What's a "Flanker" for?

[DavidGrieves]

Hi all

My boat has three spinnakers on board, one of them is marked up as "flanker". What is it designed for? The other two look the same, one newer than the other.

Thanks

David

 

[ghostlymoron]

Seems to be a sail made by Hoods. Suggest you contact them for details.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?VISuperSize&item=140492766635

 

[Lady Campanula]

Just 'cos the name caught my eye...

'Flanker'

 

[Lakesailor]

It seems it's a Reaching Chute, usually 2/3rds the area of a spinnaker and a heavier cloth. Introduced by Hoods in 1972.

 

[Twister_Ken]

It seems it's a Reaching Chute, usually 2/3rds the area of a spinnaker and a heavier cloth. Introduced by Hoods in 1972.

That sounds like what we used to call a chicken chute.

 

[Lakesailor]

I would think that would have counted as a marketing disaster if they had called it that.

 

[Quandary]

That sounds like what we used to call a chicken chute.

Yea, we used to have one we called that but John Mcwilliam sold it to us as a 'blast reacher'
perhaps 'flanker' was intended to be a less intimidating name for it.
Not much use for cruising as when the wind is that strong you wont want any kite up unless you want to give the wife a thrill.

 

[flaming]

Hi all

My boat has three spinnakers on board, one of them is marked up as "flanker". What is it designed for? The other two look the same, one newer than the other.

Thanks

David

We have a flanker. It's the spinnaker we put up when others are starting not to bother. It's amazing, basically indestructible and stable as a rock.
It's at its best at about 130-140 TWA with the wind in the 20s, but we also use it to run in 30kts TWS.

No shoulders on it, which makes it rather difficult to gybe when we're using it as a chicken chute, rather than the reaching kite it's actually designed as, but we're getting used to it.

How are the others marked up? You may find that they may looks the same but are subtly different.