| There are three main types of sails that can be seen | | | | the mainsail stay aerodynamic. |
| on dinghies and yachts and that you will always here | | | | It is also useful on close reaches, where it speeds up |
| about in sailing. They look different and do completely | | | | the boat considerably as it is like the mainsail, but not |
| different things. They are... | | | | on a boom and so the entire sail shape is curved |
| - The Mainsail | | | | making it more aerodynamic than the main sail allowing |
| - The Genoa/Gib | | | | for faster speed. |
| - The Spinnaker/Gennaker | | | | The Genoa must also be constantly trimmed by use |
| The Mainsail | | | | of the tell tales. The rule of thumb is: where the outside |
| The mainsail is the work horse of the entire boat and | | | | tell tale flaps, let out the Genoa and when the inside tell |
| provides the power for the boat to move. It must be | | | | tale flaps, pull in the Genoa. |
| properly trimmed at optimized to get the most out of it. | | | | The Spinnaker/Gennaker |
| If you are beating the sail should be fully in, reaching | | | | The Spinnaker is a large bag shaped sail that is |
| half in half out and if you are running fully out. | | | | attached to the boat by a pole on the boom. The |
| In order to optimize the sail correctly, simply let it out | | | | Gennaker is a much larger sail that is attached to the |
| until it begins to flap and then bring it in a bit. It is now | | | | boat by a pole at the front. The Spinnaker works on a |
| trimmed for this current course and with the current | | | | run, broad reach and beam reach. The Gennaker |
| wind direction. If you change the boat's direction or if | | | | works on a broad reach, beam reach and close reach. |
| the wind direction changes, the main sail will have to be | | | | The Spinnaker is a bag that pulls the boat along when |
| trimmed again. | | | | the wind pushes it. The Gennaker works like a large |
| This is a constant process that the helmsman must do | | | | Genoa and is aerodynamically shapes like a Genoa |
| in order to keep the boat moving at optimum | | | | (unlike the baggy spinnaker). |
| efficiency and maximum speed. | | | | Knowing the three types of sail is very important and |
| The Genoa/Gib | | | | understanding how they work is critical to be able to |
| The Genoa (and its smaller sibling, the Gib) is the | | | | sail fast and be able to optimize the sails correctly so |
| secondary sail that provides the turning power and the | | | | that they provide the most power that they can in the |
| extra speed that a two man boat needs. Without it, | | | | amount of wind given. |
| the boat tends to move very slowly, because it helps | | | | |