Racing a Catalina 22: anyone have any experience?

[tom28571]

Originally Posted by jehardiman

As Briggs states, twings are lines lead from the clews down and in are are mostly found on small boats with small light poles without seperate sheets and guys. On the windward (guy) side they function similiar to a pole downhaul, on the leeward (sheet) side similiar to a barber hauler. Big uses are to control leech twist and to choke the chute down in windy choppy gybes. The masthead 'chute without twings can get away and up on you in chop which can lead to a wipe out.

Unless things have changed a lot, very few race a Catalina 22 with a chute. None of the regional or national events I raced in included a fleet with chutes. In any case, I think the main purpose of a twing line is to control an oscillating chute in high wind. Spinnaker guys and sheets are normally run from the stern and on a downwind run in heavy air, the chute can get unstable and oscillate from side to side. This will yank the stern about and easily cause either a broach or, what is worse, the dreaded death roll. Pulling the guys down to the midships deck edge will not only snug it down so it has less room to oscillate but concentrate the strain near the center of the boat length where its moment arm is much shorter and less likely to cause the above disasters. Many if not most sailors pull in both twing lines during a jibe to help control the chute as it becomes free from the pole if conditions warrant it.

Some smaller boats like Lightnings get by with a reaching hook that is only used on the after guy to prevent the pole from hiking up as it wants to do on a reach.

A Catalina 22 is not a particularly fast boat but they can offer plenty of sailing fun and competition in large one design fleets. Lots of rigging and sailing information is readily available from the Class. I like the boat.