This is the downwind rig to which Iain refers in Return to Old Blighty, in another article in this issue
Downwind sailing has, in my opinion, been the plague of the short-handed cruising man since yachting began. Conventional spinnakers are too stressful, and cruising chutes won’t set once the wind is more than 150° off the bow. Furthermore, both require one to venture into the danger zone to grapple with them on a heaving foredeck. Snuffers help reduce the need for foredeck manpower, but still leave one precariously vulnerable to the flogging beast, not to mention the flailing sheet.
My solution to the problem is the ‘simbo rig’ which, once set, can power one downwind with impunity, reef at the pull of the furling line and set to leeward with simplicity when coming onto the wind. It requires two identical high-clew working jibs set on a twin-grooved jib foil. When on the wind these sails will fly in tandem down to leeward without any appreciable wear – although not essential, when on the wind I reeve the two leeward sheets through the one fairlead and on to the cockpit. Otherwise the outer sheets are reeved through the whisker pole block and the inner sheets through the fairleads. The weather (ie inner) leeward jib is trimmed to the wind and the lazy jib is then tightened up to it. This will take one from close hauled through to a broad reach. Both sails will easily reef or furl away together on the jib foil in the normal manner.
Once the wind exceeds 150° off the bow I pull the weather leeward jib across to windward, with the sheet run through a block on the end of a whisker pole, back to a turning block on the capping rail and up to the cockpit. The leeward jib sheet is run through a block on the leeward whisker pole. These poles are set at right angles to the boat and supported by separate boom lifts plus fixed fore-and-aft guys.
The ‘simbo rig’ from the bow
On a run, sufficient wind is captured in the weather jib to keep the leeward jib fully stretched despite it being blanketed by the mainsail. Together they have the same flying characteristics as a spinnaker, but with complete control being maintained from the cockpit. The jibs can either be reduced or furled around the foil, or the weather jib can be allowed to fly over to leeward reducing the headsail area by half.
The rig as it would look if the mainsail was transparent
When returning to a reach it is a simple matter to allow the weather jib to fly to leeward whilst leaving the whisker poles set. If you are concerned about trim on a beat you can re-reeve the lazy leeward jib sheet back through the fairlead, in tandem with the weather leeward sheet, but in cruising mode I don’t bother. The jibs fly quite happily together with a slight gap at the clew.
If opting for the ‘simbo rig’ it will be necessary to install a strong swivelling halyard shackle to which to attach the heads of the sails. When running, the sails will work any weaker fixed halyard shackle, which in time will fail due to metal fatigue. Of course it is also necessary to have twin high-clew jibs, ours being designed by Owen Sails in Oban.
During our two Atlantic passages never once did the ‘simbo rig’ give me cause for concern, irrespective of weather conditions, one cockpit-bound person has total control over it at all times. The significance of the high-clew sails is that you can tighten the leech down onto the whisker pole to keep the head of the sails cupped.
Finally I would mention that executing a gybe with the ‘simbo rig’ requires no more than hauling the mainsail in and releasing it on the other tack. The goose-winged jibs with their sheets and guys remain unaffected.
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