Sailing technique: More sailing fun in light winds

Rig geometry has changed massively in recent decades, with many advantages on many courses. High upwind, the slim, high headsails can be sheeted tightly, and tacking requires little effort; when the wind picks up, only the mainsail needs to be reefed, with correspondingly better stability than a partially furled furling genoa. The mast was visibly moved further forward on various yachts, which in turn increased the usable volume below deck.

So everything is great - as long as you are not a fan of deep courses and light winds. Then modern yachts lack sail horsepower. The small jib simply collapses ineffectively behind the main if the wind is not blowing at more than 4 Beaufort. The answer to this problem has the initially cryptic name Code Zero. The crew on the "EF Language" suddenly pulled out the A0 in the 1997 Whitbread Race - and astounded the competition: a sail that looked like an oversized masthead genoa but was measured as a gennaker. It was a stroke of genius that helped the Swedish team to win.

Thanks to further developed laminates and improved furling systems, the Code Zero has become an easy-to-use turbocharger for modern cruising yachts. Some sailmakers have even gone so far as to offer the additional sail as an upwind wardrobe for light winds, such is the strength of the materials.

You can read about what you should consider when choosing a Code Zero in the latest issue of YACHT. Issue 3/2016 is available from newsagents from 20 January.