What is a 'Working Spinaker' ?

chinita

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Just come across one.

About the same size as a storm jib but made in lightweight blue nylon stuff.

Seems like a pretty pointless sail to me :confused:

Before I asked Gowen (who made it) can anyone enlighten me?


TIA
 
I am really puzzled, the bag says 'Working Spinaker' and it is defo spinaker material but I don't see what is particularly 'working' about it!

I put it up this morning - the only possible use I can see is as a riding sail as, when sheeted in, should keep the bow head to wind.

But why call it a Spinaker? :confused:
 
Perhaps what you have could be a 'Tall Boy' / 'Blooper'. This sail sets out side the spinnaker from a broad reach to a run. It is made from spinnaker material, has three corners, no hanks or luff ropes and is not symmetrical. I have a vague recollection that they were also called 'working spankers' (not a Google friendly term).

A Blooper / Tall Boy
 
Perhaps what you have could be a 'Tall Boy' / 'Blooper'. This sail sets out side the spinnaker from a broad reach to a run. It is made from spinnaker material, has three corners, no hanks or luff ropes and is not symmetrical. I have a vague recollection that they were also called 'working spankers' (not a Google friendly term).

A Blooper / Tall Boy

That is getting much closer by the description, although this still appears to be only half the size of the one illustrated.

Tell you one thing - I won't be using the jobber!!
 
My e-mail to Gowans (address taken from their website) has just bounced back saying 'mailbox is full, this is a permanent error'.

Great eh. Our good old marine industry excels again.
 
Working sails as opposed to racing sails? I might sail across to Holland under working sails then fly my racing sails when racing over there.
 
Perhaps what you have could be a 'Tall Boy' / 'Blooper'. This sail sets out side the spinnaker from a broad reach to a run. It is made from spinnaker material, has three corners, no hanks or luff ropes and is not symmetrical. I have a vague recollection that they were also called 'working spankers' (not a Google friendly term).

A Blooper / Tall Boy
Awful things used to try and prevent over-girth masthead rig IOR II boats from broaching. They always used to fall in the water, then the boat broached and you had a sail wound round keel and rudder.
 
Awful things used to try and prevent over-girth masthead rig IOR II boats from broaching. They always used to fall in the water, then the boat broached and you had a sail wound round keel and rudder.

Beginning to make sense now as the boat did the Fastnet back in the '70's.

Probably the first owner wanted all the toys of the day.
 
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