Choose Your Offshore Weapon!
by North Sails 8 Jul 2013 12:27 BST
8 July 2013
(l) 2007 Hybrid A0 on Charles Ivill's J133 JB3 (r) Tonnerre with Furling Code Zero © North Sails
Code Zeros, the Hybrid A0, Spinnaker Staysails, Genoa Staysails and Jib Tops. This article will cover what you need to know about these sails and why they can be so beneficial to your offshore campaign.
There are a few specialist sails that can make the difference between having a good offshore race and great offshore race. Trying to decipher the various sail codes and the different names used for these specialist sails can be confusing. We are going to look in detail at a few different sail options that can be added to your existing inventory and will help your performance offshore by giving you an advantage over the competition. We'll look at a few different boats which have already added these sails to their inventory and are now reaping the benefits.
Code Zero Sails
The IRC Code Zero is technically a spinnaker and has a mid-girth which measures 75% of the sails foot length. The IRC rules states that any sail with a 75% (or larger) mid-girth is measured and defined as a spinnaker. The IRC Code Zero can be added any sail inventory (as long as you don't carry more spinnakers than your IRC rating allows) without increasing the IRC rating. The IRC Code Zero has been developed for use (typically offshore) in light winds for tight reaching (40 AWA), but these sails can often be versatile enough to be used in higher wind ranges between 80 and 90 AWA.
North Sails offer various light airs tight reaching/upwind asymmetrical sails. Each sail is customised for the specific boat based on target wind angles, and the most suitable handling systems. The two most popular options for IRC boats are the Hybrid A0 and the Furling Code Zero.
The Furling Code Zero is straight luff sail set on its own independent furler and torsional stay. The Hybrid A0 is usually a free flying sail (it can also be furling). Choosing between these two options depends on your rig/mast set-up, your existing sail inventory and the boat type. Both the Furling Code Zero and Hybrid A0 have there their own benefits. Your North Sails consultant can help advise you on the correct solution for your boat.
Hybrid A0
The Hybrid A0 is more versatile than the Furling Code Zero because it covers a wider wind range. The Hybrid A0 concept combines the design characteristics of a light airs code zero and a North Sails A3 reacher. You can expect to use the sail from 0-25kts achieving 45AWA in light airs and 135 TWA in 20Kts +. The Hybrid A0 is designed as a free flying sail, the luff tension can be adjusted depending on the conditions or wind angles you want to sail and you would hoist and drop this sail as if it were any normal asymmetrical sail tacking to your bowsprit or spinnaker pole.
Hybrid A0 sails are not just designed for Asymmetrical boats, boats using conventional spinnaker poles and symmetrical spinnakers can arguably see a greater performance increase by adding a reaching Hybrid A0 sail to the inventory. The Hybrid A0 allows boats to increase light and windy reaching performance without necessarily adding an extra spinnaker to their IRC rating certificate.
A typical Hybrid A0 produced by North Sails is made from a lightweight laminated cloth which has a higher modulus than Nylon cloth. Nylon spinnaker fabric is not suitable for building IRC Code Zero sails.
The J109 is a perfect example of the size of boat where an A0 can be added to the inventory and make a big impact. The video above shows a great example of what you can expect to achieve in light airs with the Hybrid A0.
Furling Code Zero
North Sails' Furling Code Zero is a specialist offshore sail initially developed for yachts with non overlapping headsails to generate extra power in light upwind/reaching conditions. The Furling Code Zero is in some ways less versatile than the Hybrid A0 because it is specifically designed for sailing is less than 10Kts. The big advantage of this sail is its ability to sail extremely tight angles in light airs. The Furling Code Zero generates a lot of power in light conditions and is extremely good for any boat which would usually be underpowered on a reach in lighter conditions using non overlapping headsails.
The ability to furl the sail is a big advantage, crews can quickly and easily deploy the sail or furl it away making it a very easy sail to handle. Any Furling Code Zero will require an anti-torsional stay attached to the drum and head swivel of the endless furling unit. The anti-torsional stay also needs to be strong with very little stretch as these sails generate immense loads. Being able to maintain a tight luff profile without damaging the fabric means the code zero lasts longer and will sail closer to the wind.
North Sails have produced Furling Code Zero sails for a variety of boats over the last few years helping both fully crewed and short handed teams achieve some fantastic results. Solan Goose is a North Powered A35 owned by Peter Olden who in 2012 was the shorthanded boat to beat. North Sails helped Peter tailor his sail inventory specifically for short handed sailing and a new Furling Code Zero made up part of that new inventory. We asked Peter about his views on the sail.
The Code Zero is incredibly versatile, I pray I can use it every time I go racing. I definitely have a speed advantage over my competitors when I hoist this sail in the right conditions. The sail is also very easy to use, I usually race double or single handed and the ability to furl the sail is very useful. There is no question it was worth the money, I only wish could use it more often!" Peter Olden, Solan Goose
Tonnerre de Breskens is one of the most successful offshore IRC boats of the last few years. Piet Vroon, the 82 year old Dutchman who owns her is passionate about his offshore yacht racing and North Sails has been working with the Dutch team for the last 5 years. The 2010 RORC Boat Of The Year and 3 time winner of the RORC overall prize for top boat in IRC is now on their 3rd generation of their Furling Code Zero. There is no question that the Furling Code Zero sail has played a huge part in the boats success. The sail is manufactured using a film/film laminate and is the same cloth used by North Sails One Design to produce the Gold medal winning Finn mainsail. It's a stable, balanced cloth with good longevity, its very strong and also very light which are all the features you want when you build a good Code Zero.
A sail data chart developed for Tonnerre showing the working range in TWA and TWS for the Code Zero
Tonnerre de Breskens flying her Code Zero and Genoa Staysail in 8Kts TWS offshore
Spinnaker Staysails
A Spinnaker Staysail is a small furling sail usually hoisted off the jib halyard. The staysail is tacked just aft of the headstay on the bow (it can also be tacked to weather) and generally used between 10 and 25kts for downwind sailing and it will enhances any boats downwind speed. These sails are commonly used on boats with both bowsprit configurations and conventional spinnaker poles with great success.
Often, in windy downwind conditions you can leave the Spinnaker Staysail hoisted and furled, if the boat broaches you can quickly deploy the Spinnaker Staysail to help bring the bow down and the boat under control. It's a commonly used technique and can save your spinnaker or asymmetric sail by regaining control of the boat faster. This can be especially useful for shorthanded crews.
One more useful point to add is that the Spinnaker Staysail can also be used as a drifter/wind-seeker with the tack brought forward to the jib tack when the wind drops off.
Genoa Staysails
The Genoa Staysail is a small jib (often furling) which is set inside the foretriangle and used for reaching above 8Kts. The primary purpose of the Genoa Staysail is to add power and speed to the boat when reaching. The Genoa Staysail works by helping to counteract the weather helm generated by reaching in more than 10kts and provides more balance on the helm when it's set inside a Genoa, Jib, Code Zero, Jib Top or even the A5. The result is the helmsman uses less rudder angle meaning the average boat speed is higher with a staysail. The Genoa Staysail is most commonly used with a Jib Top or Jib sheeted on an outboard lead from 40 AWA. Once the jib car goes outboard, or is re-lead to the gunwale the Genoa Staysail can generally slot in the gap that results with good effect. In the Volvo ocean race the Genoa Staysail was the most used sail in terms of sailing hours. For many of the boats in the last race it was up for nearly 50% of the racing hours. The Genoa Staysail can also be used in combination with a Code Zero or fractional A5 when the faster boat speeds move the apparent wind angle forward and load the helm. The Genoa Staysail is a very versatile reaching sail and is definitely worth taking into consideration for any offshore campaign.
A Rogers 46 with flying a Jib Top and Staysail combination. Note the Jib Top is sheeted off the tweaker and the staysail is sheeted to the jib tracks.
A Jib Top is a high clewed reaching headsail designed for beam reaching in medium to strong winds. Conventional headsails are designed with a lower clew which is optimized for close hauled sailing, as you ease the sheet of a conventional headsail and bear off you can loose control over the leech of the sail. The Jib Top design is based on sailing wider apparent wind angles and allows the trimmer more control over the twist and leech profile of the sail. The sail is usually sheeted using the spinnaker sheet which is "tweaked" to the deck using an adjustable purchase system. Its a faster sail on reach than your conventional low clewed Jib or Genoa.
Finally...
One last point worth mentioning is DON'T BE SCARED TO REEF! Especially while reaching, even in medium wind strengths. The general rule of thumb is if your mainsail is flapping or "dragging" then reef it. Finding the balance between heel angle and power is really important on a reach. If your mainsail is flogging it is highly likely you'll be experiencing a lot of weather helm. By reefing and being able to sheet the mainsail on you'll find the boat is more balanced and likely to be faster. It's much better to have a reefed sail setting efficiently than a full hoist sail flogging.
Good luck!
Read more on the North Sails range of sails here.