A spinnaker is a special type of sail that is designed specifically for sailing off the wind from a reaching course to a downwind, i.e. with the wind 90°–180° off bow. The spinnaker fills with wind and balloons out in front of the boat when it is deployed, called flying. It is constructed of lightweight fabric, usually nylon, and is often brightly coloured. It may be optimised for a particular range of wind angles, as either a reaching or a running spinnaker, by the shaping of the panels and seams. Some types of spinnaker can be carried by the side of the boat, but still in front of the mast. This is called "flying a shy spinnaker", and is used for reaching.
The spinnaker is often called a kite, or a chute (as in cruising chute) because it somewhat resembles a parachute in both construction and appearance. This should not be confused with the spinnaker chute which is a hull fitting sometimes used for launching and recovering the spinnaker. A purported etymology has the first boat to carry this sail being a Cowes yacht named Sphinx, from which "Sphinx's Acre" and eventually "Spinnaker".
The Spinnaker is the official student newspaper of the University of North Florida (UNF). The first issue was published August 17, 1977. The newspaper is published on a weekly basis during the school year, with new issues roughly once a month in the summer. Issues are distributed free around campus and are available in full form on The Spinnaker's website. It is this third student newspaper in the university's history.
The first newspaper on campus for students began as The Halyard and ran from 1974-1976. It was followed by The Phoenix (1976–1977) and The Spinnaker (1977–present). The Spinnaker office is located in UNF's Student Union.
In 2005, The Spinnaker won a "Best of Show" award at the Associated Collegiate Press's National College Media Convention in Kansas City, Missouri, for the Number 1 paper among four-year weekly tabloid-size student newspapers in the country. In 2009, the paper was named the 2nd best Florida college newspaper, and won Best Front Page Design and Best General News Writing award from the Florida College Press Association. In 2010 it received a Pacemaker Award.
A spinnaker is a type of sail.
Spinnaker can also refer to:
Family is alright till I try to tie it down
'Cause I rather stay out all night
Chasing you all over town
So I'll sing in tender voices
'Cause I know it turns you on
And I've been here before, honey
So it's ok, go home now
It's me, our memories and our dreams
I have seen again with you and me
And then my friends came for me
Like a pack of wild dog
They came smelling like a spring break
And still I broke them off
Well, I've been down every highway
And I've seen now every road
I'll be laying here in the sunshine
To cure what I think I know
'Cause I think I'll make a difference
And I thought I gave a damn
When I think about our future
Damn it, I let it cross my brain
It's me, our memories and our dreams
I have seen again with you and me