Light multihulls achieve high speeds downwind by running an asymmetrical spinnaker and flying it shy. By building up a high apparent wind (keeping the breeze that is felt either on or just forward of the beam) it is possible to carry the apparent wind direction forward. Very often the multihull will be heading well downwind (from the true wind) yet the apparent wind remains beam on.
The wide beam of multihulls enables traditional spinnakers to be set without a pole. By bracing the spinnaker with a line from each outboard bow and one from the middle hull (or beam) the spinnaker tack is variable in position.
A short spinnaker pole (termed
