- Oct 22, 2025
- 3 min read
HopYacht has always been about simplicity under sail — “one sail flow at a time.”However, for owners wanting to enhance light-wind performance while keeping sailing effortless, we’ve just added something special: a Helix Furling Gennaker, developed in collaboration with North Sails, Cape Town.
Finding the Perfect Downwind Solution
Our goal was to find the best cruising spinnaker option for the HopYacht 30 — one that could be handled safely and easily by two people. Working with the North Sails design team, we explored three configurations:
A Code 65 furling asymmetric flown from a bowsprit
A Cruising Asymmetric spinnaker flown from a bridle using a snuffer
A Helix Furling Gennaker, also flown from a bridle between the bows
Each had its strengths. The Code 65 works effectively between 100° and 50° apparent wind angles, making it better suited for reaching. The Cruising Asymmetric spinnaker performs best from 175° to 100°, perfect for deep downwind sailing. The Helix Furling Gennaker offered the best of both worlds — effective from around 165° to 70–80°, making it a true all-rounder.
So, the decision was straightforward: the Helix Furling Gennaker delivered the versatility we wanted — a single sail solution for a wide range of conditions.
What Makes the Helix Furling Gennaker Unique?
North Sails designed the Helix with cruising sailors in mind. Its structured luff eliminates the need for a heavy cable, making the sail lighter, more reliable, and easier to handle. North describes it as “easy to fly, easy to furl, and easy to stow” — and our first sea trial proved exactly that. You can read more about the North Sails Helix technology here: Introducing the Helix Furling Gennaker – North Sails
Sea Trial Success in Table Bay
We recently took our latest HopYacht 30 out for her first gennaker flight in Table Bay, Cape Town.The breeze was 15 knots, gusting 18 — a solid test for a new sail. The Helix performed flawlessly: easy to hoist, quick to furl, and remarkably stable even in gusty conditions. The HopYacht maintained a steady 6.5 knots SOG, showing just how much this sail adds to light- and moderate-wind performance. Onboard, Geoff Meek from North sails, pointed out this was the speed clocked with two large fixed propellors. With folding props he reckoned we could have added another 1-1.5 knots. Or better still, with hydro-generation, at this kind of speed ther bmotors would be topping up the batteries nicely!
Effortless Handling — True to HopYacht Simplicity
Simplicity remains central to the HopYacht philosophy. The gennaker sheets are led to the helm station winch parallel to the Genoa sheets, using Harken blocks throughout. Deployment is straightforward:
A crew member on the bow trampoline clips the furler on to the bridle and feeds the sail from its bag.
The helm hoists the furled sail and prepares to sheet in
A Velcro patch at the clew keeps the sail furled until pressure on the sheet unfurls it smoothly.
The Genoa is furled away before the Gennaker is deployed — keeping everything calm and controlled. With electric on-demand motors, there’s no rush. You can take your time, stay on course, and enjoy the wow factor as the gennaker unfurls!
Gybing is equally stress-free: in light airs, the gennaker passes easily across; in stronger winds, you can opt to furl it away, adjust course, and unfurl on the new tack — no drama, reducing wear and tear on the sail.
With the Karver continuous loop furler, simply sit comfortably on the trampoline and pull the furling line while the helm eases the sheet. That’s it — no winch work, no instructions being barked across the boat and no stress!
Two People, Endless Freedom
Our brief to North Sails was simple: a cruising spinnaker that two people can handle comfortably. They delivered - and more. The Helix Furling Gennaker fits perfectly with HopYacht’s philosophy: easy, relaxed single sail sailing. Still one sail flow at a time -j just with a bit more breeze in your sails!
