Code 0 Explained | Ullman Sails

Ever since Paul Cayard and his team found a loop hole in the rules and made a tight reaching light air sail that rated as a spinnaker but worked more like a genoa and named it the Code 0 it has been talked about in all sailing circles.

The sailing rules have a strict definition of what constitutes a spinnaker and what constitutes a headsail.  Boats are rated on their largest sail in each category.  The largest spinnakers are always larger than the largest headsail, so to have a spinnaker work like a genoa allows you to have a large headsail without taking the rating penalty for it.

The rules state to be a spinnaker the sail must have a mid girth of 75% or greater of the foot length, to be a headsail it must have a mid girth 50% or less of the foot length.

When making a Code 0 for cruisers we do not have to abide by these rules and we can make a sail that fits the use better than a racing Code 0.  The cloths are the same or similar from cruising to racing on the Code 0’s.  It is a light laminate with aramid yarns for strength and low stretch.
Many cruisers have gone to the Code 0 instead of a spinnaker for the ease of use and much better light wind performance, especially on boats with small headsails.  It will often double the square feet of the sail area.

Code 0’s also furl easily like a genoa making them much easier to handle.  This is also a huge plus with most cruisers.  It is a factory option now on some of the new boats.
If you have any other questions or would like to put a Code 0 on your boat, contact Ullman Sails here and one of our team members can help you.