Matrix Spinnakers
High-Performance Spinnakers with a Legacy of Innovation
UK Sailmakers’ Matrix spinnakers represent the evolution of decades of design expertise, performance data, and real-world racing and cruising experience. With a hybrid panel layout that combines radial construction in the corners with vertical panels through the midsection to deliver a stable, efficient flying shape across a wide range of conditions.
J/111 CAG screaming downwind with a UK Sailmakers Matrix A5 spinnaker. Photo © Henrik Trygg.
What Is a Matrix Spinnaker?
Matrix spinnakers blend the best elements of traditional radial and vertical panel construction. Radial panels at the head, tack, and clew distribute loads efficiently, while vertical panels in the midsection maintain shape and improve sail handling. Horizontal and vertical joining seams between sections allow for greater control over fullness and flying shape.
This design enables us to:
- Tailor material weights by zone—for example, using heavier cloth along the luff and lighter fabric toward the leech
- Reinforce high-load areas without adding excess weight
- Align the sail’s structure with expected load paths and performance goals
We offer Matrix spinnakers in a full range of types: asymmetric, symmetric, and even Code Zeros. Each one is custom-designed for your boat and sailing style.
Matrix asymmetrical and symmetrical spinnakers from UK Sailmakers are custom-tailored for a wide range of boats and sailing conditions. X-34 MAUDELAYNE photo © Tim Wilkes.
For Racers: Built to Win
Whether you’re racing around the cans or offshore, Matrix spinnakers are engineered for performance. With thousands of winning sails built over the years, our experience shows in the results. Our sails are available in multiple shapes optimized for different wind angles and sea states (A1–A6), crafted from the highest-performing downwind materials.
Key features include:
- Custom designs to suit your inventory and performance targets
- The latest material technologies including coated and impregnated nylons and Code Zero laminates
- Multiple cloth weights blended for strength and weight-savings
- Optional top-down furling compatibility
- External ring, press ring and soft corner options based on your setup
- Optional box bags and corner labels for easier handling
For Cruisers: Power and Easy Handling
Cruising downwind should be fast and fun! Matrix spinnakers are easy to handle, stable in flight, and powerful in light air. Designed to maximize downwind performance with minimal crew, they’re a popular choice for both coastal and offshore cruisers.
Matrix cruising spinnakers and Code Zeros are designed for easy handling and stable performance. Arcona spinnaker photo © Henrik Trygg. Beneteau Code Zero photo © Guy Nowell.
Benefits include:
- Stable, easy-to-trim shapes across broad wind conditions
- Lightweight, durable and price-performing fabrics
- Furling options and snuffer compatibility for simplified handling
- Stabilizing spinnakers with airfoils available
- External ring, press ring and soft corner options based on your setup
- Optional box bags and corner labels for easier handling
A Legacy of Innovation
The foundation of Matrix spinnaker design lies in the pioneering work of Butch Ulmer, founder of UK Sailmakers and a U.S. National Sailing Hall of Fame inductee, and Owen Torrey. In the 1970s, Ulmer brought Torrey—a Harvard and Columbia Law graduate turned sailmaker—into his City Island loft, where they began crafting the first radial head spinnakers. Drawing inspiration from Nathaniel Bowditch’s American Practical Navigator, Torrey used meridian spacing tables to calculate optimal shaping for the spinnaker’s curves.
Their collaboration led to innovations that powered iconic yachts such as COURAGEOUS, RUNNING TIDE and YANKEE GIRL. Their sails were renowned for their beauty and performance, and the radial head design they pioneered is now a global sailmaking standard.
UK Sailmakers continues to push spinnaker design forward. Our technical design work has been featured in Seahorse Magazine and discussed on the UK Sailmakers Lessons Learned podcast. As the Seahorse article explains, designing cutting-edge sails isn’t just about having the latest tools—it’s about knowing how to use them. The article highlights our use of advanced software like BSG’s SailPack FSI and quotes SailPack’s Development Manager, who says UK’s Lead Designer Pat Considine is “one of the few who really know how to make the FSI product sing.”
UK Sailmakers A2 racing spinnaker (gray) shown alongside a furling cruising spinnaker (blue). Both use the Matrix panel layout, but the A2 is larger and fuller for speed, while the flatter cruising design supports easy trimming and furling.
Fully Custom Options
Every Matrix spinnaker is custom-built for your needs. In addition to selecting the sail type and shape, you can customize:
- Panel layout and materials
- Head, tack, and clew attachments
- Accessories and furling systems
- Color scheme and custom graphics
Make your spinnaker uniquely yours using our Spinnaker Painting Program →