Sailing special: Funnel or roller: recovery aids for gennaker & spinnaker tested

Downwind sails lead a sad existence on many yachts. Small crews in particular don't have the confidence to handle the light but usually large cloths and prefer to leave the spinnaker and gennaker in the bag.
Respect for the sails is not entirely unfounded - after all, a well-dimensioned gennaker doubles the sail area of the boat. Set in light conditions, recovery in stronger winds can be a feat of strength for inexperienced crews. Recovery tubes and top-down furlers can help.

The first recovery hoses came onto the market at the end of the seventies. They consisted of a simple tube made of spinnaker cloth, which was held open at the lower end by a wire ring. The tube could be gathered together and the sail released with the help of a line looped around the top. For recovery, the ring was pulled back down over the sail and the cloth disappeared into the tube.

Today's recovery aids also work according to this principle. However, there have been some technical changes that have made operation safer and more convenient. Above all, the simple rings have become more or less elaborate funnel constructions. The spectrum ranges from textile solutions to inflatable models and sophisticated carbon fibre funnels. The diameter and length of the tubes vary just as much as the guide of the recovery line.

The idea of furling the gennaker like a genoa is much newer. As the downwind sail has its largest surface area at the top, it is also furled from above, unlike the downwind wardrobe; the term is top-down furling. One pull of the line and the colourful cloth is up and, bang, just as quickly furled again. The sail can also be rolled away to make jibing easier and then used again. Or leave the gennaker in place or set it in the harbour, even if it can only be used later. That sounds great - but what does the reality look like?

We tested a total of nine top-down roller systems and ten recovery hoses in practice. Read on to find out which concept proves to be the best and what you should look out for when selecting a roller system or recovery hose.YACHT 21/2107. The magazine will be available from newsagents from 27 September or can be can be downloaded immediately as a digital edition.