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DECKCHUTE

A GAME CHANGER

DECKCHUTE GRAND PRIX HOIST AND DROP

 

Grand Prix drop is FAST: Drop done in 20 seconds or less!

Grand Prix drop is the spinnaker being pulled down by a dropline attached to one or two patches high in the spinnaker. 

The spinnaker is pulled down into Deckchute or the into the hull of the boat. 

It is pulled down so fast by the drop winch that it comes "flying down". 

Grand Prix hoists and drops are standard in some racing SuperYachts, in racing fleets such as TP 52's and Maxi 78's,  but very rarely in other kind of boats.

Grand Prix drops fully rely on very fast winches for the dropline and on good crew coordination of the drop.

Slow winches cannot be used for Grand Prix drops. Most SuperYachts have fast winches.

Very-very few normal sized boats have fast winches.

There is no way a boat with slow winches can do Grand Prix drops!

Systems for Grand Prix hoists and drops are Deckchute and systems integrated in the hull of few classes of racing monohulls.

 

Note:
For decades hoist and drop systems very similar to the Grand Prix system have been standard in dinghies, small cats and more recently in small sports boats such as the Beneteau First 18´.

Here, one crew pull the dropline by hand.

However, with increasing spinnaker size and in strong wind it is increasingly impossible to pull the dropline fast and hard enough by hand.

Even with a modest sized spinnaker of 60 m2 it is risky on a windy day; Result is trawling and a torn spinnaker. 

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JANN NEERGAARD,

pro sailor and Deckchute Coach.

In this video Jann talks about how he introduce Deckchute to racing teams, that starts up using the Deckchute Grandprix system and the benefits the team will have by a faster drop.

CARLOS RUIGÓMEZ,

pro sailor and Deckchute Coach.

Carlos explains about the NEW Deckchute Grandprix arch and how it works.

JESPER RADICH, pro sailor and Deckchute Coach.

Jesper talks about key benefits and tactical advantages using Deckchute.

GAME CHANGER

Deckchute is being adopted by the Racing Super Yacht Fleet.

Deckchute means faster hoists and faster drops, faster boat speed rounding the lower mark and less "noise" on the fore deck.

Upwind the kite is resting in the chute and is ready for re-hoist. No repack during race!

All together Deckchute is cool tactical moves made possible, faster boat speed at the lower mark, less activity on the fore deck and more focus on sailing.

After all - how else do you get an"easy" gain on a regular course or on a day race, hoisting and dropping the kite a number of times?

 

We work with some of the best people and companies to plan, build, deliver and test sail Deckchute with each new client.

The first step is to have a look at the boat's kites and deck to decide the Deckchute size and length.

Next step is to place the Patches correctly in 3D models of the kites.

After that it is all about building the Deckchute and the drop lines, which are a special blend of high tech fibers.

Further comes fitting of the kites with patches the Deckchute way, and planning the means for guiding the drop line to the drop winch on the boat's deck.

Final thing is delivery and Deckchute training, full crew - often this takes place some days prior to a race.

One or two of our Deckchute coaches will lead the way during the Deckchute training days: Mounting the hardware, planning and instructing the crew, sailing as instructors.

 

New teams consistently tell us they had a good time and a steep Deckchute learning curve.

Soon you will drop leeward or windward in a jibe right at the lower mark.

Your boat speed will be faster approaching, going around the mark and in the first minutes heading upwind.

You will be able to tack sooner, and you will point higher.

A few crew members will clear the fore deck soon after the drop before they hit the rail.

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Deckchute Grand Prix 2 patch drops.

Race drops in 20 sec or less.

Continous dropline, no change of dropine on dropwinch during the drop.

Lower patch is connected to the dropline by a fuse - The fuse is a thin line that break when it is blocked by a loopring attached to the deck.

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