Sail design
A Cruising Code Sail can often be the missing link between a genoa and a gennaker for cruising yachts.
Written by Jack O'Rourke
01 July 2020
Advertisement
A Cruising Code Sail is lightweight and easy to handle, providing greater efficiency to your yacht.
For cruisers who want every bit of extra performance, these sails help gain power in light air and provide a wide range of angles, both reaching or running.
Extra sail area is always a plus in light air and being able to sail closer to the wind is an added bonus. The large roach for more efficient lift and greater power makes the sail more versatile across a wider range of Apparent Wind Angles.
Seamless furling of these sails offers exceptional ease of handling as owners can simply furl, tack or gybe with greater efficiency.
Cruising Code Sails are even more powerful and efficient if you choose to utilise the Cableless technology from Doyle Sails. The ability to have significantly less headstay sag with less load makes Cableless technology applicable to almost every yacht.
Advertisement
Cableless Cruising Code Sails are very versatile and flat enough to trim on and sail very high angles, yet with a high enough clew that the sheet will ease well and allow the luff to project when you are sailing at wider angles.
One big advantage of Doyleʼs Cableless technology is that it allows code sails to be built much lighter, which means that yachts can keep them hoisted and furled while sailing upwind, ready for instant deployment, rather than having to drop and stow them. And when the code zero does come down, itʼs a lot easier to handle on deck and stow than a heavier sail with a luff cable.
Of the many examples of yachts that have already benefited from Cableless sails is the 39-metre Tripp designed G2. Built by Vitters in 2009 and re-fitted by Pendennis in 2018, her sail carries greater luff projection, making the sail more powerful and efficient without increasing any loads. Indeed, there has been a significant load reduction.
But the benefits for the owner and crew of ‘G2’ go further with a big increase in the range of conditions that the sail can be used. The owner of ‘G2’ is always very keen on sailing the boat and so the sail handling was a priority for the crew, – with the new technology they are not only able to use the sail in a much wider range of wind angles and speeds, but the sail furls reliably and is much easier to handle on deck.
It’s also that much easier to get in and out of the sail locker and is used a great deal more as a result. In fact, they use this sail so much now that they have had a UV strip fitted so that they can leave it hoisted for longer periods and it has become their cruising sail of choice.
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
Welcome to the party
