After rigging and mainsails, let's focus on headsails. What type of sail for what purpose?
Let's get down to business.
Headsails, here understood as the sails in front of the mast, are just as crucial as the mainsail, although their use is more specific due to their position. A seasoned sailor needs to juggle a variety of headsails to cover all points of sail and weather conditions. From genoa to staysail to gennaker, these sails are essential to guarantee your boat's maneuverability and performance. Let's take stock:
Distinction for Les Voiles d'Avant
Upwind headsails: Genoa, Jib, staysail
These sails are mainly used for upwind sailing, with the aim of generating significant lift to get upwind. They have a more aggressive profile, adapted to strong winds, and are often made of rigid materials for better shape control. In fact, they are also better suited to heavy weather.
1. The Genoa
- Size : The largest of the headsails.
- Use Ideal for light to moderate wind conditions, maximizes upwind and downwind performance.
- Beach in the true wind : 50 à 120°.
- Mountings :
Furling genoa: For quick deployment and stowage.
Genoas are almost systematically offered in the basic configurations of modern sailing yachts. Fitted on a furler, they allow quick and practical sail reduction. This is also the case with Andaman Sails.
2. The FOC (or solent)
- Size Between genoa and staysail.
- How to use : Suitable for moderate to strong winds, offering a balance of control and performance.
- Range of use : 50 à 120°.
- Mountings : Mounted on the main forestay. Nowadays, the furling system has been adopted on most boats, and the genoa can be reduced to the size of a solent.
3. The trinquette
- Size : Variable, generally smaller than the jib.
- How to use : Perfect for very strong winds, reduces sail area for safety and control.
- Mountings :
- Inner stay: For storm configurations.
- Furler: Enables you to switch from a solent profile to a stormjib profile.
- Inner stay: For storm configurations.
4. Le Tourmentin
- Description : Extremely robust storm sail.
- Size : The smallest of the headsails.
- Use : Used to stabilize the boat in very bad weather, often in escape gears.
All these sails are designed for upwind sailing or difficult conditions, but what about headsails designed for downwind sailing? In this case, we speak of downwind sails.
This is a 50-foot Andaman unit in mainsail/ gennaker.
Les Voiles Portantes
Downwind sails are designed to take advantage of the wind coming from behind or to the side of the boat, maximizing speed on broad, wide and downwind points of sail.
In downwind conditions, the boat's propulsion mode is different; it's pushed by the wind, so we're no longer looking for lift as with an aircraft wing with sails, but rather a large surface area capable of "capturing" as much wind as possible. The canvas is then more like a parachute with a light weave. Let's take a look.
1. Spinnaker
- Description : The spinnaker is a large, light sail, symmetrical or asymmetrical, which inflates with the wind coming from astern to push the boat. The symmetrical spinnaker is more traditional, while the asymmetrical is more versatile for varied points of sail.
- Cut The symmetrical spinnaker, as its name implies, has a symmetrical cut in relation to its vertical axis, and is a sail that hollows out a lot in the shape of a parachute. The asymmetrical spinnaker, on the other hand, has a cut much closer to that of a genoa, with a much more pronounced hollow and a much larger surface area.
- Operating range:
- Symmetrical: Mainly used from 90° to 180° upwind, ideal for pure tailwinds.
- Asymmetrical: Can be used from 70° to 135°, offering better performance on broadsides. More versatile in its points of sail, but less efficient in pure downwind conditions.
- Symmetrical: Mainly used from 90° to 180° upwind, ideal for pure tailwinds.
- Assembly :
- Symmetrical Spinnaker pole: Uses a spinnaker pole to support the forward tack and a halyard to hoist it. Sheets and spinnaker boom for control. Sometimes trickier to maneuver with the spinnaker pole. In the case of multihulls, you don't need a spinnaker boom; the spinnaker is attached to the bows of both floats, a major advantage.
- Asymmetrical Spinnaker: Mounted on a bowsprit or directly on deck without the need for a spinnaker boom, often with a furling system for easy deployment and stowage. Easier to use, but less efficient in pure tailwinds.
- Symmetrical Spinnaker pole: Uses a spinnaker pole to support the forward tack and a halyard to hoist it. Sheets and spinnaker boom for control. Sometimes trickier to maneuver with the spinnaker pole. In the case of multihulls, you don't need a spinnaker boom; the spinnaker is attached to the bows of both floats, a major advantage.
- Materials : Light, resistant fabrics such as nylon or polyester, sometimes reinforced to withstand wind pressure.
Andaman Sails offers the option of installing a spinnaker, either symmetrical or asymmetrical, depending on the unit's needs.
Symmetrical spinnaker
Asymmetric spinnaker
2. Gennaker
- Description : A hybrid sail between the genoa and the asymmetrical spinnaker, the gennaker offers a large surface area for catching the wind while being easier to manage than a traditional spinnaker.
- Operating range : From 70° to 150°, ideal for broadsweep to wide-sweep gaits.
- Montage : Similar to an asymmetric spinnaker, often with a furling system for convenience, mounted on a bowsprit or spinnaker pole.
- Materials The use of fabrics such as nylon or fiber blends for lightness and durability, with a focus on tear resistance.
A highly versatile sail that is particularly pleasant in light conditions, Andaman Sails has chosen to offer the furling bowsprit gennaker in the standard version of its units.
3. Code Zero
- Description : The Code Zero is a downwind headsail, but with a flatter profile than the gennaker, enabling better performance in crosswind conditions.
- Operating range : From 50° to 110° upwind, perfect for close-hauled sailing on the beam.
- Montage : Mounted on a dedicated forestay or furling system, offering precise control via sheets and halyard.
- Materials : High-performance fabrics such as laminated mylar or fiber composites for an aerodynamic profile, combining lightness and strength.
The code zero, very popular in crosswinds and sometimes for upwind sailing, is always used in light airs. This is a very powerful sail, not to be taken lightly, so check your installation to make sure it can accommodate such a sail.
Asymmetric Spinnaker operating range depending on configuration
General considerations :
- Materials: Downwind sails require materials that combine lightness to maximize wind grip with strength to withstand tension. Modern fabrics such as ripstop nylon, polyester, or carbon or Kevlar fibers for competition sails are common.
- Assembly: The assembly of lifting sails can be complex, due to their size and the need for precise control. Furling systems for asymmetrical sails and Code Zero make them easy to use.
- Maintenance: Because they are often exposed to wind pressure and the elements, these sails require rigorous maintenance, including proper storage to prevent damage and material degradation.
Here a 52-foot Andaman unit under asymmetric Spinnaker (3D)
