Spinnakers are symmetrical downwind sails designed for courses from 90° apparent wind angle (AWA) all the way to 180° AWA. They are made from very lightweight nylon or polyester materials.
To sail with a spinnaker safely in all wind and weather conditions, you need a well‑trained crew and an experienced helmsman. Handling the spinnaker pole during hoisting, dousing, and gybing requires practice.
For this reason, the much easier‑to‑trim gennaker is increasingly replacing the spinnaker on many cruising yachts.
However, on courses from 150° AWA down to dead downwind (180° AWA), no gennaker can match the performance of a spinnaker.
