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Home , Boom (ship), Gaff rig, Jib, Lateen, Peak halyard, Sail plan

2 – Plans 9

Section 2

Sail Plans

High Aspect. Having much greater height than width. Sail Slugs. Small metal or plastic cylinders sewn to the edge of a sail which fit into a cove to attach the sail to the Sail. A triangular headsail set on a stay forward of spar. the . Squaresail. A quadrilateral sail, set from a on square sail. Triangular sail set on a yard running riggers, most efficient when sailing down wind. obliquely from the . Track. A metal strip on the after edge of a mast or of a Mast Hoops. Traditional wood rings used to secure gaff sail on which sail slides are attached. Also, a metal strip to the mast; seized with marline to grommets in the sail. on for cars with blocks for adjusting leads.

Sail Slides. Metal or plastic fasteners attached to the edge of a sail and that ride on a track on the mast or boom.

1 The squaresail of early times has evolved into the high as- 3 The we use today are the result of an evolution of pect ratio, overlapping, jib-headed sail plans in use today. sail plans from the to the fore-and- rig. This section discusses that evolution and the result. Gaff-headed 2 The earliest sail set on a boat was, no doubt, a single 4 The gaff-headed is a descendant of the square- squaresail useful for sailing downwind. This type of sail sail. The exact period of the appearance of the gaff- was set on a spar, called a yard, to which the top edge headed sail is not known, a variation, the lateen rig; of the sail was attached, Figure 2–1. Sailing downwind, appeared in the river region in biblical times but the squaresail presented a large surface area for captur- by the 1600s it was common on boats of the Baltic and ing the wind’s energy, but going to windward with this North Seas. It was a great improvement; control of sail sail was very difficult. For this reason, other sail plans shape provided boats with some true ability to sail to were devised. windward.

5 Over the years, the gaff-headed was modified and improved and became quite sophisticated.

6 The gaff-headed mainsail is generally lashed to the boom along the foot and to the gaff along the head. The sail is seized to mast hoops that slide up the mast as the sail is hoisted, Figure 2–2.

7 The use of two for a gaff-rigged mainsail is nearly universal. One —the —is secured at the inboard (throat) end of the gaff and is used to haul the throat end of the gaff aloft. The other halyard, the , is secured to the outboard end of the Figure 2–1 Single Squaresail Sail 10 2 – Sail Plans

Gaff Lashings Peak

Throat

Peak Halyard Throat Halyard

Masthoop

Reef Points

Boom Figure 2–2 Gaff-headed Mainsail

gaff. It is used to haul the bulk of the sail aloft. It is also used to “peak the gaff up,” that is, tighten the leech (free edge of the sail). This is also called topping up the gaff. To raise this sail, the two halyards are hauled together until the throat is at its maximum. The peak halyard hauling is then continued until the correct set of the sail is obtained.

8 The gaff-headed main is sheeted just as any other sail is, but the gaff aloft is farther off (away from the direc- tion of) the wind than the boom. This means that the sail will have a natural twist, which must be accounted for in trimming. Getting the largest possible portion of the sail drawing efficiently on windward legs is a skill gained only through experience.

9 Going to windward, the is better than anything that preceded it, but a poor second to the jibheaded rig. A short luff and excessive twist in the sail hamper wind- ward ability. Off the wind the gaff-rigged boat is efficient. The short, low-aspect rig is good at driving the boat on a reach or run. When masts were solid and hemp line or Figure 2–3 Gaff-Rigged Sail 2 – Sail Plans 11

galvanized wire was used for , the low rig of the gaff-headed sail plan was sturdy and dependable.

10 Various rigs evolved from the gaff rig, but with the de- velopment and availability of stronger and lighter materi- als for spars and came the growth in popularity of the jib-headed mainsail. Except for a few character boats, the gaff rig has not been used on many new boats since the early 1920s. Figure 2–3 illustrates a gaff rigged schooner.

Jib-headed 11 The jib-headed main, also called the Bermudian rig, probably saw its beginnings on the of Bermuda Mainsail in the late 1800s. Americans dubbed the sail plan the Marconi rig because of the similarity of its appearance Jib to the masts that Marconi used to support antennas for his wireless telegraph. Bermudian and Marconi, as well as jib-headed, are used today to describe the triangular- shaped sail plan, Figures 2–4 and 2–5.

12 The jib-headed mainsail has a boltrope sewn directly Figure 2–4 Jib-headed to the edges of the sail that connect to the spars. Sail slides or slugs attached to the boltrope, or alternatively, the boltrope itself, are used to attach the sail to the mast and boom. The sail slides attach to tracks on the spars. The slugs or the boltrope are fed into slot-like coves or grooves. The head, or upper corner, of the mainsail is then attached to the halyard and hoisted aloft with the entire luff attached to the mast.

13 Using jib-headed sail plans and modern high strength materials, high aspect ratio sail plans with overlapping are now in widespread use. The resulting sail plan is the most efficient rig yet devised for going to wind- ward. Using various headsails, this sail plan also works well on most other points of sail and is easily handled. Sailing downwind, high aspect rigs without spinnakers are not as fast as low aspect rigs, including gaff-headed and square rigged boats. Downwind performance with spinnakers is excellent.

Summary 14 The squaresail of early times has evolved into the high aspect ratio, overlapping, jib-headed sail plans in use today. Carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic spars have been developed that are strong and light. They are used, to- Figure 2–5 Jib-headed Sloop gether with stronger lighter rigging, in advanced technol- ogy racing and cruising boats.

Sail 12 2 – Sail Plans

Sail 2 – Sail Plans 13

Homework: Section 2: Sail Plans Name ______

1. The evolution of sail plans: a) started with the . b) has culminated in the popular Marconi rig. c) started with the first America’s Cup boat. d) is not influenced by the development of stronger, lighter spars.

2. Which sail plan is the most efficient to windward? a) Lateen sail. b) Squaresail. c) Jib‑headed. d) Gaff‑headed.

3. Which of the following sail plans is significantly different from all the rest? a) Marconi. b) Bermudian. c) Jib‑headed. d) Gaff‑headed.

4. Which of the following sail plans would be least efficient when sailing directly downwind? a) Marconi. b) Lateen sail. c) Square sail. d) Gaff‑headed.

Sail