12 of the best superyacht spinnakers

For many owners, superyacht sails are a blank canvas for creating truly spectacular designs that catch the eye wherever you cruise. We round up six of the best superyacht spinnaker designs in the world.

The 32 metre Southern Ocean Marine sailing yacht Danneskjöld embodies the pirate persona of her fictional namesake in Atlas Shrugged, with a dramatic statement sail created by North Graphics.

Nothing gets the heart racing like the billowing spinnaker of a J Class yacht — and this tri-colour design on Velsheda is one of the most distinctive. Launched by Camper & Nicholsons in 1933, this 38.5 metre classic sailing yacht has been immaculately maintained ever since, with her most recent refit taking place at British yard Pendennis last year.

Iconic high-performance sailing yacht Mari-Cha III, currently for sale, is a speed demon that has claimed many a racing title. She is said to be able to reach speeds of 17 knots in only 14 knots of wind, and is assisted in the cause by new sails recently delivered by Doyle. Launched by Sensation Yachts in 1997 to a design by Philippe Briand, Mari-Cha III has already logged more than 5,000 miles sailing with her new Doyle Stratis ICE sails, but the sail that catches the eye most is the dragon spinnaker that she flies. A telling sign she's a fierce competitor indeed!

Definitely one of the sauciest superyacht spinnakers out there belongs to 35 metre superyacht Firefly. The kite is orange for her owner’s country of origin, but as for the depiction on it, we can only speculate…

The asymmetrical superyacht spinnaker on board Aglaia was designed by Norwegian artist Magne Furuholmen, the former keyboardist for 1980s band A-ha. The owners had a series of Furuholmen pieces on board and after the christening chose to make this art a more integral part of Aglaia’s DNA — by putting his work on the unique sail art.

The 46 metre cruising ketch Christopher was built at Pendennis to a Ron Holland design in 2011, and carries one of the best superyacht spinnakers around.

Launched in October 2014, Comanche boasts a striking superyacht spinnaker, as seen in this snap from the 2014 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race. The event marked Comanche‘s race debut, where she finished second behind Wild Oats XI.

A recent entrant on the regatta scene, the 46 metre Vitters sloop Ganesha is yet to chalk up a win. She certainly gets noticed though, carrying one of the best superyacht spinnakers: a massive depiction of the Hindu god.

The spinnaker of J Class superyacht Hanuman is somewhat similar to Ganesha‘s in that it also depicts a Hindu god, but the two superyacht spinnakers create very different impacts.

The spinnaker on this 33 metre Vitters sailing superyacht bears its name, which means amazing in French. Given the vibrant green of its hull colour, that is a truly fitting epithet. Launched in 2013, Inou__ï features exterior design by Philippe Briand and interiors by British studio Winch Design.