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1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Mainsails Genoas and Other Jibs Spinnakers Asymetrical Spinnakers Cruising Spinnaker (The UK Flasher) Dousing Sock (The UK Stasher) Staysails Drifter Blast Reacher Storm Sails Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 Chapter 10 |
The UK Flasher ® is an asymmetrical
pole-less spinnaker that combines the ease of handling of a jib or genoa with the pulling
power of a spinnaker. Because the generic name is so long, and because it improves a
boat's light-air downwind speed so much, we named the sail "The Flasher ® .
"
The Flasher ® is offered in two different construction styles. The original
design has long radial head panels surmounting a few horizontal bottom
panels, and it is an inexpensive sail to produce. The tri-radial version
is designed for the loads created by bigger boats. It's tri-radial construction
aligns the strongest threads of the nylon material with the loads coming
off the corners of the sail. Both style Flashers ® look and perform like
a spinnaker, but they require none of the expensive extra gear needed
for a spinnaker — no pole, no track on the mast, no pole lift, no
foreguy and no afterguys. In short, with the addition of a spinnaker halyard,
a Flasher ® can be set and used on any boat equipped to set a jib. |
 The
Flasher ® is made with lightweight nylon spinnaker cloth that comes in
many different colors which you can use to create your own color scheme.
system, any sailor wanting to sail upwind needs to have an inboard fore-and-aft
track for the jib sheet leads. Also, racing sailors and cruising sailors
both benefit from having an adjustable lead car system that can move the
lead while under load. Cruisers with roller/furling systems need to move
the lead forward as the genoa is reefed; likewise, the lead has to be
moved aft when the sail is unreefed. |
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