Patent ID: 8146525

Claim:
A method of controlling a spinnaker pole ( 8 ) or similar of a sailing boat; in which a sheet ( 6 ) and a guy ( 7 ) are attachable to a spinnaker sail ( 4 ) and having a fore triangle, characterized in that control lines ( 12 , 13 ) are arranged to travel through the spinnaker pole ( 8 ) and are arranged to move a piston ( 20 ) and that the piston ( 20 ) is connected to means to alter the length of the pole ( 8 ), or to lower the outer end of the pole, the method comprising the steps of choosing a first gybe to be sailed, actuating the control line ( 12 or 13 ) on the chosen gybe side, swinging the spinnaker pole to the chosen gybe side through the fore triangle and allowing the spinnaker pole to elongate or raise by movement of the piston, starting a second gybe by un-actuating the actuated control line ( 12 or 13 ) and actuating the opposing control line ( 12 or 13 J permitting the piston to move and shorten or lower the spinnaker pole, and swinging the spinnaker pole to the second gybe side through the fore triangle.