Even experienced sailors can be first time spinnaker users; they often ask us questions about choosing a spinnaker and spinnaker sailing. These questions are much broader than just the spinnaker itself, we often get questions like such as “where should I tack the spinnaker?” or “what extra hardware do I need to sail a spinnaker?”, and of course, “what size spinnaker do I need?”.
Here are below a few questions and answers about buying and setting up your first spinnaker, or just plainly buying a new spinnaker.
1. What type of spinnaker should you get for your boat?
An asymmetrical spinnaker is certainly the most effective spinnaker sail for a first time user. It is easier to handle than a symmetric spinnaker, and will be more forgiving for mistakes.
Your crew situation is important to take into account. If you sail short handed, or even solo, or with a crew that enjoys the peace of sailing more than the intense activity that can occur on a rolling foredeck when gybing a symmetrical, then an asymmetrical spinnaker is for you.
A symmetrical spinnaker is more complicated to launch, gybe and retrieve – and requires a bowman when gybing. If your crew is numerous, agile and likes action, a symmetric may be more fun to use.
However, another consideration is if you want or need to run deep down wind:
- With an asymmetrical spinnaker you just cannot run dead downwind. You will have to gybe (which is not that complicated with an asymmetrical) and go from broad reach on one tack to broad reach on the other. In a cruising situation this may provide a similar VMG and be more comfortable as it limits the boat rolling that cannot be avoided when running with a symmetric spinnaker.
- If you need to run deep down wind, then a symmetrical spinnaker is absolutely the way to go as the pole will let you set the spinnaker away from the main sail wind shadow; this might be necessary if you use the boat for racing and your club favors windward – leeward courses; or if your sailing venue involves a channel that needs to be run dead down wind, etc.
2. What size spinnaker sail do you need?
All our customers have this question, and we dedicated a whole page to answering the “sizing question“.
We often noticed that first time users (but not only…) want a small spinnaker because they are a bit “afraid” of the volume of such a sail. But it is important to get the right size: if the spinnaker is too small, you will have to trim the luff too tight, or let the tack fly too high. If the spinnaker is too large / long in the luff, you will not be able to trim it enough for reaching / tight reaching.
In doubt, always ask us anyway.
3. Where should you tack the spinnaker?
Most cruisers do not bother with a sprit, for the sake of simplicity. The bow roller and its neighborhood are an ideal option, because of the strength of that area designed to handle the efforts caused by the chain and anchor kit, and hold the boat….
There is no one size fits all solution, but it is rare than you cannot find a good location – and often with limited or no modifications.
However, you need to realize that with a bow location rather than a sprit location, you will have a slightly smaller sail. It does not go all the way to the deck, as you want the tack to remain 40-50 cm above deck, so that you do not have undue wear and tear against the pulpit and other apparatus (drum of furling genoa, etc.). This is usually not an issue for cruisers, unless you sail in a very low wind location.
4. What additional hardware should you consider to sail a spinnaker?
Well, it depends if you want an asymmetric or a symmetric spinnaker.
For an asymmetrical spinnaker, you will need at minimum:
- a tack attachment point / tack block (see location discussion above) on deck set in front of the mainstay
- a tack line that will let you adjust the height of the tack according to conditions and apparent wind angle. This tack line should preferably run back to a winch in the cockpit for easily adjusting the luff curve of the sail under way; higher with more luff curve for running, lower with a tighter luff for reaching
For a symmetrical spinnaker, you will need at minimum a spinnaker pole, a ring on the front of the mast, preferably track mounted, a topping lift and attendant hardware, and a down haul.
For both types of spinnaker, you will also need:
- A spinnaker halyard, (i.e. halyard which top block is set above the headstay).
- A pair of sheet blocks at the back of the boat on either side that you will snap on the rail, before leading the sheets back to the winch.
- A pair of sheets: I find the premium ropes guides very useful – for sheets and everything else.
- Sheet length recommendation, is generally twice the boat length for an asymmetrical spinnaker, details courtesy of premium ropes here:
- Their diameter advice is here:
- Here is their product recommendation guide for cruisers.
5. How will you launch and retrieve the spinnaker?
For first timers and short-handed situations, especially cruisers, a high quality sock is a proven and economic solution. The sock, when raised, gets stored on a piece of cable or stainless steel 20 to 40cm long that sits between the halyards shackle and the sail head. The head is therefore 20 to 40 cm short of the full hoist position it would have without a sock; and the sail luff length needs to be a little shorter accordingly, so that the tack can also stay where it should be…
A sock makes launching and retrieving the spinnaker much easier, as it allows to fly the sail only when fully hoisted and ready; and “snuff ”it before taking it down. This is specially important with a symmetric spinnaker and/or a less “maneuver-ready” crew.
Find more about socks here
Another top notch solution is to use a top down furler with an asymmetric spinnaker.
- You can get your spinnaker flying right off the cockpit. Hoist your spinnaker easily and be ready in a minute.
- Dousing is as easy, just release the sheet and pull on the furling line. This is perfect especially if you are sailing shorthanded.
- Furl the sail before gybing and then easily re-deploy on the other side. Prior to furling, Seldén recommends that power is taken out of the sail by releasing the sheet and if possible bearing away.
We are a Seldén distributor and can provide a full solution spinnaker + furler that will be sure to fit.
6. What is a custom cut and do you need it?
Most customers do not need a custom cut spinnaker, unless they race often in competitive situations. If you are a cruiser and race locally, you will be fine with one of our standard cut spinnaker.
Spinnakers are not as finicky as other sails, so chances are a standard cut will be right fo you, that said:
- Our standard size spinnakers have a great all around shape, and are designed to be easy to fly with minimal fussing. They are meant to offer an all around performance in a broad range of wind conditions for the boat that has only one spinnaker on board.
- Our standard shapes are designed to fit the wide variety of boats out there – While they have a great all around shape and will fly beautifully regardless of what boat you sail, this can result in some minimal compromise in sail size versus the maximum sail size your boat could handle.
- Additionally, since our spinnakers use set sizes, you might have to go for the smaller size if your boat falls in between two sizes. Maximizing spinnaker size may just not be important for you: many of our clients are happy with a slightly smaller spinnaker – because they sail in a very windy venue anyway; or because they do not have a very agile crew, etc.
- A custom-cut spinnaker will be designed for any special situation you have: for example, if you already own a very deep, round running symmetric spinnaker, you might want a flatter spinnaker for going on tight reaches. Or perhaps you sail on a lake: even if you are going to have a single spinnaker – you might want a spinnaker that is focused on very light air: bigger size, lighter cloth, etc. Let us know your constrains and we will work with you on the right custom-cut spinnaker.
- There are many cases that may call for a fully custom sail – if you think you need one just contact us.
7. What colors can I choose, or can I have a picture or logo on my sail?
Yes, and it is quite easy. We offer the possibility to build your own custom color spinnaker, choose among 13 colors, and select a color for each panel to build you theme.
Adding a logo is easy, it can be printed or painted on the sail. Read more and see examples here.
8. What cloth do you use?
For spinnakers, we use 1st choice spinnaker cloth from Dutch manufacturer Contender, either Nylite or Maxilite; or 1st choice spinnaker cloth from American manufacturer Challenge, either NFS 44 or 64. These are either 0.75oz or 1.5oz cloth.
You can find cloth specs here.