Sails & rigs
Genoa vs jib
Not two objects — one scale. It's about how far the sail overlaps the mast.
DutchGenua / fokour Dutch loft →
SpanishGénova / foqueour Spanish loft →
Both are headsails: triangular sails set forward of the mast on the forestay. The difference is overlap, measured by LP as a percentage of the boat's J.
A jib is roughly 100% or less: its clew stops at or before the mast. It fills the foretriangle and no more. It tacks cleanly inside the shrouds, and it is the right sail when the wind is up.
A genoa overlaps past the mast — 110%, 135%, 150%. The overlap adds power exactly where a modern rig needs it, which is why most cruising boats spend their lives under one.
Which you want is a question about your sailing, not your boat, and it is the most common question we get. It has a page: how do you sail?