Drifter sail

[Bob]

We just bought a sailboat(our first ) with what the owner called a 'Drifter" sail.... a large multicolored sail that does not clip on the forestay like a job does. It seedm to be used as a downwind sail but does not use a spinnaker, whisker or other pole. We would like to know more about use or rigging of this sail. We are not quite sure what to make of it, as we are new to the sport. Appreciate any comments..Thanks...

 

[Alan J]

Jibe it!

On my previous boat I had a drifter. It is a sail to be used from a beam reach to a run. The sail I had had one hank on the leading edge and the rest of it was loose. It is a very light weight sail to be used in light winds and the sheets on my sail were run to smatch blocks near the stern and then run forward to a winch. I could not tack this sail and had to jibe it around the fore stay when I came about.

 

[Bill O'Donovan]

Explanation

Think of the drifter as a poor man's spinnaker. Raise it with the jib halyard and secure at the bow as if it was a jib. Run the guy sheet from the third eyelet back to the well, but be sure the line is outside all lifelines, etc. totally free. Operates like a genoa and is fun in light wind when nothing else is happening anyway.