Her spinnaker filled by the following wind, a mighty J-boot runs for the line. On her port rail, a man watches the sail closely, ready to signal aft for any necessary adjustments to its sheets. ln the background, the opponent is just rounding the mark and raising her spinnaker, still held tightly bunched by lines collect stops. When the spinnaker's sheets are pulled taut, the stops -made of easily broken string known as rotten-twine- will snap, and the loosened canvas will belly out with the wind.