Cruising World - Sailing Downwind? Set a Whisker Pole

"No matter whether the journey is a trade-wind romp across a thousand miles of ocean or a daysail up the bay, a cruising boat that's not equipped with a whisker pole loses the ability to sail efficiently when the destination is dead downwind. In any chop or waves, it's difficult, if not impossible, to wing the jib out unsupported, and with the wind farther aft than about 140-degrees apparent, the main will blanket the jib or genoa. That's a total of about 80 degrees of apparent wind that you can't use efficiently without a pole. But many cruisers don't carry a pole because they feel it's difficult to set up and use. That's not the case if you follow a few simple steps. Let's go through what it takes to wing out your jib with a pole."