Lazy jacks and zippacks - packing the mainsail the easy way
Lazy Jacks or Zippacks, or maybe a furling system? How do I get my sail in check when it comes down, and how do I store it?
While conventional sails with equally conventional masts and booms require some folding and a bit of coordination to pack away the mainsail nicely, there are also technical solutions to help you.
The idea of the Zippack and the Lazy Jack
Folding the sail correctly is always important to make the best lifespan out of the sail, so make sure to do nice, straight and not too tight folds in your sail, if you use a conventional sail setup.
The idea of the Zippack as we call it here at Elvstrøm Sails (they are also known as Lazy Jacks or Lazy Bags), is to have a set of lines to guide the sail when it comes down. Setting the sail is not that much of an issue as it's pulled upwards, but dousing it safely is a different matter.
Your sail is obviously connected to the mast via the luff slides, so the front end of the mainsail will stay where it is - but the rest of the sail will go to the sides and it can be a little tricky to get it down and folded nicely in one go.
Here's the difference between the classic interpretation of Lazy Jacks and then our Zippack, as it doubles as a permanently fitted sail cover. It guides the sail in, meaning it's super easy to close the Zippack after use.
So when you douse the mainsail, it will stay more or less on the boom and within the lines.