Rarely has the development of the sail wardrobe in front of the mast been as dynamic as it is at the moment. The mainsail, with its wide, horizontally flared head section, has only just caused an aha effect and an immense need for explanation on the part of sailmakers. At the same time, the rigid wings of the America's Cup seemed to herald a new era. But no sooner had the sailing world, especially ambitious recreational sailors, understood these innovations, albeit perhaps not accepted them, than it was the turn of the cloths in front of the mast. As in most cases, the high-tech regatta sector is leading the way here too.
A completely new headsail has been developed for the current Volvo Ocean Race, the so-called J0, a large genoa that is furled in the masthead and on the bowsprit.
A renaissance of the staysail can also be observed. Although it has never completely disappeared from the regatta sector, it was already used during the International Offshore Rule in the seventies and eighties, when it was also known as the Tallboy. Recently, however, it has increasingly been seen on a wide variety of boats from Maxi to Class 40, but above all indirectly on sports boats such as the Melges 24 or J 70, where the regular jib remains under gennaker as a staysail. Sometimes, as in the Volvo Ocean Race, even three headsails are used at once.
There is also an interesting development in another sail that is only slowly gaining a foothold in the cruising sector: the sailmakers at Doyle recently presented the wireless Code Zero.
You can read about the details of these three innovations in the current issue of YACHT 1/2018.
