We prefer a ripstop polyester which offers better performance and UV resistance than Nylon, while being more durable and longer lasting compared to the laminated cloth options available. Code Zero's are still made from a variety of fabric options from different sailmakers. They are also made of more durable and slighter heavier material than a spinnaker and work on furlers with a soft torsion rope inside the luff of the sail. These sails are not as big in size as spinnakers or as fast beam reaching and running, but are versatile and easy to handle for the cruising couple or family. In the last few years the Cruising Code Zero's have been growing rapidly in popularity. They are fast reaching, but can't go dead downwind when tacked on the center line and the mainsail is hoisted. They can be used with a furler, although some people still prefer the sock. The advantages are it is easier to setup tacked onto the bow, without a pole off the mast. An asymmetrical spinnaker purposely designed for furling will have softer corners, and a flatter cut, but it is still okay to retrofit an old sail to a top down furling unit. The top down furler works by allowing the tack of the sail to swivel and wrapping the sail around a soft torsion rope from the head down. In the last few years top down furlers have started to become popular. Asymmetrical spinnakers can also be varied in size, width and design based on the type of boat, and the type of cruising.Īs with symmetrical spinnakers the fabric used is normally Nylon, and for cruising ranges from 0.75oz to 2.5ozĪsymmetrical spinnakers for cruising have traditionally been paired with snuffer socks for hoisting and dropping. But on most cruising cats and mono-hulls it is still faster to go with the wind, if that is the direction of your destination. On faster boats a zig zag course can become a faster way to sail downwind as the boat brings the apparent wind forward. Some cruisers prefer to sail without the mainsail which allows running dead downwind. When tacked onto the bow of a mono-hull, if you are sailing too deep downwind, the sail will lose the wind as it comes into the wind shadow of the mainsail. On Catamarans they can be tacked to the windward bow to allow running at deeper angles when used together with the mainsail. Asymmetrical spinnakers can be flown from a pole off the mast just like a spinnaker, but are generally tacked onto the bow, or flown from a bowsprit. The luff on a asymmetrical spinnaker is longer than the leech and the foil shape is asymmetrical allowing more efficient reaching when the wind is flowing over both sides of the sail.
Asymmetrical SpinnakersĪsymmetrical spinnakers started becoming more popular in the mid 90's and have become the most common downwind cruising sail. Reaching they also project a large area, but the shape of the sail is not as efficient as an Asymmetrical sail. They are versatile when used with a rotating pole, but the pole requires a downhaul and uphaul to keep it stable so there is a lot of rigging involved. The advantages of a Symmetrical spinnaker are speed downwind - they project a large amount of sail area. Traditionally cruising spinnakers have been made from Nylon ranging from 0.5oz to 2.5oz.įor cruising a snuffer sock is often added to make hoisting and dropping safer and easier. One of our customers who has both on his 50ft catamaran said "It isn't any easier, but it is more stable in high winds". The marketing on these sails is a little over the top, but they do offer some advantages to the cruising sailor over the traditional spinnaker. The cut out also helps to dampen the effect of gusts. The Para-Sailor type sail is a Symmetrical spinnaker with a cut out and wing in the center which acts like a soft batten, thus making the sail more stable.
The design scope is quite large, and for cruising they don't have to be maximum size and can also be made easier to trim though shaping. We've also seen them flown from the bow of a mono-hull with a soft strap around the furled up genoa in light airs. They can be flown without a pole on catamarans or trimarans where they can be tacked onto each outer bow. Generally spinnakers are flown from a spinnaker pole to add stability, control and extra speed. The disadvantage of being a symmetrical aerofoil is it isn't as efficient when reaching, but this doesn't mean it can't sail the same angles as a Asymmetrical sail of the same entry angle and depth. This sail is the same length on both long edges ( leeches ) and the aerofoil shape built into the sail is symmetrical, so it can be gybed by simply rotating the sail to the other side of the boat. The classic downwind sail is the Symmetrical spinnaker.