August 18, 2007

• Sailing Rigs by Richard Dryden

  One of my fears is, with the transience of all things on the Internet, that Mr. Dryden will eventually close his website and I will be left without his wonderful explanation of the different types of sailing rigs.  So I copy and paste it below:

  
  

  Sailing rigs (masts and sails) have evolved over many centuries. Different arrangements have been tried, with varying degrees of success. They have changed from being simply structures with large surface areas set up to catch the wind, to more aerodynamic, wing-like structures that generate lift. Here are some of the basic types that use sailcloth supported by different configurations of masts, spars, and battens.
  spar top and bottom loose-footed	square rig It seems probable that the earliest sailing vessels used this type of rig, and they are still used to this day. The sail is supported from the mast by one or more  horizontal spars.
  bowline	Square-rigged sails are very effective at driving a boat in the direction of the wind, but less successful at gaining ground upwind. One way to improve upwind performance is to attach a bowline to the windward edge of the sail to stabilise it.
  lug rig Similar in arrangement to a square rig, except that the supporting spar is asymmetrically arranged on the mast, with a greater length behind than in front. This enables the sail to be used in a more fore-and-aft position to give better upwind performance than the square-rigged sail. Several variations in the cut of the windward edge of the sail have been tried. Tacking involves moving the forward tip of the spar and the attached sail behind the mast to the other side.
  The junk rig was developed in the far-east. It is distinguished from other lug sails by the use of full-length battens which support the sail and give it an efficient performance at most points of sail.
  	lateen rig The lateen rig was developed by Arabic sailors. The name is probably derived from ‘Latin’. It has an excellent aerodynamic shape and performs well upwind. However, tacking is a slow process and requires moving the spar and sail to the other side of the mast.
  gaff rig The sail is set entirely behind the mast, supported above by a spar which extends upwards and backwards from the mast. There may or may not be another spar at the foot of the sail. This rig is effective at most points of sail.
  sprit rig In this rig there is a diagonal spar supporting the top outer corner of the sail away from the mast.
  	bermudan rig This is a triangular sail set behind the mast and often supported by a boom along its foot. The mast may be tilted backwards slightly to improve the rig’s performance in stronger winds. The sail behind the mast is often supplemented by one or more sails attached to the forestays of the mast. The picture alongside illustrates a jib.
  	This gives rise to the popular ‘bermudan sloop’ rig, with sails fore and aft of the mast. This is an efficient rig on all points of sail.
  The gunter rig is similar to the bermudan rig with the exception that the mast is in two parts. The upper part is held vertically against the top of the lower part. This arrangement is helpful when it is necessary for the rig to be dismantled regularly and carried on the boat.
  una rig This is a sail set behind the mast, like the bermudan rig, but used without a foresail and increasingly without any stays to support the mast. With battens and a curving trailing edge, the sail can be highly efficient and wing-like.
  This configuration is the one most commonly used in the sport of sailboarding. The wishbone boom (purple) supports and tensions the sail away from the back of the mast and also provides handholds for the sailor. The sail shown has full battens.

  from http://www.transitionrig.com/rigs.htm

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