The SJ24 original system for launching a spinnaker employed a turtle bag mounted at the bow of the boat. It is not an ideal system as it suffers while racing or in heavy winds. Getting the spinnaker down and re-packed into the turtle bag was always a time-consuming process.

All of the racing boats have since converted to launching and dowsing the spinnaker in the cockpit with a custom bag. See picture below showing the spinnaker being dowsed into the cockpit. It also minimizes the time crew has to spend on the bow of the boat, which slows down the boat.

Your local sailmaker can make a custom bag for you that fits your boat for a reasonable price. Make sure you ask for a mesh bottom to allow water to easily drain. And a pocket on the front of the bag to allow for stowage of small items. Such as marker pens, sailing instructions and tide charts.

The basic dimensions for a SJ24 spinnaker cockpit bag is 22” Width by 22” Length by 24” Deep. These can be adjusted to your preferences on your boat.

Avoid the J/24 spinnaker bag from APS or Mauri Pro. It is not deep enough and is far too wide for the companionway width. It is designed for a smaller spinnaker.

Your spinnaker bag should include at least one batten. A batten is necessary to keep the bag mouth open while stuffing an unruly spinnaker into it. Especially when the bag is empty.

You only want a batten on one or two sides of the bag as oriented in the boat. See picture for a single batten on the starboard side of the bag, running fore and aft. Otherwise it prevents closing the bag when you stow it.

The spinnaker bag is pushed forward so crew can easily go below without disconnecting anything.

The spinnaker bag is shown below stowed and hangs out of the way when going below.

Suggested hardware to support the spinnaker cockpit bag from the underside of the cabin top.

1. Qty (2) 16mm cheek pivot blocks, Harken PN 432.
2. Qty (2) Dead End Eye Beckets, Ronstan PN RF1050.
3. Suitable length of 5mm diameter dyneema low stretch line.
4. Qty (1) suitable jaw to jaw turnbuckle appropriate for the line size.

The cheek pivot blocks should be mounted to the underside of the cabin top, as forward as required to allow the spinnaker bag to be pushed forward at least 3 feet. The cheek pivot blocks and eye beckets mounting locations should form an equal leg length rectangle.

A jaw to jaw turnbuckle is used to adjust the tension of the supporting dyneema line.

The Dead End Eye Strap Beckets should be mounted to the underside of the cabin top, as aft as possible and approximately 2" to 3" from the edge as shown.