Downwind sailing is any cruising sailor’s dream. The thought of days, or even weeks, of reliable following tradewinds pushing you across an ocean with just a warm apparent breeze over the deck seems particularly far-fetched for those of us who have just suffered the wettest winter imaginable.
We all need a reliable downwind setup, whether coastal cruising or passagemaking. But those planning an Atlantic or Pacific crossing will want to give this aspect particular attention, perhaps adding some tweaks or sail wardrobe investments to help ensure that dream adventure is as comfortable as possible for your crew and your yacht.
While there’s certainly no one-fits-all answer, we can learn a lot from those who have done a crossing. Last year we used our annual ARC Gear Survey to focus on the topic of downwind sails and handling and have since analysed the responses to our detailed questionnaire, from over 240 skippers on the ARC and ARC+ rallies.
The reason why there’s no optimum solution for all is multifaceted. Sure, the shape of your hull and keel type can help narrow down options. Unless you have a sportier design, then sailing the downwind rhumbline should equate to least stress and gybes and therefore potential problems. Those with newer hull shapes may want to calculate their polars and work with sailmakers to evaluate which angles and sails best suit their hulls.
How about your rig – is it easy to use a pole? Is there a track to fit one… or two even? Can you square the boom or do you have swept-back spreaders? Do you sail short-handed or with plenty of crew to help pull strings and get poles down?
The answers can lead to yet more considerations, including chafe points, how to avoid rolling, and how to easily depower or reef.
Does your mainsail help and does it fill the slot better when reefed? What’s your best setup for short-handed or at night? What are your backup systems (notably for torn sails or a broken halyard or pole)?
A lot can be answered in advance by considering such questions. The weather, however, cannot. We can only hope for reliable trades and the sort of downwind crossing conditions last year’s ARC crews gratefully experienced.
WEIGHING THE OPTIONS
Spinnakers can be ideal if you have the experience and crew to handle them, their numerous associated lines, and can get them down easily. Asymmetric spinnakersthe most popular offwind option in terms of numbers carried (an indication of a modern fleet), but they don’t suit true downwind sailing, meaning extra miles to sail.
