In the past, we were frequently asked about a gennaker suitable for cruising yachts. Sailors wanted a sail that was as easy to handle as a furling top drifter, but unlike the drifter, it should not be designed for upwind courses. The ideal operating range of this sail lies between 50° apparent wind angle (AWA) in light winds and up to 135° in stronger winds.
Such sails already existed on IMS racing yachts. These Code Zeros are highly specialized sails—free‑flying and just full enough to achieve a mid‑girth of 75%, allowing them to be measured as spinnakers rather than genoas. However, Code Zero designs are very complex to trim and therefore not ideal as cruising sails. Through our profile and outline adjustments, we were able to transform this high‑end racing sail into an easy‑to‑trim cruising sail with virtually no loss of performance.
So what does the furling gennaker look like?
Inspired by the Code Zero, we gave the furling gennaker a rounder entry and slightly more profile depth, making it easier to trim. The sail features a Dyneema luff rope integrated directly into the luff. When tensioned during hoisting, it provides excellent handling and prevents uncontrolled flogging of the sail. Furling and unfurling, as well as hoisting and dousing, become effortless. A Bartels endless‑line furler is available as an optional extra.
The mid‑girth has been reduced to 60%, and both the luff and leech curves have been flattened. These adjustments give the sail its high profile stability. Due to the smaller mid‑girth, the area of the furling gennaker is about 15% smaller than that of an all‑round cruising gennaker.
Nylon cloth processed along load paths and large reinforcements keep stretch to a minimum even in stronger winds, ensuring excellent profile integrity.
All these modifications make the furling gennaker an ideal sail for family crews or single‑handed sailors. We are confident that this sail will win many fans.
