In praise of poling out the genoa
I read with interest your August 2018 article on mastering downwind sailing (the main photo was brilliant), but was disappointed that the explanation of poling out the genoa was limited to just one paragraph.
As a successful yacht racer who also cruises extensively, I think this mode of downwind sailing is very powerful and versatile. With the genoa poled out to windward, the yacht can sail dead downwind or up to 130° off it, with only small adjustments. In strong winds and big seas this is safe and reassuring. Equally, on a beam reach, the pole can be set to leeward, stretching the sail into the shape intended by the sailmaker and increasing its power greatly.
As most yachts, especially cruising ones, have furling gear, the danger of handling a pole can be totally minimised. If the sail starts furled, the pole can be set on the appropriate sheet and then the sail unfurled, so the crew has no need to deal with a pole under load. To gybe, the sail can again be furled, the pole swapped across, and then the sail unfurled when appropriate.
If a crash gybe is needed, perhaps to avoid shipping, the genoa can be left alone till the main has swung over and a new course is set, then furled and reset. This is much safer and easier than with a spinnaker.
I usually set the inboard end of the pole above the boom and pull the outboard end down to about guardrail height. This stops the top of the sail twisting away and produces downwind speeds comparable to those achieved using a spinnaker. My wife and I often cruise this way in winds where hoisting and dropping a spinnaker would be beyond the two of us, yet often keep pace with nearby yachts flying a spinnaker and outpace those with cruising chutes (who have to sail wider angles).
Sailing dead downwind is not fast or safe, even with a pole, but with the wind just off dead astern it is fast and comfortable, and when tweaked a little, the genoa never collapses so it’s quiet and calming. This is a technique that deserves a more extensive application.