Emirates Spinnaker Tower Emirates Spinnaker Tower The Emirates Spinnaker Tower is a landmark observation tower in Portsmouth, England, UK. It is the centrepiece of the redevelopment of Portsmouth Harbour, which was supported by a National Lottery grant. Its shape was chosen by Portsmouth residents from a selection. The tower, designed by local firm HGP Architects and engineering consultants Scott Wilson and built by Mowlem, reflects Portsmouth's maritime history through its being modelled after a sail. The tower was opened on 18 October 2005. The tower is owned by Portsmouth City Council, but operationally it is managed by Continuum Leading Attractions, a cultural attractions
Spinnaker 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". A spinnaker is used for sailing with the direction of the wind. Symmetrical spinnakers have large amounts of camber, making them nearly hemispherical. Both lift and drag propel the boat forward when moving with the wind. Reaching spinnakers have less camber as they