Gennaker

A gennaker is a recently-developed sail used when sailing downwind; it can be described as a cross between a genoa and a spinnaker. It is asymmetric like a genoa, but the gennaker is not attached to the forestay. The gennaker is rigged like a spinnaker but the tack is fastened to the hull or to a bowsprit. It has greater camber than a genoa (but significantly less camber than a spinnaker); this is optimal for generating lift at larger angles of attack. The gennaker is a specialty sail primarily used on racing boats to bridge the performance gap between a genoa and a spinnaker. It is sometimes the only downwind sail on board because it is easier to use and less expensive than a spinnaker. Due to its geometry, the sail is less prone to collapsing than a spinnaker. The lines between gennaker and asymmetric spinnaker are blurry; they are both high camber downwind sails. A difference is the amount of camber, which dictates the points of sail. A gennaker is optimal for a beam reach, while an asymmetric spinnaker is optimal for a broad reach or run.