ASYMMETRIC SPINNAKERS

[pwormwood]

So, here is a question for the group – Does anyone know where and when the first modern asymmetrical spinnaker was developed? I have a story about how we developed the concept on the west coast of Florida in 1982 for racing a custom 30’ Stiletto catamaran, but I was wondering if others were using them somewhere else earlier than that. I would have thought that the 18 footers in Sydney would have been the birthplace, but an ‘83 video on Youtube shows them using a symmetric on a mast mounted pole at that time.

 

[JohnMB]

So, here is a question for the group – Does anyone know where and when the first modern asymmetrical spinnaker was developed? I have a story about how we developed the concept on the west coast of Florida in 1982 for racing a custom 30’ Stiletto catamaran, but I was wondering if others were using them somewhere else earlier than that. I would have thought that the 18 footers in Sydney would have been the birthplace, but an ‘83 video on Youtube shows them using a symmetric on a mast mounted pole at that time.

wikipedia provides a link to this sailmagazine article

https://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/mastering-the-a-sail

with some nice history it says that a-kites existed in the 1860's , which makes sense as the symmetrical spinnaker derived from a full belied asymmetrical foresail.

https://www.yachtingmonthly.com/news/the-150th-anniversary-of-the-spinnaker-34861

I

 

[A3A]

Stars & Stripes '87 used a "Gennaker" on the reaching legs of the triangle in the LV Finals. I built one as a cruising sail for an Alden 75 not long after. The 1992 AC in San Diego with the middle Z legs burned though dozens of concepts.   

 

[JohnMB]

Stars & Stripes '87 used a "Gennaker" on the reaching legs of the triangle in the LV Finals. I built one as a cruising sail for an Alden 75 not long after. The 1992 AC in San Diego with the middle Z legs burned though dozens of concepts.   

That reminds me, of course cruising chutes were around in 1980. (and probably well before that)...  and that's basically an asym tacked to the bow.

 

[captnjoe]

In 1980 we purchased a "cruising" spinnaker for our Cape Dory 25 which is normally fairly slow.  With the asym I did very well in singled handed racing and even won a couple of fully crewed races.

 

[Raz'r]

Looks like the Aussie 14s had them 100 years ago: 

 

[armchairadmiral]

In NZ  mullet boats from late 1800's , most mid 1900's centreboarders.......IA ,X, Z used them. Symmetric  kites developed from them with advent of Marconi rigs. Nothing new in the world !!!!

 

[Rambler]

It depends what you really mean by an asymmetric spinnaker.

Australian skiffs and their later derivatives (VJ's and VS's) ran asymmetric spinnakers from their inception in the later 1800's. But they were flown from a spinnaker pole (and because they were asymmetrical) had to be gybed by taking down the jib (effectively removing the forestay) and swinging the pole around the front. Smaller versions like the VJ actually had to chuck the pole around the front of the jib. The first photo is of an assymetrical on a 22 ft skiff (second from front) from the mid 1890's.

If you mean a ballonner jib, well I think you'll find those on the skiffs going back many years too. See the second photo.

But if you mean a modern gennaker set up on a pole extended from the bow specifically for the purpose of carrying a spinnaker like extra, I think you'll find they came out of the Sydney Harbour 18ft skiffs in the mid to late 1980's when they found that tacking downwind was faster and the spinnaker pole was never off the forestay. JulianB was there. he might pipe in for more detail.

 

[Rambler]

And I'll add one more from the early 50's just because its a great shot.

Still assymetrical. Still gybing by dropping the jib and forestay (note the lazy sheet going around the front of the jib).

 

[carcrash]

There is nothing new under the sun

 

[pwormwood]

Yeah - I knew about the historic jibs-on-spinnaker-poles.  I was curious about when the modern symmetrical 'balloon' spinnakers were further developed to have different luff and leech lengths, along with shaping the panels to create a draft forward shape.   

 

[pwormwood]

wikipedia provides a link to this sailmagazine article

https://www.sailmagazine.com/cruising/mastering-the-a-sail

with some nice history it says that a-kites existed in the 1860's , which makes sense as the symmetrical spinnaker derived from a full belied asymmetrical foresail.

https://www.yachtingmonthly.com/news/the-150th-anniversary-of-the-spinnaker-34861

I

I read that article, and it sounds like we were ahead of Julian.  This link shows the 18's with symmetric kites in '83.  We were already on our second iteration by then.  With the first we lengthened the luff to reach the deck without a pole.  With the second, we made the panels within the sail asymmetric to push the draft forward and open the leech.

 

[Steam Flyer]

Yeah - I knew about the historic jibs-on-spinnaker-poles.  I was curious about when the modern symmetrical 'balloon' spinnakers were further developed to have different luff and leech lengths, along with shaping the panels to create a draft forward shape.   

Not a sailmaker, but in the sailing news articles about the America's Cup in the 1970s, sailing lead-bellied money gobblers, they discussed asymmetric spinnakers set on conventional spinnaker poles. One of the operating theories was to make the luff longer.

FB- Doug

 

[sailorman44]

In one of his books Phil Bolger talked using a half spinnaker on one of his designs.He was happy with the performance.

 

[alphafb552]

Was posting this in the 'Favorite Sailing Pic' thread, thouhgt it could be relvant here - pic from the early thirties

View attachment 362295

 

[Meat Wad]

And I'll add one more from the early 50's just because its a great shot.

Still assymetrical. Still gybing by dropping the jib and forestay (note the lazy sheet going around the front of the jib).

View attachment 362221

Looks like a wipe out in the background

 

[JohnMB]

Looks like a wipe out in the background

No. that's two windsurfers, one is trying to do a back loop over the other .

 

[Rambler]

Looks like a wipe out in the background

You've noticed the heads in the water above the tramsom of the main boat have you.

The narrative in "The Open Boat" page from which this was taken says -

  " One boat far left is having bit of trouble, and there is a crew in the water beyond the stern of Crows Nest. Can't tell you at this point if they survived, but hard Westerlies usually take their toll."

I don't recall reports of drownings in the history of the skiffs, but who knows. 

The Open Boat site, with any more interesting photos and stories, can be found here   http://www.openboat.com.au/fleets.html

 

[Trovão]

don't assyms pre-date syms?

View attachment 362293