On a high performance boat it is more likely to be set from the tip of a long bow pole. On a cruising boat the tack point might be the same point used for the Code Zero. This sail maximises downwind performance, especially in light air and gains maximum area by being sheeted outside the shroud and as far aft on the deck as possible. The code zero has lagely taken the place of the genoa on cruising catamarans because it avoids having tracks on the cabin top and the complication of leading sheets down to deck level. My preference is that we drop the Screacher terminology and simply refer to these sails as Code sails, with the defining difference within the category being the area and the intended angles. It is normally set on a furler and to be effective upwind it needs to be able to be tensioned with a tight luff. It sheets inside the shroud and its size is limited by the foot length available before the leech engages the shroud. The name Screacher is derived from combining reacher and spinnaker, so they were generally intended as downwind and reaching sails, as were Code sails which are still regarded as reaching sails on monohulls, typically with a mid girth measuring between 50% and 75% of foot length.įor multihulls the Code sail has developed into an upwind or close reaching sail largely as a result of the way it was rated under the OMR, tacked forward of the bow and providing substantially more area than the working genoa.
Screachers and Code Sails can do the same thing. This sail fits the range between a genoa and spinnaker and in recent years has become popular as an upwind sail on multihulls. If the sheet is to go up the mast this needs to be communicated to the rigging company in the design phase. For the self tacking system the headsail sheet leads back to the cockpit after going forward on the deck close to the tack point, or leading up the mast, back to the deck and then aft to the cockpit. For a little more power the working headsail can be sheeted on separate tracks either side and slightly aft of the mast. A working headsail tacked to the bow (the forebeam), most commonly a self tacking jib. The ideal basic setup if the budget and deck arrangement allow is a three headsail arrangement not including the storm jib.ġ. The range of sail options available from the various lofts means you have a great range of sail types and materials to choose from, but potentially further complicates the decision making process. Selecting a headsail wardrobe has always been complicated and potentially confusing. Headsail selection is more complicated and the decisions will be based on how many headsails you are planning on, where they will sheet to, and where the tack point will be located.īy headsails I mean any sail with the tack point forward of the mast, not just windward sails, Wider is more powerful but requires a robust sheeting system to achieve good leech tension and it can take more effort to raise and lower the main. The mainsail is pretty straight forward, and apart from possibly adjusting the mast height the main thing to consider is the width of the head or square top. Start out by making decisions about these factors and talk them though with your sailmaker. How much performance do you want as opposed to ease of handling, affordability, long life and simplicity? Do you expect to add more sails to the wardrobe over time? These are the factors that will affect the sails you purchase. Start with the sails, then the rig and finally the control systems, but don't expect to finalise any one of these categories until you've made decisions in all three areas and then refined them all by talking to the experts you're going to be working with and going back over the details to make sure all of the technologies are going to work in harmony. There is a process for putting it all together.
On the other hand if it's your first boat then the array of decisions that have to be made can be daunting. If you're out there racing every weekend or if you are a highly experienced cruising skipper then you are probably familiar with the advantages and the possible pitfalls of all or most of these technologies. More recently we've seen rapid development in the technologies of deck hardware, rigs and sails, including structured luffs, top down furling systems, the adoption of halyard locks and a broad range of options available within each of these technologies. In past decades you might have been provided with a sail plan, rig plan and deck layout by the designer, and by simply following the drawings and specifications you could expect to have a fully functional sailing boat with no need for a lot of head scratching in the process.
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