A5 Chicken Chute – Racing spinnakers
AWA 115-155°
AWS 20-35 kts
Mid Girth 85-90% of foot
Heavy cloth
A5’s are an ocean racing sail that is also called a “Storm Spinnaker or Chicken Chute” because of their small size. The sail has no shoulders and has an all-purpose shape geared more for running than reaching; most boats would heel too much with so much wind on the beam. It is truly bulletproof, usually made out of 2.2 oz. nylon. On a fractionally rigged boat with masthead spinnakers, the A5 is designed to fly from the hounds (the sheave just above the forestay). These sails are shorter on the luff, foot and width.
Spinnaker Painting Program
Use this program to create a custom look for your new spinnaker or cruising spinnaker. Click here to go to the Spinnaker Painting Program.
Farr 42 WOW – Don Laoghaire 2015 with an A5 asymmetrical spinnaker
This comparison vividly shows the difference in size and shape between an A2 (full-sized spinnaker) and an A5 (small heavy air asymmetric). The A2 is wider and had full shoulders, while the A5 is much narrower with almost no shoulders.