Does the original Freedom Spinnaker setup comply with the Racing Rules of Sailing 55.2 and 55.3 ?
This question is probably hypothetical since few Freedoms still have the original gun mount spinnaker setup and race with that setup.
For those who do not follow the Sydney Hobart race, the overall handicap winner was protested and penalized 1hr 5 mins for an equipment violation of RRS 55.3 which put them in second place. Essentially poling out the clew of an asymmetrical spinnaker.
you bring up a great point. I don’t think that the hoyt gunmount is legal under currrent racing rules, but any organizing authority could allow it under their SI’s. as a club judge and occasional race organizer, I’d try very hard to discourage any protests based on the gunmount.
I’ve never had anyone bring this up at our local (Finger Lakes Yacht Club) races.
Its class legal as it is part of the original design of the boat.
There are several boats that had the gunmount. The Freedom 21 and 25 had active classes (I don’t think either is active anymore and I can’t find class rules unless they’re here somewhere), but 32 and 36 had them too, and I am sure there was never an active class for those.
If I’m thinking creatively, I could make the argument that the sail doesn’t have a clew at all, but two tacks, since nothing changes except for the side the boom is on. I think that’s what I would say, anyway.
The other issue is that 55.2 states a spinnaker pole must be attached to the foremost mast which would preclude the beloved pulpit gun mount.
This old Freedom 21 racing video sure looks like a lot of fun !
I love that video, despite its dated sexism.
no, but racing rules are silly. this is one of those occasions where you just look at the rulemakers and wonder if they thought this through. freedoms have had these poles , and twin pole gybes break this too…. er, lol….
I love his line “The gunmount spinnaker takes all the terror out of raising and dousing the spinnaker.”
But so true 
Chris
I love my gun mount spinnaker, but it takes me @45 minutes to rig it and I still get it wrong!
. I only use I every few years to cruise.
Btw, should the retrieving line be on the outside or inside of the spinnaker?
I don’t uderstand why it takes so long? I can rig mine in around 15 mins. I have clips on the lines to on the mouth and tail of the sock, which helps. I have my retrieval line on the outside btw.
If you believe Garry, the retrieval line should be attached to the front of the spinnaker. I’ve tried it both ways, and neither one makes it easy. My old (torn) spinnaker had the retrieval line attached at two points, 1/3rd down went out the front, 2/3rds went through a reinforced hole. Of course, that could be why the spinnaker tore at the reinforced point.
Do you remove it, sock and all? My sock attaches to the gunmount hole through 8 holes, which takes quite a while to attach, so I just leave it there, with the spinnaker hidden inside the sock. It takes no time to deploy, once I figured out that you have to lubricate the pole with beeswax so it goes through the gunmount sleeve easily.
Russ, I find that retrieving the spinnaker is best done with two lines coordinated, I.e. paying out the halliard while pulling in on the retrieval line. That way you get a controlled lowering.
And yes I do set up the sock each time I want to use the spinnaker, my sock is a light mesh and would not provide any UV protection. It has 6 attachment points, 4 corners on the top of the pulpit, one at the bottom and a line at the end of the sock that attaches to a station.
