Top drifters are particularly popular headsails for yachts sailing in light‑wind areas. In winds up to about 10 knots AWS, the large, lightweight genoa set freely from the masthead significantly increases sail area and therefore delivers a substantial boost in speed on upwind and close‑reach courses. Even very sluggish yachts become lively. The upwind pointing angle is the same as with a Genoa I. A furling system combined with a double luff rope makes hoisting, dousing, and tacking easy.
Please do not confuse the top drifter with a Code Zero.
The Code Zero was developed for the Whitbread Round the World Race and is measured as a spinnaker. It fills a gap in the sail inventory that occurs when, in relatively light winds, you want to bear away slightly from a close‑hauled course. In such conditions, genoas are too small and provide too little drive, while the wind angle is still too tight for a gennaker.
