Quote:
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Originally Posted by sailingdog
Unless you are racing, there really isn't a big need for a full symmetrical spinnaker. Most cruising sailors use an asym or gennaker for simplicity's sake. |
Generally agree, except dead downwind in light air. If you have a long cruising leg like that, the old-school
spinnaker will pull you straight downwind much better than the assyms, which are good on broad reaches but too much blanketed by the main (like any
jib) on a run. And once you get it flying, it's actually simpler than trying to run wing & wing with a
jib. You could zig-zag downwind with the gennaker, but now you have a lot more jibing and chart work to do if you're doing DR plotting and "naviguessing"
Besides, the questioner already has a symmetrical
spinnaker, and wouldn't have a bowsprit for an assym.