Hanse launches the Crossover Sail

It's called the Crossover Sail, measures twice the size of a self-tacking jib, and can be flown in a wide range of winds and angles. As such, Hanse is touting its new sail as a green alternative to the engine for its yacht owners heading downwind and on a reach.

Designed in cahoots with Elvstrom Sails for Hanse, the new Crossover Sail has an asymmetrical cut and consists of lightweight CZ laminate. The sail is flown from an additional dedicated forestay and furling system and setting is said to be as simple as: click, pull, rollout.

With the largest wind range in its class, suitable for anything from 5 to 20 knots according to the German yacht maker, the Crossover Sail lies somewhere between jib and gennaker. It can be trimmed by any winch in the cockpit and remain attached as a second forestay, allowing you to enjoy the downwind courses without having to set and take down a traditional kite or its various permutations.

Hanse says the Crossover is the ideal complement to its self-tacking jib, especially for reaching courses, say between 65 degrees and 135 degrees. With the 'integrated torsion cable', it can be easily furled in and out from the cockpit. The sail is otherwise stored in a specially designed sail bag, which can remain on deck.

The size of the Hanse Crossover Sail depends on the model, but it is about twice the size of the self-tacking jib. On a Hanse 455, this equates to 92.6sq m. The yacht maker says the Crossover accelerates its Hanse yachts to "unimaginable speeds," especially in light airs. More at www.windcraft.com.au.