Submitted on February 15, 2007 by Phil Brown

Question: Is there a defined difference between a jib and a genoa? Is it weight of sail cloth, or size, or cut? Thanks for your help.

Phil Brown

Answer: Here are some helpful definitions. Jibs and Genoas all fall under the Headsail category.

Headsails
- Jibs are generally non-overlapping or barely overlapping headsails

- Genoas are always overlapping headsails

Overlaps refer to the amount the clew of the headsail sheets aft of the mast.

“Working” Jibs usually range from 90% to 110% of the boats foretriangle or “J” dimension, which is measured from the forward edge of the mast at deck level to the intersection of the headstay and the deck at the bow. See diagram below. When we define the size of a headsail we use the LP (Luff Perpendicular) divided by the “J” to come up with the percentage of overlap. So if the “J” on your boat is 10 ft, a 130% Genoa would have an LP of 13 ft.

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