy to a block amidships on the rail and the angle was better but not great. While a reaching strut is the obvious answer, what do you guys do?


The guy should go through a block further forward.


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## Faster

The guy lead block should be forward when reaching tight and the pole near the forestay.

With end-for-end twingers do a good job of that, obviously you don't want to be moving the block on every gybe.

With dip pole, and double sheets/guys the guys can be lead through a forward/midships block at all times. This also helps take some of the load off the foreguy as the pull is more downward.

Reaching struts seem to be fading.. definitely not worth the hassle of setting/removing for every gybe, or going through the hassle for a 30 minute leg. If should be long enough to extend beyond the shrouds from it's attachment point. I think and on-deck attachment point would not be 'in line' with the normal position of the guy. It's more of a chafe protection measure than a 'angle of effort' measure as the difference is only a few inches anyhow. A forward or twinged guy lead from the widest foward point usually avoids the grinding on the shrouds - though loads on the lifelines and stanchions can become a concern.


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## svHyLyte

The merit of the reaching strut is that it increases the angle between the center axis of the spinnaker pole and the center-line of the after-guy in the same manner that a spreader does for a cap shroud on a mast. This reduces the tension needed in the guy and the induced compression load in the pole from the guy. On some of the wide-butt lead haulers of today ("sleds"), where the lead-block for the guy is already quite far off the center line of the yacht, a reaching strut might not be necessary but in older yachts, and particularly those with IOR induced lines, the reaching strut is a necessary element of the rig. The good news is that they are relatively short, accordingly light weight, and relatively easily positioned.


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## Sabreman

> The guy should go through a block further forward.


That's what we did this year, with the block positioned at the boat's widest point. But the angle still wasn't very good. In the illustration, if the spin pole is farther forward, the angle is very tight, even with a mid-ship block so a strut is needed. I'm hoping to use the strut to get the guy further out to increase the angle.

From what I read of the 3 recent posts, a strut is still the way to go if the boat is older (as is ours) and a mid-ship block still isn't cutting it. Thanks for the confirmation, guys.


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## Faster

One thing you might want to look into.. the strut is usually 'lashed' to the shrouds to prevent it swinging aft (or forward, depending how it's aligning with the shrouds) under load.. a clew-strap style velcro strap might do the trick, much quicker to install and remove than a rope or webbing lashing.


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## Stumble

On big offshore boats they are still pretty common. When you start playing with articulating bowsprits they are the only way to control the pole end. Think a 70' boat with a 65' asymetric spinnaker pole.


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## SchockT

In all my years of racing I have never set foot on a boat that uses a reaching strut. With dedicated sheets and guys, the guys are always run through blocks on the toe rail at the widest part of the boat which keeps the guys clear of the shrouds. Sometimes they chaffe a bit on the lifelines but never enough to be a concern. On boats that use sheets only, tweakers in the same max beam position for the guy side serves the same purpose. It is much easier to pull on a tweaker with every gybe than to screw around with a strut!


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## SchockT

Stumble said:


> On big offshore boats they are still pretty common. When you start playing with articulating bowsprits they are the only way to control the pole end. Think a 70' boat with a 65' asymetric spinnaker pole.


Yeah they seem to be making a comeback on some of those beasts, but that is a bit beyond the typical club racer!


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## jasenj1

I've seen this problem on the J30 I crew on. With the spinnaker pole close to the forestay, it's almost impossible to trim the pole back. I've often found myself putting my hand out as a human reaching strut to increase the angle on the guy. We're only doing short, around the buoys races, but I completely understand the problem and see the value of another pole to push the guy out.

- Jasen.


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