Even with accurate weather forecasting and long-range weather models, from time to time those of us who go to sea will encounter heavy weather. This is particularly true for those sailing in higher latitudes where storms can develop quickly and can defy even the best forecasters.
One of the issues we have in our modern cruising boats, mostly sloops without staysail stays, is the ability to effective reef a roller furling genoa. You can roll the sail up to about two thirds of its size but it will lose it shape and the stresses on the sail’s panels can quickly stretch the leech and luff.
Etienne Giroior, the founder of the rigging and sailing equipment company ATN, came up with a solution: the Gale Sail. His distress orange colored storm sail is unique and patented. The sail fits neatly over a rolled-up genoa and hoists on a spinnaker halyard.
The Gale Sail has many advantages. It is easy to rig. It eliminates the need for an inner fore stay. It allows you to downsize the headsail without having to remove the genoa from the roller furling unit. And, its sheets can run to the same genoa cars as the main head sail, although the cars will have to be adjusted on their tracks for best trim angles.
Made of heavy Dacron, Gale Sails slide easily over the rolled shape of a furled headsail and while flying will prevent an accidental unrolling of the bigger sail. Because the sail’s luff in attached to the headstay, around the genoa, the shape of the sail will remain flat and aerodynamically more efficient than a partially furled genoa.
Gale Sails are recommended or suggested equipment by U.S. Sailing Safety at Sea Seminars, the Cruising Club of America’s Newport to Bermuda Committee, the Salty Dawg Sailing Association, the OSTAR organizers and many other offshore sailing organizations.
