Gennaker vs. Genoa — What's the Difference?

A gennaker is a sail that was developed around 1990. Used when sailing downwind, it is a cross between a genoa and a spinnaker.

Genoa ( JEN-oh-ə; Italian: Genova [ˈdʒɛːnova] (listen); Ligurian: Zêna [ˈzeːna]; English, historically, and Latin: Genua) is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits.

A large headsail having features of both a genoa and a spinnaker.

(Nautical) A jib whose leech extends aft of the mast. Also called genoa jib.

(nautical) A sail having characteristics of a genoa and a spinnaker.

(nautical) A staysail that resembles a jib but extends aft beyond the mast.

A seaport in northwestern Italy; provincial capital of Liguria