Although wingsails have risen to the limelight with the America’s Cup now employing the technology across the board, they are in no way a brand new concept.
What’s in a Rig – The Schooner
By definition, a schooner is a sailboat with at least two masts, with the forward mast (foremast) being a bit shorter than the main mast.
What’s in a Rig? Cat Rig
A cat rig sailboat has a single mast situated well forward, near the bow, which carries a large single sail and has no standing rigging.
What’s in a Rig? The Gaff Rig
A gaff rig employs a spar on the top of the sail and typically other sails can be set in conjunction with that mainsail with the gaff.
What’s in a Rig? The Yawl
Like, the ketch a yawl is equipped with two masts, a main and a mizzen, but ordinarily on a yawl, the mast is smaller and set behind the rudder post. This, therefore, beckons the question: is this an efficient and practical rig?
What’s in a Rig? The Ketch
Ketch rigs hold a special place in many a cruising sailor’s heart. They are two masted rigs with a main mast and a (smaller) mizzenmast – they carry a jib just like a sloop.
What’s in A Rig? The Junk Rig
What’s in a Rig Series #3 There’s probably no rig more fascinating than the junk rig. Long before Columbus’ time, early as the 10th century, the Chinese were making their way through the oceans with a rig that has amazingly stood the test of the time. There are many who feel that this very old but very innovative sail plan is superior to the more popular and ubiquitous sloop rig and others.
What’s in a Rig? The Cutter Rig
What’s in a Rig Series #2 A variation on the last installment of What’s in a Rig (the sloop) is the Cutter Rig. Although it has gone through some changes through the course of history, the modern cutter rig is generally a set-up with two headsails. The forward sail is called the yankee and the one slightly behind it is the staysail. Cutter rigs are a choice a cruising sailor might opt for more offshore work. Since longer passages usually means encountering heavier weather, the cutter rig can be the perfect choice to have a ready-to-go balanced sailplan when the …
What’s in a Rig? The Sloop
What’s in a Rig? Today we begin our new series about sailboat rigs with the one that many of us sail – the Sloop Rig.