Sails in a Bag: What Are a Spinnaker and a Gennaker?
Colourful sails that turn light-wind cruising into a lively sail — the gennaker for the cruising boat, the spinnaker for the racer.
Downwind sails are colourful, full-cut sails that turn light-wind cruising into a lively sail. In the Aegean’s 5-10 knot morning breeze, when normal sails barely keep the boat moving, a downwind sail lets you switch the engine off.
There are two types. The table below compares them.
Spinnaker - gennaker
Feature | Spinnaker | Gennaker (asymmetric) |
|---|---|---|
Symmetry | Symmetric | Asymmetric |
Pole | Flown with a pole | No pole, fixed to the bow |
Use | Dead downwind, racing boat | Reaching angles, the cruising boat’s downwind sail |
The gennaker’s ease of use has made it the cruising boat’s downwind sail. But it demands respect: a large area plus light cloth quickly turns into control trouble when the wind builds. The real skill with a downwind sail is not hoisting it, but taking it down in good time.
Late retrieval is the most expensive mistake: a sail left up for “five more minutes” cannot be recovered in a squall, takes on water or heels the boat over; retrieval should be done in the wind shadow (behind the mainsail). The advice for cruisers is clear: a socked (snuffer) gennaker plus strict retrieval discipline above 12-14 knots.