Here is a training idea for those rusty on spinnaker work or with little experience. The idea is to be able to practice setting, gybing and take-downs in a non-frenzied environment. Works best in winds in the 5-10 knots range:

1. Turn the boat 180 degrees on the mooring, securing the line to the traveler.
2. Set up all lines (sheet and guy, fore-guy for pole, twings--which I recommend--and pole lift. For the latter, which is normally rigged through the second mast hoop down from the top, untie the jib halyard, put a small bowline in the end, and run the pole lift through it. to about ten feet off the deck and belay. Note: if the jib halyard has a snap hook, get rid of it. It can easily capture the spinnaker halyard during the hoist.
3. Rig pole--open ends of the end fittings up--to mast after rigging the guy through the outer end, pole lift, and fore guy. Rig the pole end about 10 degrees up from horizontal.
4. The 'chute should have been put in a plastic bucket on the port side of the mast on the cockpit floorboards. Be sure to tie it down. Hook up clews to the sheet and guy, tie halyard to the head--again, no snap hooks.
5. Have the crew hoist the spinnaker while skipper rapidly trims the after guy, pulling the pole aft to about 45 degrees off the centerline of boat. Trim sheet until the sail fills. For fine tuning trim the pole fore or aft until it is perpendicular to the apparent wind as shown by telltales. Adjust pole lift so that tack and clew of the sail are about the same height. If the pole is 45 degrees forward, use the windward twing to pull the after guy down to near or at the chainplate.
6. Rig for gybing by easing the pole forward--or aft--to about the 45 degree position. Ease or trim the sheet so that clews are about level with each other fore and aft. Unhook the pole from the mast, then from the guy. Attach the pole to the new guy, then to the mast. Shout "Made!" to skipper so (s)he can begin trimming the spinnaker for the new course. If (s)he starts trimming before your call, it may be difficult or impossible to get the pole on the mast. Fine tune sheet, guy, twings, lift, and fore-guy. If you have done it right the sail won't have collapsed . . .
7. Repeat fifteen or twenty times.
8. Dousing: In real life the first order would be "Up jib!" Hoist to the mark on the halyard (What! You haven't marked it?). In our drill, start by unhooking the fore guy from the pole. Pass the end of the spinnaker halyard back to the skipper who will control the drop. If on the starboard tack, let the guy go. Do not, as is normal, free the sail from the guy. In real life the spinnaker will slide lifeless behind the main and can easily be dropped into the bucket. Get hold of the sheet first and make your way to the middle of the foot. Call to the skipper "Drop" and (s)he will ease the sail down. Leave the clew and head attached for easy re-hoisting. Lastly capture and re-stow the pole, which has been swinging around on its lift. This is low priority and can come after a tack if necessary.

• If on the port tack do a windward take down. In this case, remove the pole from the mast, then the guy from its outer end. Have the skipper blow the sheet. Work along the foot to the middle of the spinnker and proceed as above. It sound a bit hairy, and would be on a larger 'chute, but is actually easy.

1. Repeat all of the above, many times! Then go try it for real. Enjoy!

-- George Moffat