![]() Cruising chutes need only a tack line and pair of sheets. ![]() Unlike other sailmakers, North Sails refers to its code-zero-style sails as G0s, with the “G” standing for “gennaker.” A code zero is typically flown on a furler tacked to the deck. Either way, the torsion rope’s job is to provide a stiff, shroud like member that translates effort from the furling line to a clean and tight top-down furl.Īlso, unlike furlers used to roll up jibs and genoas, code-zero furling drums are usually dedicated to the sail, so when it’s time to lower the rolled-up sausage and store the sail, the furler goes into the sail bag with it. This torsion rope can be attached to the head of the sail or it can be integral to the sail. This arrangement, Kaseler says, requires that the sailmaker incorporate a torsion rope on the sail’s front edge. Unlike jibs and genoas, which use furlers with drums that contain the furling line when the sail is deployed, code zeros tend to employ continuous-line furlers (pull one direction and the sail unwinds pull the other direction and it refurls) that furl the sail from its bottom up or from the top of its leech downward (the latter are known as top-down furlers). If they’re not concerned with sailing close to the wind, the sail can be made from a performance 1.5-ounce nylon.”Īs Loory notes, code zeros typically reside on furlers, allowing them to be deployed quickly, and are tacked to a hard point that’s in front of the forestay. “If cruisers want to sail closer to the wind with their code zeros, they’ll need a stronger sail that’s made out of laminated fabrics. “Cruising code zeros are flat, reaching spinnakers on furlers,” Loory says. While the DNA of today’s cruising code zeros is rooted in the racing world, UK’s Loory makes it clear that these sails are far different from what can be found aboard a modern TP52 racing sloop. If you try to fly them dead downwind, they’ll fall out of the sky.” “Code zeros take the place of 150 percent genoas, and then some,” Quantum’s Kaseler says. They can be made from a variety of materials to match a customer’s needs and budget. As a result, mid-girth measurements that run 55 to 65 percent of the sail’s foot measurement are common, making them easier to sail and friendlier to furl.Ī cruising code zero typically would be used when sailing on any point from a close reach to a shallower broad reach, with their sweet spot ranging from 75 to 125 degrees true wind angle, depending on their mid-girth measurements the larger the percentage, the deeper the sail can be carried. Cruising code zeros aren’t subject to these same constraints, however. For race boats, code zeros are subject to specific rules that describe their mid-girth measurement (namely, 75 percent of their foot length). These rockets came to fame aboard racing sailboats in the late 1990s and early 2000s, allowing racers to quickly fetch deeper angles than a racing headsail could efficiently carry. Here’s what I learned, starting with the most weatherly sail and clocking back to those that are better-suited for deep-angle runs. In all cases, the sails they recommend are custom-designed and built for the owners and the boats that will use them. I reached out to three leading sailmakers-Dan Kaseler, who owns Quantum Sails’ Seattle loft Adam Loory, who works as UK Sailmakers International’s general manager and Bob Meagher, from North Sails’ Fort Lauderdale loft-to learn more about the best options for cruisers. ![]() To address this loss of power, today’s sailmakers offer dedicated off-wind sails that liven up performance when sailing deeper angles. While this approach makes it relatively easy to trim the jib while tacking upwind, as soon as the boat cracks off and sheets are eased, boat speed drops, especially in the lighter airs that are common to coastal waters during the summer months. While these large headsails demand some grunting on the winches to haul in the sheets during tacks-and typically require roller reefing or downshifting to a smaller jib when the breeze freshens-they allow boats to sail deeper angles without hoisting dedicated off-the-wind sails for reaching and running downwind.īy contrast, the current trend in sail plans typically features a larger mainsail and non-overlapping or just slightly overlapping headsail, typically in the range of 107 percent. For example, older sloops typically carry 130 to 150 percent genoas that, when sheeted hard on the wind, extend well aft of the shrouds. Not so long ago, most production sailboats featured sail plans that were a bit different from what one might encounter when looking at how boats are rigged today. Three sailmakers take a look at off-wind sails that will keep your boat moving on a reach and a run.
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