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I'm not quite sure how to rewrite this page. The spinnaker is more than a bag of wind. It conforms to exactly the same laws of aerodynamics as other sails do! But what is currently in the article is a common misconception. Andrewa 21:31, 12 Nov 2004 (UTC)
The discussion of broaching is misleading. Broaching is not uncommon with asymmetrical spinnakers, and the wind never comes from the opposite side of the sail. It is true that it's nearly a capsize. - Bob S.-- 68.192.140.211 23:05, 1 Jan 2005 (UTC)
Asymmetric spinnakers have been around much longer than mentioned. 18 foot skiffs may have been the first. Certainly they had them as early as 1987.
References
I think given the similarity of the above sails to the spinnaker (they're all lightwieght nylon sails, usually colorful, attached at 3 points rather than along the luff, used for mainly downwind sailing and only deployed as needed) that those pages should be merged in. While the sails may be used differently, there seems to be a fairly blurrly line to each of the categories, and having all the types in one article would allow the distinctions (or lack thereof) to be clearly noted. scot 21:08, 25 August 2006 (UTC)
I agree. The term "Gennaker" and "Cruising Chute" are slang off-shoots (pun intended) of the spinnaker- namely that of an "asymmetrical" type of that head sail.-- Dana 21:26, 29 August 2006 (UTC)
Just wait a moment. There is a difference between a spinnaker and a gennaker, namely that spinnaker normally refers to a symmetric sail and gennaker to the asymmetric ones. A spinnaker is used with two sheets and just fixed with one point (top of the mast), a gennaker is used with only one sheet and fixed with two points (top of the mast/bow) -- 84.163.250.134 18:15, 14 September 2006 (UTC)
I'm back (from sailing- actually; and could have used either of these!) I would maintain that a gennaker is a form of headsail that is lightly constructed and designed to enhance off-wind performance. Hence, it is a form of spinnaker just as a genoa is a form of headsail called a jib. I'm not really sure but I doubt that you'd use a gennaker into the teeth of the wind, would you? We are talking about a robust entry in a encycol so, I guess, gennaker could be cross-reffed to "jib".-- Dana 20:51, 25 September 2006 (UTC)
Of course gennakers are indeed a form of spinnaker, but in writing articles I've found it useful to use a link to both 'spinnaker' and 'gennaker' within a couple of lines. Maybe I could/should have written 'symmetric spinnaker' and 'asymmetric spinnaker', but I find the present set-up convenient. A photo in the gennaker article would save a thousand words - see for example image Y&Ytest1.jpg. Cruising chute, spinnoa and all such terms should naturally lead to the same article as gennaker. Tony 14:06, 17 January 2007 (UTC)
Proposed revision. Sheets and guys were mixed up, and other changes to make it more general.
Like the symmetric, the asymmetric may be stored in a turtle etc, or use a spinnaker chute. Unlike the symmetric, asymmetrics have the tack attached to the bow or a bowsprit (often retractable), and have two sheets attached to the clew like a jib. The head of the sail is attached to the spinnaker halyard, which is used to raise the sail. The sheets are passed to ahead of the forestay; they may be passed outside the tack of the asymmetric, or between the tack and the forestay. The leeward sheet is used to set the sail, and the opposite sheet is left slack.
Not sure about this sentence, please explain why tack needs to slide up and down. Deletion proposed. Often a tack line is used at leading edge to provide adjustable tension on the luff of the spinnaker, or it may be attached to the forestay with a sliding collar (often riding over the furled jib on parrel beads or similar device) allowing the tack to slide up and down.
Jibing with the asymmetric is less complex than the symmetric, due to the lack of the spinnaker pole. Much like a jib, it is necessary to release the 'old' sheet and pull in the 'new' one, though as it has to travel round the forestay, it has much further to travel. Asymmetric spinnakers require boats to tack down wind, and fast boats may be travelling close to (if not faster than) the speed of the true wind on entering the jibe, so that there is little apparent wind during a correctly performed gybe, facilitating the manoeuver.
Depending on the configuration of the spinnaker system, retrieving the asymmetric is similar to the symmetric, though the detailed choreography may be quite different. So as not to drop the spinnaker into the water, the procedure involves coordinating the sheet with the lowering of the spinnaker into the spinnaker chute (if applicable), and retracting the bowsprit (if applicable), while steering and balancing the boat. GilesW 00:41, 1 September 2007 (UTC)
Running spinnakers work more efficiently when unstalled, so that the air flows transversely from luff to leach, which generates more lift from the spinnaker and also produces transverse airflow behind the mainsail, clearing away the vortex from behind the mainsail, increasing its drive. Thus modern running spinnakers are designed to deflect the airflow by about 90 deg and so are not "almost hemispherical" as stated - even though they may look it from some angles. Spinnakers are generally best flown with the luff regularly curling inwards slightly - if not they will probably be stalled and loose power. Attentive spinnaker trimming wins races, and is as important running as reaching. GilesW 18:08, 12 September 2007 (UTC)
Most symmetrical spinnakers used by racing yachts and dinghies are general purpose sails, usable both on reaches and runs. In round-the-cans racing, spinnakers are more likely to be changed for different wind strengths rather than different points of sailing. No yachts or dinghies that I am acquainted with use specialised "Running spinnakers", particularly as it is increasingly being understood that it is usually quickest for fast boats to "sail the wind angles", tacking down wind and avoiding the dead run. GilesW 21:04, 13 September 2007 (UTC)
Nothing here on the history of the spinnaker itself - Sphinx's Acre etc etc. Room for a brief history I think? Merrythought 12:45, 16 October 2007 (UTC)
Any source for the etymology? 82.27.234.112 ( talk) 18:50, 20 May 2008 (UTC)
I've tried to find the logbooks of the USS Constitution online, but they are not available. I can confirm that the 13th of july 1812 was a monday, and that John Thomas Shubrick was promoted to Lieutenant on the 20th of may that year ( https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/89517522/john-templer-shubrick), but I cannot find this archive online. I don't know how to see who added this section, 'cos newb, but maybe they can add some clarity on how they got this information. — Preceding unsigned comment added by BaoluoShifu ( talk • contribs) 03:33, 24 September 2019 (UTC)
In my experience cruising boats invariably tend to have symmetric 'chutes. Mind all the boats I've sailed on are considered pretty old these days.
Hi all, I have added a short section on Cruising Chutes. Seemed a huge gap in the article. Happy to go with the BRD cycle of course if have trodden on any toes, but I am on a wikibreak for a couple of weeks or so so if I don't join in it's not that I am offended hahaha!. Regards, Springnuts ( talk) 22:06, 22 August 2010 (UTC)
This is a jargon-filled article designed for those who are already experts on sailing. The first sentence contains the jargon phrase "reaching course", which is linked to a long article that does not actually contain nor explain the phrase "reaching course". This article taught me nothing about the spinnaker. It is very poorly done. 77Mike77 ( talk) 13:57, 4 November 2013 (UTC)
No kidding...
I mean, seriously, try reading that paragraph aloud. You will want to punch yourself. 50.132.207.101 ( talk) 05:18, 3 January 2014 (UTC)