A gennaker is an asymmetrical sail used for downwind sailing on racing and cruising sailboats, combining elements of spinnakers and genoas. It is often easier to use and more versatile than older alternatives, and does not require a spinnaker pole. Gennakers are made of synthetic fabrics and designed with angled panels to improve wind agility. The use of gennakers for racing can be controversial in traditional racing communities.
A gennaker is an asymmetrical sail created for racing and cruising sailboats. It is typically used in downwind sailing situations. In many ways, a gennaker is a hybrid sail, combining elements of spinnakers and genoas. Many sailors find gennakers easier to use and more versatile than any of these older alternatives.
Some sailing organizations and sail manufacturers refer to any asymmetrical spinnaker sail as a gennaker. This definition is correct in some respects, but it is not exhaustive. One of the defining elements of a spinnaker sail is its pole. Spinnakers are symmetrical downwind sails that are anchored to boats with a special cross post at the base of the mast. This gives the sail stability and allows sailors to exercise more precise control.
Most gennakers are designed to be used without a spinnaker pole. The gennaker’s asymmetrical shape in many ways negates the need for a spinnaker pole, as the gennaker derives much of its stability from the way it catches and channels the wind. However, some rigging is still required.
For experienced sailors, a gennaker often lends more control and easier handling than a traditional downwind sail like a spinnaker. Taking advantage of the wind and rapidly changing course can be best done, some believe, when the sail is allowed to fly more freely. The sails are often marketed as easy for beginners to understand, providing all the agility of a traditional spinnaker without the technical rigging specifications.
Gennaker sails have a similar shape. The straight side that joins the neck, called the luff, is always longer than the adjacent outer edge, called the leech. As a result, the leech must necessarily bow to meet the trunk at the top, giving the sail its asymmetry and its ability to catch the wind.
Wind and wind angles can also be taken advantage of by the gennaker material and its composition. Most often, sails are made of synthetic fabrics and nylon stockings in a wide variety of colors. Sometimes gennakers and other sails are made from a single piece of fabric, but more often, they are designed with certain patterns and angled panels to achieve different performance results. Sailcloth manufacturers have been using panels to improve wind agility in sails, and gennakers are no exception. It is common to see geometric panels on sails to encourage three-dimensional shaping and promote optimal rippling.
Gennaker navigation is a relatively new phenomenon. The use of gennakers for racing can be somewhat controversial in traditional racing communities. The IRC, a London-based organization that sets the qualification rules for most internationally sanctioned regattas, only allows certain types and dimensions of gennaker sails aboard racing boats.
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