What is a D.R.S. Drifter

[outdoor]

Is a D.R.S. Drifter an assymetrical Spinnaker, Gennaker, Large oversided Genoa?

Never used any spinnaker type sail.

I'm purchasing a boat with a D.R.S Drifter but can't seem to find specific info on the web as to how it is rigged or should be rigged etc....

I believe the current owner has a spinnaker pole he uses. Is this used just when going downwind?

[barnakiel]

A picture would help.

DRS itself can stand for DRifter Sail.

[jackdale]

D - drifter
R - reacher
S - spinnaker

It is an asymmetrical spinnaker, usually with a fairly flat cut that allows it to reach. It is nt usually poled out. I have done so going wing on wing, but I am more comfortable broad reaching with these sails.

Jack

[barnakiel]

All in one package? Awesome!
b.

[outdoor]

OK so it is basically an asymetrical spinnaker. Not the same as a Gennaker?

Do some people use poles or just when Wing on Wing? Would you use a spinnaker pole vs a wisker?

If so why? Since my boat comes with both a lighter pole and a heavier pole

[jackdale]

Originally Posted by outdoor

OK so it is basically an asymetrical spinnaker. Not the same as a Gennaker?

Do some people use poles or just when Wing on Wing? Would you use a spinnaker pole vs a wisker?

If so why? Since my boat comes with both a lighter pole and a heavier pole

It is a gennaker that has a flatter cut. It is flown the same way.

Some ASyms are flown from a retractable pole off the bow.

Whisker poles (the lighter pole) are generally used with genoas.

Spinnakers use a pole, and may use a reaching strut to keep the pressure of the guy off of the lifelines and provide an better guy angle.

Jack

[barnakiel]

It is also possible to pole out the clew of gennie or asym when beam reaching or broad reaching. This keeps the fore sail flatter (by avoiding the clew pulled inboard when the sheets are eased. Optional way - leading the fore sail's sheets via a block attached at the outer end of the main boom.

I use this set up a lot when reaching in light airs.

b.

[Knowazark]

Assymetrical downwind sails have a multitude of names and many of those names have been invented by specific sail lofts to identify their particular product, however, they're not necessarily product specific.

A spinnaker is a symmetrical sail flown off a pole and is most efficient when running deep off the wind. Spinnakers can be used for reaching, but they're not at their best.

An assymetrical spinnaker (or gennaker, multi purpose sail (MPS), drifter, reacher, screacher, whatever) is generally flown off a strop off the bow of the boat (or off a prod at the bow of the boat) and is more efficient than a spinnaker for reaching but less efficient for sailing deep off the wind. An assymetrical spinnaker can be flown off a pole in the same way as a symmetrical spinnaker is flown and that may allow you to sail deeper, however, its not going to be as efficient as a symmetrical spinnaker.