For most of us, the image in our minds of a sailboat is a classic one: The sleek hull, the pristine deck, and yes, the crisp white sails that capture the wind and carry you across the water. It’s not a bad or wrong perception, but actually, there are plenty of crazy, colorful, and wonderfully creative sails out there that break the mold and prove just how artistic and diverse the world of sailing can be — and we are here for it.
In fact, there are certain kinds of downwind sails, known as spinnakers and gennakers, that are known for being bright and colorful.
Spinnaker: For sailing specific downwind or off-wind angles
Found on racing yachts, a spinnaker is a large sail made from a light nylon that balloons out from the front of the boat when it fills with wind — and when it does, it’s described as flying. Poetic, no?
Gennaker: An all-purpose downwind sail
Designed for both cruising and racing, a gennaker is a cross between a genoa sail (a large jib or staysail) and a spinnaker — it’s got the asymmetry of the former and the width of the latter.
Creative sails that are full of character
Here are some of our favorite examples of sails that are bright, unique, and anything but boring:
Beautiful boats you can book for a holiday
If seeing all these stunning sails (and the beautiful boats they’re attached to) has inspired you to take to the waters yourself, you can find some great holiday deals right on Zizoo.
