History
The genoa jib was invented and first used by the well-known Italian sailor and sailmaker Raimondo Panario. It was first used on the 6mR "Cora IV" built in 1925, owner G. Roggero, during the 1926 Genoa's winter races, hence its name "genoa jib" (Coppa del Tirrenio). This was a huge success since Cora IV unquestionably was the winner. Invited to Denmark for the Copenhagen's International Races which he brilliantly won too, Panario was congratulated by the King Christian X who called him "the first skipper of Europe." The famous Swedish sailor and shipowner Sven Salén (1890–1969) first used the genoa on his 6 m R-yacht "May-Be" by the end of 1926. He successfully used it during the Scandinavian Gold Cup's races of 1927 in Oyster Bay (US) which he won and made the claim he was the genoa jib's inventor though he truly was not.
A similar type of jib was in use for centuries by the fishermen in the Netherlands with their Botter type ships. The fishermen relied on the combination of a large jib while fishing so the mainsail could remain unused. After fishing the fisherman's jib helped to get the fish to markets fast.
A correct explanation of the interaction between jib and mainsail was published by aerodynamicist and yachtsman Arvel Gentry in 1981, and "is much more complicated than the old theories imply". This states that the widely believed explanation of the slot effect is "completely wrong" and shows that this is not due to the venturi effect (or "valve effect" to use Curry's term) accelerating the air in the slot. Instead it is shown that the air in the slot is slowed down and its pressure increased reducing the tendency of the mainsail to stall, that the mainsail reduces the air pressure on the lee side of the jib accelerating that airflow, and that the mainsail increases the angle at which the air meets the luff of the jib, allowing the boat to point higher. Gentry points out that proper understanding of sail interaction allows better sail trimming.
Read more about this topic: Genoa (sail)
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