If you have a Xenon you must use its gennaker!!  It is a wonderful sail that is easy to use in light winds and enables the Xenon to start skimming across the water.  It is not dangerous or threatening in light winds.  It is also easy to use in stronger winds (and a lot more fun!) but before you test your skills in stronger winds you need to get used to controlling it and reacting instinctively and very speedily when hit by a side gust. So get your practice in during light winds.

Take a quick look at the ease with which the Xenon gennaker can be launched before reading on.

The video clip shows  the Xenon approaching the last windward buoy on a port reach, the buoy is passed to starboard and following a gybe the Xenon is lined up for a straight run to the finishing line. As it happens we are in the lead in this race and the dinghies you glimpse ahead are being lapped by a Xenon in a hurry.

The hoist line momentarily snags in the deck eye and the crew quickly flick it free before continuing the launch.

Note how the Xenon speed responds to the launch even though the wind strength is very moderate (10 knots or less) and dying, and also how smooth is the ride! Only the spray indicates the speed. Note also how crew and helm have shifted position to the rear, the crew hiking to balance the side pull of the gennaker.  Although travelling quickly the operation is very controlled and relatively easy.

Choose the wind conditions

For your first experience of using the Gennaker you should carefully choose your wind conditions. The wind should ideally be no more than 10 knots and should also have a fairly constant direction. A fitful, changeable wind can prove confusing and discouraging to the novice user  and is more likely to improve the swimming skills than sailing.

Give yourself room

Take the dinghy upwind to allow yourself plenty of downwind room at your sailing venue. Also choose an area where there are few other dinghies and if possible keep clear of headlands, promontories etc that usually cause fickle winds. Keep life simple!  You need to keep clear of other boats, shoreline etc on the leeward side.  In a sudden gust you want the freedom to steer to leeward, following the gennaker, before resuming your normal course. The leeward side is your escape route in a gust. The gennaker is a powerful sail - don't argue with it or you will end up swimming! - follow it until the gust passes.

Choose your course

Turn the Xenon on to a Training Run, ie the wind is coming over the stern from a port or starboard direction rather than directly astern (the Xenon will be more stable with a little side wind). It is advisable to launch (and retrieve) the gennaker as quickly as possible to avoid the sail material dragging in the water.  When all crew are ready reach forward and pull on the launch line, grasping the launch line as close to the spinlock clutch as possible, pull out an armful repeating the move with the other hand. The video clip above illustrates this well. It is possible to launch even quicker if the launch crew stand up to pull on the launch line and use their body and arms to pull in the line - as always remembering to maintain boat balance. The launch line will go taut as the head of the gennaker hits the mast pulley. As that happens cleat the spinlock and pull in hard on the active gennaker sheet. The active sheet is on the same side as the active Jib sheet. Smartly pull the Gennaker sheet in so that the clew of the gennaker appears alongside the Jib sheet. Then steadily ease out the gennaker sheet. The gennaker will usually inflate without difficulty but the Helm may need to alter course slightly windward to show the Gennaker a little more wind as happened in the video clip. Once the Gennaker has inflated the helm can make any course corrections.

The helm should be ready to turn the Xenon to follow the wind if a strong gust arrives. The most common cause of a gennaker pulling the Xenon over is when Helm has been too slow in turning away from the wind to allow the dinghy to follow the gennaker. Resume course as the gust passes. Do not fight it! the gennaker is a very powerful sail. This is the reason for the advice to practice clear of other boats and a lee shore.

Set the gennaker

The following video clip illustrates launching and flying the Xenon gennaker in relatively benign wind conditions. The Xenon approaches on an upwind leg, fairly wide of the marker buoy, tacks in as the buoy in rounded to port (the dinghy passes with the buoy on the port side of the dinghy) and the launch begins. The curling edge of the gennaker is clearly shown.

As the Gennaker inflates the crew should ease it out, watching the leading edge of the Gennaker. At a certain point the leading edge of the Gennaker will begin to curl. This is unmistakable and when it happens gently pull in the gennaker sheet until the curl disappears. At this point the Xenon will already be responding and you will feel the dinghy pick up speed and feel the pull on the Gennaker sheets. For this first attempt the Helm should concentrate on keeping a steady course while the crew should let out the Gennaker sheet until the curl reappears before gently pulling in the gennaker sheet to just remove the curl. With the leading edge of the Gennaker just about to curl the sail is developing full power. If the Helm gently alters course the crew will feel the increasing or decreasing pull on the Gennaker sheet as the wind gains or loses access to the Gennaker. Advising the Helm of the increased pull may be helpful as the ideal course is not readily apparent from the Gennaker position. Note to Helm: you play a significant part in assisting the crew handling the Gennaker. At some stage you may see the gennaker slowly collapsing (usually it starts to slide sideways). Try a gentle but timely shift of course to windward to 'show the gennaker more wind'. The gennaker will reinflate and speed will increase..... but perhaps not in the direction you want to go. This is part of sailing, either go with it or gybe.  Another very important point is the need for the Helm to react speedily if the Xenon is hit by a sudden side gust. Throw the tiller over immediately such a gust strikes so that the Xenon turns to follow the gennaker downwind. resume course as the gust passes.

Boat Trim

As the Xenon picks up speed both crew and helm should start to shift their weight rearwards to alter boat trim and counteract the pull from the Gennaker and prevent the Xenon from nosing into the waves. In a strong breeze the Xenon will really fly with its bow high in the air and the helm will be sitting in the stern quarter sensing the direction of wind pull, ready to bear away (turn to follow the wind) to counter undue heeling of the Xenon.  The crew will be firmly holding the Gennaker sheet and will have moved into the rear section of the Xenon cosying up to the helm and hiking out to balance the Xenon. In this position, if you have the time and courage to glance over the stern, you will see a flat smooth wake with a curling wave following the Xenon at a distance. As the Xenon increases speed this following wave moves further astern and as you slow down it will start to move closer.

Flying the Gennaker

Techniques for flying the Gennaker will vary according to the wind conditions. As the wind strength drops the Gennaker may start to collapse. The first sign of this is the gennaker sliding gracefully sideways and a curl beginning at the leading edge. Give a light sharp tug on the gennaker sheet to flick out the curl and allow the sail to ease out. If the collapse continues the helm may need to alter course to windward to show the gennaker more wind with the crew pulling in the active sheet to encourage the sail to reinflate. A good helm will spot the collapse as it starts and turn accordingly. In race conditions the Helm may decide to gybe to stay as close to the desired course as possible.

Gybing with the Gennaker

Gybing the Gennaker in light winds is relatively straightforward. As the helm calls for a gybe, uncleat the active Jib sheet and loosely recleat the Jib on the other side. Shout 'ready' and, as helm swings the Xenon, release the active Gennaker sheet and rapidly pull in the new gennaker sheet.  It is important to pull the Gennaker across early in the gybe. Any delay will encourage the gennaker to wrap across the Jib wire or to develop a twist. Gentle speed is the essence of a good Gennaker gybe. After a successful gybe adjust the Jib sheet as necessary. To recap - as soon as the helm starts the Gybe pull the new gennaker sheet in as quickly as possible. With only a little practice you will be able to keep the Gennaker flying with only a momentary break in its power.

If the gennaker does wrap or fails to inflate it can normally be encouraged to fly by pulling the active gennaker sheet fully in and then easing it. If this does not work the helm should alter course to increase the wind pressure and repeat the action of pulling it in and easing out again. On the (many) occasions when I have messed up the gybe it is always because I was distracted by fiddling with the various ropes and failed to immediately pull the gennaker across.

Retrieve the Gennaker

Before you run out of water or encounter other boats the Helm should turn back to a training run and the crew should stand up, uncleat the spinlock and grasp the Downhaul line as close to the pulley sited at the rear of the chute as possible. Take care not to mistakenly grab the downhaul line as it emerges from the chute mouth - pulling on this will wear and damage the chute - the chute block is intended to give a smooth pull down the chute and prevent wear to the chute. Pull in large armfuls as quickly as possible, standing up to use your body and arms to haul in as much of the downhaul as possible in a single pull. Speed is necessary at this point to prevent the Gennaker from collapsing into the water in front of the dinghy. Look at the above video again if necessary. Ideally the helm will steer a downwind course that just keeps the Gennaker partially inflated while the crew is retrieving the Gennaker. This process is not as difficult as perhaps reading this may make it appear but in a worst case the dinghy could run over the waterlogged gennaker and tear it. Quick smooth action by the crew will ensure this cannot happen. Tip: tape up the link between the Furler unit and the Jib wire to make sure that the gennaker cannot snag on the fastening pin.

If the retrieval fails, it is usually because the gennaker was not downwind but pulling to the sides of the Xenon. If so the collapsed Gennaker will wrap on the Jib wire and trail in the water. DO NOT use extra force to pull it in. This will damage an expensive Gennaker sail. Instead re hoist the gennaker, let it briefly billow with the helm making sure that it swings to the front of the Xenon and then repeat the retrieval.

When racing it is easy, in the desire to round the marker buoy, to start the turn before the gennaker head has entered the chute. As a consequence the patches and tie off knot may become jammed on the side of the chute. 

I have run over my Gennaker!

It will happen (rarely) that something goes wrong with the retrieval and the Gennaker lands in the water under the Xenon. Don't despair, don't panic, don't use force. As soon as the helm realises that the 'drop' has gone wrong the Xenon should be turned into the wind to remove all power. Try a partial re hoist to lift the Gennaker out of the water but if that fails and it has gone under the dinghy the crew should clamber out on to the bow area laying face down and gather in an armful of the soggy gennaker near the mouth of the chute. Helm should grasp the Gennaker downhaul line and pull in a portion. The crew then grabs the next armful and that gets pulled in until all is safely gathered in. Usually the next launch will sort the Gennaker out and all will be well but on occasion the Gennaker may become so twisted that it jams on the launch. In such circumstances you should abandon use of the gennaker until you can return to shore and sort the problem. It is worth repeating, avoid the temptation to use force and heave on a jammed Gennaker. The sail material is lightweight and can all too easily be damaged. A new Gennaker costs the best part of £500.

Lessons to remember; do not attempt to drop the Gennaker until it is in alignment with the bow, it is a great temptation to keep the gennaker flying for as long as possible but turning upwind before the gennaker is well on its way back into the chute will cause a jam. As soon as the drop starts use long pulls on the downhaul to ensure the retrieval is as quick as possible. If these lessons are followed the problem will not repeat.