Guide to Understanding Sail Rig Types (with Pictures)
There are a lot of different sail rig types and it can be difficult to remember what's what. So I've come up with a system. Let me explain it in this article.
What are the different types of sail rig? The sail rig is determined by the number of masts and the layout and shape of sails. Most modern ships are fore-and-aft rigged, while old ships are square-rigged. Rigs with one mast are sloops and cutters. Ketches, yawls, brigs, and schooners have two masts. Barques have three masts. Rigs can contain up to seven masts.
'Yeah, that's a gaff brig, and that a Bermuda cutter' - If you don't know what this means (neither did I) and want to know what to call a two-masted ship with a square-rigged mainsail, this article is definitely for you.
On this page:
More info on sail rig types, mast configurations and rig types, rigs with one mast, rigs with two masts, rigs with three masts, related questions.
This article is part 2 of my series on sails and rig types. Part 1 is all about the different types of sails. If you want to know everything there is to know about sails once and for all, I really recommend you read it. It gives a good overview of sail types and is easy to understand.
The Ultimate Guide to Sail Types and Rigs (with Pictures)
First of all, what is a sail rig? A sail rig is the way in which the sails are attached to the mast(s). In other words, it's the setup or configuration of the sailboat. The rig consists of the sail and mast hardware. The sail rig and sail type are both part of the sail plan. We usually use the sail rig type to refer to the type of boat.
Let's start by taking a look at the most commonly used modern sail rigs. Don't worry if you don't exactly understand what's going on. At the end of this article, you'll understand everything about rig types.
The sail rig and sail plan are often used interchangeably. When we talk of the sail rig we usually mean the sail plan . Although they are not quite the same. A sail plan is the set of drawings by the naval architect that shows the different combinations of sails and how they are set up for different weather conditions. For example a light air sail plan, storm sail plan, and the working sail plan (which is used most of the time).
So let's take a look at the three things that make up the sail plan.
The 3 things that make up the sail plan
I want to do a quick recap of my previous article. A sail plan is made up of:
- Mast configuration - refers to the number of masts and where they are placed
- Sail type - refers to the sail shape and functionality
- Rig type - refers to the way these sails are set up on your boat
I'll explore the most common rig types in detail later in this post. I've also added pictures to learn to recognize them more easily. ( Click here to skip to the section with pictures ).
How to recognize the sail plan?
So how do you know what kind of boat you're dealing with? If you want to determine what the rig type of a boat is, you need to look at these three things:
- Check the number of masts, and how they are set up.
- You look at the type of sails used (the shape of the sails, how many there are, and what functionality they have).
- And you have to determine the rig type, which means the way the sails are set up.
Below I'll explain each of these factors in more detail.
The most common rig types on sailboats
To give you an idea of the most-used sail rigs, I'll quickly summarize some sail plans below and mention the three things that make up their sail plan.
- Bermuda sloop - one mast, one mainsail, one headsail, fore-and-aft rigged
- Gaff cutter - one mast, one mainsail, two staysails, fore-and-aft rigged
- Gaff schooner - two-masted (foremast), two mainsails, staysails, fore-and-aft rigged
- Gaff ketch - two-masted (mizzen), two mainsails, staysails, fore-and-aft rigged
- Full-rigged ship or tall ship - three or more masts, mainsail on each mast, staysails, square-rigged
The first word is the shape and rigging of the mainsail. So this is the way the sail is attached to the mast. I'll go into this later on. The second word refers to the mast setup and amount of sails used.
Most sailboats are Bermuda sloops. Gaff-rigged sails are mostly found on older, classic boats. Square-rigged sails are generally not used anymore.
But first I want to discuss the three factors that make up the sail plan in more detail.
Ways to rig sails
There are basically two ways to rig sails:
- From side to side, called Square-rigged sails - the classic pirate sails
- From front to back, called Fore-and-aft rigged sails - the modern sail rig
Almost all boats are fore-and-aft rigged nowadays.
Square sails are good for running downwind, but they're pretty useless when you're on an upwind tack. These sails were used on Viking longships, for example. Their boats were quicker downwind than the boats with fore-and-aft rigged sails, but they didn't handle as well.
The Arabs first used fore-and-aft rigged sails, making them quicker in difficult wind conditions.
Quick recap from part 1: the reason most boats are fore-and-aft rigged today is the increased maneuverability of this configuration. A square-rigged ship is only good for downwind runs, but a fore-and-aft rigged ship can sail close to the wind, using the lift to move forward.
The way the sails are attached to the mast determines the shape of the sail. The square-rigged sails are always attached the same way to the mast. The fore-and-aft rig, however, has a lot of variations.
The three main sail rigs are:
- Bermuda rig - most used - has a three-sided (triangular) mainsail
- Gaff rig - has a four-sided mainsail, the head of the mainsail is guided by a gaff
- Lateen rig - has a three-sided (triangular) mainsail on a long yard
The Bermuda is the most used, the gaff is a bit old-fashioned, and the lateen rig is outdated (about a thousand years). Lateen rigs were used by the Moors. The Bermuda rig is actually based on the Lateen rig (the Dutch got inspired by the Moors).
Other rig types that are not very common anymore are:
- Junk rig - has horizontal battens to control the sail
- Settee rig - Lateen with the front corner cut off
- Crabclaw rig
Mast configuration
Okay, we know the shape of the mainsail. Now it's time to take a look at the mast configuration. The first thing is the number of masts:
- one-masted boats
- two-masted boats
- three-masted boats
- four masts or up
- full or ship-rigged boats - also called 'ships' or 'tall ships'
I've briefly mentioned the one and two mast configurations in part 1 of this article. In this part, I'll also go over the three-masted configurations, and the tall ships as well.
A boat with one mast has a straightforward configuration because there's just one mast. You can choose to carry more sails or less, but that's about it.
A boat with two masts or more gets interesting. When you add a mast, it means you have to decide where to put the extra mast: in front, or in back of the mainmast. You can also choose whether or not the extra mast will carry an extra mainsail. The placement and size of the extra mast are important in determining what kind of boat we're dealing with. So you start by locating the largest mast, which is always the mainmast.
From front to back: the first mast is called the foremast. The middle mast is called the mainmast. And the rear mast is called the mizzenmast.
What is the mizzenmast? The mizzenmast is the aft-most (rear) mast on a sailboat with three or more masts or the mast behind the mainmast on a boat with two masts. The mizzenmast carries the mizzen sail. On a two-masted boat, the mizzenmast is always (slightly) smaller than the mainmast. What is the purpose of the mizzen sail? The mizzen sail provides more sail area and flexibility in sail plan. It can be used as a big wind rudder, helping the sailor to have more control over the stern of the ship. It pushes the stern away from the wind and forces the bow in the opposite way. This may help to bring the bow into the wind when at anchor.
I always look at the number of masts first, because this is the easiest to spot. So to make this stuff more easy to understand, I've divided up the rig types based on the number of masts below.
Why would you want more masts and sail anyways?
Good question. The biggest advantage of two masts compared to one (let's say a ketch compared to a sloop), is that it allows you to use multiple smaller sails to get the same sail area. It also allows for shorter masts.
This means you reduce the stress on the rigging and the masts, which makes the ketch rig safer and less prone to wear and tear. It also doesn't capsize as quickly. So there are a couple of real advantages of a ketch rig over a sloop rig.
In the case of one mast, we look at the number of sails it carries.
Boats with one mast can have either one sail, two sails, or three or more sails.
Most single-masted boats are sloops, which means one mast with two sails (mainsail + headsail). The extra sail increases maneuverability. The mainsail gives you control over the stern, while the headsail gives you control over the bow.
Sailor tip: you steer a boat using its sails, not using its rudder.
The one-masted rigs are:
- Cat - one mast, one sail
- Sloop - one mast, two sails
- Cutter - one mast, three or more sails
The cat is the simplest sail plan and has one mast with one sail. It's easy to handle alone, so it's very popular as a fishing boat. Most (very) small sailboats are catboats, like the Sunfish, and many Laser varieties. But it has a limited sail area and doesn't give you the control and options you have with more sails.
The most common sail plan is the sloop. It has one mast and two sails: the main and headsail. Most sloops have a Bermuda mainsail. It's one of the best racing rigs because it's able to sail very close to the wind (also called 'weatherly'). It's one of the fastest rig types for upwind sailing.
It's a simple sail plan that allows for high performance, and you can sail it short-handed. That's why most sailboats you see today are (Bermuda) sloops.
This rig is also called the Marconi rig, and it was developed by a Dutch Bermudian (or a Bermudian Dutchman) - someone from Holland who lived on Bermuda.
A cutter has three or more sails. Usually, the sail plan looks a lot like the sloop, but it has three headsails instead of one. Naval cutters can carry up to 6 sails.
Cutters have larger sail area, so they are better in light air. The partition of the sail area into more smaller sails give you more control in heavier winds as well. Cutters are considered better for bluewater sailing than sloops (although sloops will do fine also). But the additional sails just give you a bit more to play with.
Two-masted boats can have an extra mast in front or behind the mainmast. If the extra mast is behind (aft of) the mainmast, it's called a mizzenmast . If it's in front of the mainmast, it's called a foremast .
If you look at a boat with two masts and it has a foremast, it's most likely either a schooner or a brig. It's easy to recognize a foremast: the foremast is smaller than the aft mast.
If the aft mast is smaller than the front mast, it is a sail plan with a mizzenmast. That means the extra mast has been placed at the back of the boat. In this case, the front mast isn't the foremast, but the mainmast. Boats with two masts that have a mizzenmast are most likely a yawl or ketch.
The two-masted rigs are:
- Lugger - two masts (mizzen), with lugsail (a cross between gaff rig and lateen rig) on both masts
- Yawl - two masts (mizzen), fore-and-aft rigged on both masts. Main mast is much taller than mizzen. Mizzen without a mainsail.
- Ketch - two masts (mizzen), fore-and-aft rigged on both masts. Main mast with only slightly smaller mizzen. Mizzen has mainsail.
- Schooner - two masts (foremast), generally gaff rig on both masts. Main mast with only slightly smaller foremast. Sometimes build with three masts, up to seven in the age of sail.
- Bilander - two masts (foremast). Has a lateen-rigged mainsail and square-rigged sails on the foremast and topsails.
- Brig - two masts (foremast), partially square-rigged. The main mast carries small lateen-rigged sail.
The yawl has two masts that are fore-and-aft rigged and a mizzenmast. The mizzenmast is much shorter than the mainmast, and it doesn't carry a mainsail. The mizzenmast is located aft of the rudder and is mainly used to increase helm balance.
A ketch has two masts that are fore-and-aft rigged. The extra mast is a mizzenmast. It's nearly as tall as the mainmast and carries a mainsail. Usually, the mainsails of the ketch are gaff-rigged, but there are Bermuda-rigged ketches too. The mizzenmast is located in front of the rudder instead of aft, as on the yawl.
The function of the ketch's mizzen sail is different from that of the yawl. It's actually used to drive the boat forward, and the mizzen sail, together with the headsail, are sufficient to sail the ketch. The mizzen sail on a yawl can't really drive the boat forward.
Schooners have two masts that are fore-and-aft rigged. The extra mast is a foremast which is generally smaller than the mainmast, but it does carry a mainsail. Schooners are also built with a lot more masts, up to seven (not anymore). The schooner's mainsails are generally gaff-rigged.
The schooner is easy to sail but not very fast. It handles easier than a sloop, except for upwind, and it's only because of better technology that sloops are now more popular than the schooner.
The brig has two masts. The foremast is always square-rigged. The mainmast can be square-rigged or is partially square-rigged. Some brigs carry a lateen mainsail on the mainmast, with square-rigged topsails.
Some variations on the brig are:
Brigantine - two masts (foremast), partially square-rigged. Mainmast carries no square-rigged mainsail.
Hermaphrodite brig - also called half brig or schooner brig. Has two masts (foremast), partially square-rigged. Mainmast carries a gaff rig mainsail and topsail, making it half schooner.
Three-masted boats are mostly barques or schooners. Sometimes sail plans with two masts are used with more masts.
The three-masted rigs are:
- Barque - three masts, fore, and mainmast are square-rigged, the mizzenmast is usually gaff-rigged. All masts carry mainsail.
- Barquentine - three masts, foremast is square-rigged, the main and mizzenmast are fore-and-aft rigged. Also called the schooner barque.
- Polacca - three masts, foremast is square-rigged, the main and mizzenmast are lateen-rigged.
- Xebec - three masts, all masts are lateen-rigged.
A barque has three or four masts. The fore and mainmast are square-rigged, and the mizzen fore-and-aft, usually gaff-rigged. Carries a mainsail on each mast, but the mainsail shape differs per mast (square or gaff). Barques were built with up to five masts. Four-masted barques were quite common.
Barques were a good alternative to full-rigged ships because they require a lot fewer sailors. But they were also slower. Very popular rig for ocean crossings, so a great rig for merchants who travel long distances and don't want 30 - 50 sailors to run their ship.
Barquentine
The barquentine usually has three masts. The foremast is square-rigged and the main and mizzenmast fore-and-aft. The rear masts are usually gaff-rigged.
Faster than a barque or a schooner, but the performance is worse than both.
The polacca or polacre rig has three masts with a square-rigged foremast. The main and mizzenmast are lateen-rigged. Beautiful boat to see. Polacca literally means 'Polish' (it's Italian). It was a popular rig type in the Mediterranean in the 17th century. It looks like the xebec, which has three lateen-rigged masts.
Fun fact: polaccas were used by a Dutch sailor-turned-Turkish-pirate (called Murat Reis).
The xebec is a Mediterranean trading ship with three masts. All masts are lateen-rigged. I couldn't find any surviving xebecs, only models and paintings. So I guess this rig is outdated a long time.
A boat with three or more masts that all carry square-rigged sails is called a ship, a tall ship, or a full-rigged ship. So it's at this point that we start calling boats 'ships'. It has nothing to do with size but with the type of rigging.
More sails mean less stress on all of them. These ships use a lot of sails to distribute the forces, which reduces the stress on the rigging and the masts. Square sails mean double the sail area in comparison to triangular sails.
They are quite fast for their size, and they could outrun most sloops and schooners (schooners were relatively a lot heavier). The reason is that tall ships could be a lot longer than sloops, giving them a lot of extra hull speed. Sloops couldn't be as large because there weren't strong enough materials available. Try making a single triangular sail with a sail area of over 500 sq. ft. from linen.
So a lot of smaller sails made sense. You could have a large ship with a good maximum hull speed, without your sails ripping apart with every gust of wind.
But you need A LOT of sailors to sail a tall ship: about 30 sailors in total to ie. reef down sails and operate the ship. That's really a lot.
Tall ships are used nowadays for racing, with the popular tall ship races traveling the world. Every four years I go and check them out when they are at Harlingen (which is very close to where I live).
Check out the amazing ships in this video of the tall ship races last year near my hometown. (The event was organized by friends of mine).
What is the difference between a schooner and a sloop? A schooner has two masts, whereas the sloop only has one. The schooner carries more sails, with a mainsail on both masts. Also, sloops are usually Bermuda-rigged, whereas schooners are usually gaff-rigged. Most schooners also carry one or two additional headsails, in contrast to the single jib of the sloop.
What do you call a two-masted sailboat? A two-masted sailboat is most likely a yawl, ketch, schooner, or brig. To determine which one it is you have to locate the mainmast (the tallest). At the rear: schooner or brig. In front: yawl or ketch. Brigs have a square-rigged foremast, schooners don't. Ketches carry a mainsail on the rear mast; yawls don't.
What is a sloop rig? A sloop rig is a sailboat with one mast and two sails: a mainsail and headsail. It's a simple sail plan that handles well and offers good upwind performance. The sloop rig can be sailed shorthanded and is able to sail very close to the wind, making it very popular. Most recreational sailboats use a sloop rig.
What is the difference between a ketch and a yawl? The most important difference between a ketch and a yawl are the position and height of the mizzenmast. The mizzenmast on a yawl is located aft of the rudder, is shorter than the mainmast and doesn't carry a mainsail. On a ketch, it's nearly as long as the mainmast and carries a mainsail.
There are a wonderful lots of DIY changeability shows on the cable airwaves these days.
Rick the rigger
There are SO many errors on this site it really should be taken down.
First major mistake is to say you are no longer afraid of the sea.
One that truly gets up my nose is the term ‘fully’ rigged ship. It’s a FULL rigged ship!! Your mast names are the wrong way round and just because there may be 3 it doesn’t automatically mean the one in the middle is the main.
I could go on and totally destroy your over inflated but fragile ego but I won’t. All I will say is go learn a lot more before posting.
Shawn Buckles
Thanks for your feedback. If you like to point out anything more specific, please let me know and I will update the articles. I’ve changed fully-rigged to full-rigged ship - which is a typo on my part. I try to be as concise as I can, but, obviously, we all make mistakes every now and then. The great thing about the internet is that we can learn from each other and update our knowledge together.
If you want to write yourself and share your knowledge, please consider applying as a writer for my blog by clicking on the top banner.
Thanks, Shawn
Well, I feel that I’ve learned a bit from this. The information is clear and well laid out. Is it accurate? I can’t see anything at odds with the little I knew before, except that I understood a xebec has a square rigged centre mainmast, such as the Pelican ( https://www.adventureundersail.com/ )
Hi, Shawn, You forgot (failed) to mention another type of rig? The oldest type of rig known and still functions today JUNK RIG!
Why are so many of the comments here negative. I think it is wonderful to share knowledge and learn together. I knew a little about the subject (I’m an Aubrey-Maturin fan!) but still found this clarified some things for me. I can’t comment therefore on the accuracy of the article, but it seems clear to me that the spirit of the author is positive. We owe you some more bonhomme I suggest Shawn.
As they say in the Navy: “BZ” - for a good article.
Been reading S.M. Stirling and wanted to understand the ship types he references. Thank you, very helpful.
This site is an awesome starting point for anyone who would like to get an overview of the subject. I am gratefull to Shawn for sharing - Thanks & Kudos to you! If the negative reviewers want to get a deeper technical knowledge that is accurate to the n-th then go study the appropriate material. Contribute rather than destroy another’s good work. Well done Shawn. Great job!
Good stuff Shawn - very helpful. As a novice, it’s too confusing to figure out in bits and pieces. Thanks for laying it out.
First of all I have to say that Rick ‘the rigger’ is obviously the one with the “over inflated but fragile ego” and I laughed when you suggested he share his knowledge on your blog, well played!
As for the content it’s great, hope to read more soon!
Alec Lowenthal
Shawn, I have a painting of a Spanish vessel, two masted, with. Lateen sails on both masts and a jib. The mainsail is ahead of the main mast (fore) and the other is aft of the mizzen mast. Would this be what you call lugger rig? I have not seen a similar picture. Thanks, Alec.
Thank you for your article I found easy to read and understand, and more importantly remember, which emphasises the well written.. Pity about the negative comments, but love your proactive responses!
This vessel, “SEBASTIAN” out of Garrucha, Almería, España, was painted by Gustave Gillman in 1899.
Sorry, picture not accepted!
Thank you for a very informative article. I sail a bit and am always looking for more knowledge. I like the way you put forth your info and I feel if you can’t say anything positive, then that person should have their own blog or keep their opinions to their-self. I will be looking for more from you. I salute your way of dealing with negative comments.
Thank you for a great intro to sailing boats! I searched different sailboats because I use old sails tp make bags and wanted to learn the difference. Way more than I ever expected. Thanks for all the work put in to teach the rest of us.
Your description of a cutter is lacking, and your illustrations of “cutters” are actually cutter-rigged sloops. On a true cutter, the mast is moved further aft (with more than 40% of the ship forward of the mast). A sloop uses tension in the backstay to tension the luff of the foresail. The cutter can’t do this.
Also, a bermuda-rigged ketch will have a line running from the top of the mainmast to the top of the mizzenmast.
wow great guide to rig types! thanks
Interesting guide, however I am confused about the description of the brig. You say the main mast on a brig can have a lateen sail, but in your picture it looks like a gaff sail to me. How is it a lateen sail?
Hi Shawn, thank you for taking the time to share this information. It is clear and very helpful. I am new to sailing and thinking of buying my own blue water yacht. The information you have supplied is very useful. I still am seeking more information on performance and safety. Please keep up the good work. Best Regards
mickey fanelli
I’m starting to repair a model sailboat used in the lake I have three masts that have long been broken off and the sails need replacement. So my question is there a special relationship between the three masts I do have reminents of where the masts should go. they all broke off the boat along with the sails I can figure out where they go because of the old glue marks but it makes no sense. or does it really matter on a model thank you mickey
Cool, total novice here. I have learnt a lot. Thanks for sharing - the diagrams along with the text make it really easy to understand, especially for a beginner who hasn’t even stepped on a sailing boat.
Daryl Beatt
Thank you. Cleared up quite a few things for me. For example, I was familiar with the names “Xebecs” and “Polaccas” from recent reading about the Barbary War. I had gathered that the two Barbary types were better suited to sailing in the Med, but perhaps they were less able to be adaptable to military uses,(but one might assume that would be ok if one plans to board and fight, as opposed to fight a running gun duel). Specifically, the strangely one sided August 1, 1801 battle between the USS Enterprise under Lt. John Sterett and the Polacca cruiser Tripoli under Admiral Rais Mahomet Rous. On paper both ships seemed nearly equal in size, guns and crew, but pictures of the battle are confusing. While the Enterprise is usually rendered as the familiar schooner, the polacca Tripoli has been pictured in radically different ways. Thus the Wikipedia picture by Hoff in 1878 used to illustrate the Battle shows a Brig design for Tripoli, indicating 77 years later, polaccas were no longer common.
Lee Christiansen
I am curious as to what you would call a modern race boat with a fractional jib,not equipped for full masthead hoist? Thanks Lee
Thanks Guy: The information and pictures really eliminate a lot of the mystery of the terminology and the meanings. Also appreciate the insight of the handling idiosyncrasies “hand” (staff) requirements to manage a vessel for one that has not been on the water much. I long to spend significant time afloat, but have concern about the ability to handle a vessel due to advancing age. The Significant Other prefers to sit (in AC comfort)and be entertained by parties of cruise line employees. Thanks again for the information.
Gordon Smith
Your discussion made no mention of the galleon, a vessel with either square-rigged Fore and Main masts and a shorter lateen-rigged Mizzen, or, on larger galleons, square-rigged Fore and Main masts, with a lateen-rigged Mizzen and a lateen-rigged Bonaventure mast, both shorter than either the Fore or Main masts. Also, it was not uncommon for a galleon to hoist a square-rigged bowsprit topsail in addition to the usual square-rigged spritsail.
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Bergstrom & Ridder
The team of Sven-Olof Ridder and Lars Bergström are responcible for a number of innovations in the world of sailing, including the Windex (masthead wind indicator) and the B&R rig, which has been adopted by many builders to this day. They formed their first company, RADAB, an acronym for research and development, AB, in 1964 (with Harald Undén) while the two were engineering students at the Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm. B&R, was founded in Florida, where Bergstrom moved for health reason. Bergstrom experimented with winged keels 20 years before it’s successful deployment on the Americas Cup winner Autralia II. He was killed in 1997 at Sarasota FL while testing one of his experimental gliders.
4 Sailboats designed by Bergstrom & Ridder
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- Hunter 28.5
The Hunter 28.5 Sailboat
The lack of a backstay on this Hunter 28.5 sailboat tells us that it sports a B&R (Lars Bergström and Sven Ridder) rig.
Published Specification for the Hunter 28.5
Hull Type: Fin keel with spade rudder
Hull Material: GRP (fibreglass)
Length Overall: 28' 5" / 8.7m
Waterline Length: 23' 9" / 7.2m
Beam: 10' 6" / 3.2m
Draft: 5' 2" / 1.6m
Rig Type: B&R
Displacement: 7,000lb / 3,175kg
Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 17.5
Displacement/Length Ratio: 233
Designer: Hunter Design
Builder: Hunter Marine (USA)
Year First Built: 1985
Year Last Built: 1988
Number Built: not known
Owners Association: The Hunter Association
Published Design Ratios for the Hunter 28.5
Sail Area/Displacement Ratio: 17.5
Ballast/Displacement Ratio: 42.9
Displacement/Length Ratio: 233
Comfort Ratio: 18.8
Capsize Screening Formula: 2.2
read more about these all-revealing numbers...
Summary Analysis of Published Design Ratios for the Hunter 28.5
1. A Sail Area/Displacement Ratio of 17.5 suggests that the Hunter 28.5 will, in the right conditions, approach her maximum hull speed readily and satisfy the sailing performance expectations of most cruising sailors.
2. A Ballast/Displacement Ratio of 42.9 means that the Hunter 28.5 will stand up well to her canvas in a blow, helping her to power through the waves.
3. A Displacement/Length Ratio of 233, tells us the Hunter 28.5 is a moderate displacement cruiser, which means she'll carry all your cruising gear without it having a dramatic effect on her performance. Most of today's sailboats intended for offshore cruising fall into this displacement category.
4. Ted Brewer's Comfort Ratio of 18.8 suggests that crew comfort of a Hunter 28.5 in a seaway is similar to what you would associate with the motion of a coastal cruiser with moderate stability, which is not encouraging news for anyone prone to seasickness.
5. The Capsize Screening Formula (CSF) of 2.2 indicates that a Hunter 28.5 would not be the wisest choice of sailboat for ocean passage-making owing to the lower resistance to capsize in strong winds and heavy seas that is associated with similar sailboats with a CSF of 2.0 and above.
More about the Hunter 28.5...
The Hunter 28.5 is rigged as a sloop with a split backstay and a B&R rig, which means that it has no backstay and uses swept-back spreaders to support the mast. The mast is deck-stepped and has a height of 12.6m (41.33 ft) above the waterline. The sail area is 36.9m² (397 sq ft), with a mainsail of 16m² (172 sq ft) and a genoa of 21m² (226 sq ft).
The boat is powered by an inboard diesel engine with a power of around 15 hp. The fuel tank has a capacity of 42 l (11 gal) and the water tank has a capacity of 102 l (27 gal).
The boat has a hull speed of 7.4 kn (8.5 mph) and a PHRF rating of around 180, which means that it is moderately fast and competitive in its class.
Accommodation The Hunter 28.5 has a spacious and comfortable interior that can accommodate up to six people. The layout consists of:
- A V-berth cabin forward with storage lockers and shelves.
- A head compartment to port with a marine toilet, sink, shower, and storage.
- A hanging locker to port aft of the head.
- A saloon with a U-shaped dinette to port that converts into a double berth, and a settee to starboard that can be used as a single berth.
- A navigation station to starboard aft of the settee with a chart table, electrical panel, and instruments.
- A galley to port aft of the dinette with a two-burner stove, sink, icebox, and storage.
- A private aft cabin to port with a double berth and storage.
The boat has plenty of natural light and ventilation from several opening ports and hatches. The cabin sole is made of teak and holly wood, which adds warmth and elegance to the interior.
Hull and Deck The Hunter 28.5 has a fiberglass hull and deck with wood trim. The hull shape is round-bottomed with a raked stem and a reverse transom. The keel is either a fixed fin keel or an optional shoal draft wing keel, both made of lead. The rudder is an internally-mounted spade-type rudder that is controlled by a wheel in the cockpit.
The deck is wide and flat, with non-skid surfaces for safety and ease of movement. The cockpit is large and comfortable, with high coamings, cushioned seats, and storage lockers. The helm station has an instrument pod, engine controls, compass, and cup holders.
The deck hardware includes two self-tailing two-speed jib sheet winches, two halyard winches on the cabin top, traveler on the arch above the companionway, genoa tracks and cars on the side decks, bow pulpit, stern rail, stanchions, lifelines, anchor roller, anchor locker, cleats, chocks, handrails, swim ladder, etc.
The boat comes standard with a 110% genoa on roller furling system and a mainsail with two reef points on lazy jack system.
The above text was drafted by sailboat-cruising.com using GPT-4 (OpenAI’s large-scale language-generation model) as a research assistant to develop source material; we believe it to be accurate to the best of our knowledge.
Other sailboats in the Hunter range include:
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Backstays to the Future
- By Alvah Simon
- Updated: March 28, 2013
backstay setup
A running backstay is a removable stay that provides aft support to the mast from either the masthead or the point at which an inner forestay is attached. It originated as a response to the material limits of the period. At that time, solid wooden masts, for example, were either too weak or too heavy to be made particularly tall. Therefore, to achieve an acceptable area of sail for the heavy-displacement boats of the day, either the boom had to be extended beyond the transom or a gaff had to be added to the top of the sail—or both. This precluded the use of fixed backstays because the boom and gaffs had to be free to swing across the vessel when it tacked and jibed. As a tack or jibe was initiated, the burdened backstay had to be released and, as the spars swung through, the new, now windward, stay had to be fastened quickly before the entire rig came tumbling down.
With the advent of hollow masts, first of wood and then of alloy, and stainless-steel wire, the aspect ratio of the rigs began to extend to 3-to-1 and beyond. This allowed for the development of the Bermuda or Marconi rig, which eliminated gaffs and shortened the booms considerably without the loss of sail area or performance.
Running backstays, or runners, were then generally found only on cutter-rigged vessels. But through the 1960s and 1970s, the sloop became the rig du jour, and running backstays fell from favor. With the introduction of Freedom Yachts’ freestanding mast and Hunter’s B&R rig, the trend veered toward eliminating backstays, running or not, altogether.
Where are we today? Are running backstays now simply anachronisms that add unnecessary weight, windage, and clutter? I think not, especially in the context of bluewater cruising.
Sloops are fast around the buoys, but in the open sea, they display two disadvantages. First, the sail area is shared by only two large and therefore more difficult to handle sails. Second, in storm conditions, a sloop’s headsail, no matter how much it’s furled, still leaves the center of effort too far forward and too high to produce a safe and comfortable motion.
The cutter rig distributes the sail area over an additional sail, and that inner forestay is a superior position from which to hank on a low-flown storm sail. But with any real force upon it, the inner forestay can distort the shape of the mast; this will require a countereffort. Enter the intermediate running backstay. The arguable benefit of a staysail aside, this lower triangulation of support adds strength and stability to the mast, which translates into a better chance of coming up from a knockdown with the rig intact. Think sailing in the South Atlantic Ocean —it matters.
But alas, when you’re sailing off the wind, these same runners will have to be attended to on each and every tack. In open-ocean situations, this might not happen for days at a time. In confined waters, however, it’s necessary to have a quick and efficient method for setting and stowing runners.
Ideas and hardened opinions on running backstays are diverse and plentiful enough to keep seaside barstools warm all night. See the accompanying images and diagrams to learn about some of the most common approaches to setup and stowage.
If you’re considering adding an inner forestay and running backstays, I recommend that you get professional advice addressing the minimum engineering angles required, appropriate deck hardware, proper tangs and toggles needed at the mast, and wire types and diameters.
I don’t mean to imply that running backstays are suitable for all boats and applications. But if your interests lie in bluewater passagemaking and you take a belt-and-suspenders approach to your safety, I believe that you’ll agree that the added weight, windage, cost, and inconvenience are more than justified.
Alvah Simon, a CW contributing editor, is the author of North to the Night .
Click here for more pictures of running backstay setups . Click here to read about how an inner forestay and staysail can help you beat along in a blow.
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B&R Rig on Hunter boats
- Thread starter boatmike
- Start date 20 May 2019
- 20 May 2019
Well-known member
Have been looking around at sailboats of 30-35ft for a while now. Seen plenty of old Westerlys and Moodys needing work. Just coming to terms with the fact that I can buy a much newer Bavaria for the same budget but want shoal draught and these are a bit like rocking horse poo. Just looking at what looks like a very nice Legend 33 but it has this B&R Rig thingy which I find a bit worrying. Argument seems to be that sweeping the shrouds aft and out as far as possible and having a 3/4 fractional forestay can give easier upwind performance with a fully roached main and self tacking jib...... Hmmmmm maybe, but going downwind don't those swept back stays and spreaders mean the mainsail can't be let out fully? Also isn't it just an excuse to have a lighter mast section and less rigging keeping the cost down? Anyone out there with experience of these rigs? Am I being over cynical? Other than that this boat looks pretty good and has shoal draught and a reasonable engine. Cant fault the condition otherwise. What does the panel think??
I have not owned one (though I came very close to buying a near-new Hunter 36), but have sailed one. A Dorset-built twin-keel Hunter 36, a surprisingly nice coastal cruising boat with a really nice interior. The rigs just don't fall down in normal use. The T/K Hunter sailed well to windward, though like all twin keelers sail a trace freer than a fin: but really quite good. Reaching a quite fast boat for a cruiser, but as you headed dead downwind it was a bit rubbish, though I'd have lived with that and tacked downwind. The one year old example I was considering buying looked very good at first glance but some muppet had sailed her with the under-deck shroud ties to hull webs loose, and caused hairline cracks in the coachroof mouldings. I did then have a surveyor look, but he confirmed what I suspected, that a perfect repair would be a lot of work. As the Hunters were the only modern twin-keelers around I gave up on that and bought a deep fin Jeanneau SO35. These had the same Yanmar 3YM30s, which on both the Jeanneau 35s and the Hunter 36s of the same 2004/5 era had overheating problems at high revs. Mostly cured by a bigger heat exchanger (done under warranty if you complained, but they did not do this if the owner did not flag it up - bad marks to Yanmar). So owners who have never run their engines hard could still have the old undersized heat exchangers. Not sure if the Hunter 33s had the same 3YM30, might have had a 3YM20 which should be OK.
I owned a bilge keel Legend 306, with a B&R rig for four years, and never had any problems with the mast or rigging. You are correct that the position of the spreaders and shrouds does restrict the mail sail being let out fully downwind, however, I counteracted this by using a cruising chute when the wind wasn’t too strong. Overall, I was very pleased with the build quality of the 306, and it was like a tardis down below.
This is a shoal draught fin keel not bilge and built by Lhurs Marine. Looks good on paper. Am trying to find reasons why I should not buy it! does have a 3YGM30 engine which has seemingly had a problem with the cylinder head gasket, Supposedly now fixed. How would I tell if the heat exchanger has been upgraded??
- 21 May 2019
I ahve never heard this kind of rig called a B and R and I wonder why these letters. However I have a friend with a similar rig on his 32 fter. ie no back stay. I am not drawn to the idea of no back stay however it seems to work OK. My own boat has the swept back spreaders and yes the main sail does chafe on the spreader tips. A sacrificial patch seems to wok OK to minimise sail damage ad mostly I just let it chafe when running. So Band R rig enables a huge roach on the main. I am not sure this is such a huge advantage as more main sail area can be achieved with taller mast or just add more jib area or genacre or similar. However for all that I did break my back stay on the little boat while racing in a good wind with spin up. The fractional rig went loose but did not fall down. Supported by the load of the main sailand main sheet and the aft mounted chain plates. So maybe a back stay is not so critical after all. Still nice to have for sail shape adjustment. Anyway OP if likes the boat could easily cut down roach and add a back stay. Fit a large crane to the mast top of course. good luck with the boat hunt. ol'will
langstonelayabout
boatmike said: Have been looking around at sailboats of 30-35ft for a while now. Seen plenty of old Westerlys and Moodys needing work. Just coming to terms with the fact that I can buy a much newer Bavaria for the same budget but want shoal draught and these are a bit like rocking horse poo. Just looking at what looks like a very nice Legend 33 but it has this B&R Rig thingy which I find a bit worrying. Argument seems to be that sweeping the shrouds aft and out as far as possible and having a 3/4 fractional forestay can give easier upwind performance with a fully roached main and self tacking jib...... Hmmmmm maybe, but going downwind don't those swept back stays and spreaders mean the mainsail can't be let out fully? Also isn't it just an excuse to have a lighter mast section and less rigging keeping the cost down? Anyone out there with experience of these rigs? Am I being over cynical? Other than that this boat looks pretty good and has shoal draught and a reasonable engine. Cant fault the condition otherwise. What does the panel think?? Click to expand...
Active member
William_H said: I ahve never heard this kind of rig called a B and R and I wonder why these letters. However I have a friend with a similar rig on his 32 fter. ie no back stay. I am not drawn to the idea of no back stay however it seems to work OK. My own boat has the swept back spreaders and yes the main sail does chafe on the spreader tips. A sacrificial patch seems to wok OK to minimise sail damage ad mostly I just let it chafe when running. So Band R rig enables a huge roach on the main. I am not sure this is such a huge advantage as more main sail area can be achieved with taller mast or just add more jib area or genacre or similar. However for all that I did break my back stay on the little boat while racing in a good wind with spin up. The fractional rig went loose but did not fall down. Supported by the load of the main sailand main sheet and the aft mounted chain plates. So maybe a back stay is not so critical after all. Still nice to have for sail shape adjustment. Anyway OP if likes the boat could easily cut down roach and add a back stay. Fit a large crane to the mast top of course. good luck with the boat hunt. ol'will Click to expand...
Bergstrom & Ridder = B&R
On my Westerly Fulmar there is a ¾ rig. The mast is kept up with swept back spreaders to hold the load of the forestay. There is a backstay and it has very little tension. I believe the Hunter B&R rig are slightly more swept back than mine. No dinghies have a backstay and the mast is sufficiently supported. The B&R is a well tested rig and it is just not having a backstay feels wrong if you are used to one. The Hunter was designed with this in mind and as a cruising boat it is very unlikely to have high loadings on a run anyway.
My old man had a Legend 336 for 10 years or so. We did a lot of miles in that boat. Never felt like the rig was a risk. Only reason I wasn't it's biggest fan was that getting headstay tension wasn't easy, so performance in the heavy stuff wasn't great. Yes the main lies against the spreaders, but in 10 years we hadn't worn through the spreader patches on the main. And if we had they are a few quid from a chandler. In short, if I liked the rest of the boat (and Legends as a whole can be a bit marmite...) the rig would be a non issue.
B&R rig. I've only been sailing for 41 years and I've learned something today, although the only distinctive thing seems to be the upper stays are separate from the lower stays (not unique to B&R if I'm correct) and that it has reverse diagonals (something I've never actually seen or felt I needed). It seems to be like in the mid-80's when Phil Morrison invested and named 'Morrison Wires' to control mast bend, partly to control/bend the mast and partly to get his name internationally recognised, just like Mr. Cunningham and Mr. Spreader. I guess, if it floats your boat... (or something like that)
- 22 May 2019
What no-one has pointed out about B&R rigs is that the lack of a backstay or v-twin backstays gives you more freedom in installing a big bimini or 'camper' cockpit enclosure. Hunter are based in Florida, and many (possibly most) boats there have biminis. I know Hunters are in the USA at least at the cheaper end of the market, but I don't think a B&R rig is actually cheaper than a conventional one. Apart from being not much good dead downwind, the big-main small headsail rig is an easy one to handle and gives good windward/reaching performance.
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COMMENTS
Characteristics of the B&R rig include swept spreaders (2) and reverse-diagonal shrouds (1). The B&R rig is a variant of the Bermuda sailboat rig, designed and patented by Swedish aeronautical engineers Lars Bergström and Sven Ridder. [1] It employs swept spreaders that are usually angled aft, together with "stays" running diagonally downward from the tip of the spreaders to the attachment of ...
The B&R rig has 30-degree swept spreaders, creating 120 degrees between each rigging point. The result is a tripod arrangement, used for years to support huge radio towers, that has excellent strength for sailboat rigs.
The B & R rig utilizes 30 degree swept-back spreaders creating 120 degrees between each rigging point. This tripod arrangement is similar to the huge radio towers you see from the highways. Claimed benefits ( by Hunter) of this rig include: The strength is increased because the loading to the rig itself is decreased.
Standard rig… Mast height: 46.58'/ 14.20m SA: 625 sq ft / 58.1 sq m P = 36.42′ / 11.10m E = 13.83′ / 4.22m Optional 29hp engine. An updated version was introduced in 2012 Also referred to as the E33. Same hull and rig. Larger cockpit, deck layout changed plus a swim platform was added. Displacement = 12,400 lbs / 5624 kg
The ultimate iteration of the cruising fractional rig is the Bergstrom & Ridder (B&R) rig, which does away with the backstay altogether. Instead, it employs a complex of reverse diagonal shrouds, as seen on many Hunter sloops over the years. ... may be able to get away with a lighter section and lighter standing rigging than a boat that sails ...
Hunter's signature B&R Rig provides increased support for the sail plan, making your Hunter more stable, easier to sail and smoother riding. The rig has thre...
B & R rigging systems are on boats the world over. World cruisers and racers, OSTAR boats, 2 ton, 1 ton, 1/2 ton, 1/4 ton boats and multihulls. Wherever one finds sailors who want performance and reliability. The basic difference between a B & R rig and a conventional rig lies in the B & R's use of swept back spreaders and diagonals.
Why would you want a mast without a backstay? The what, how and why of this distinctive Hunter feature.
The fore-and-aft rig, however, has a lot of variations. The three main sail rigs are: Bermuda rig - most used - has a three-sided (triangular) mainsail. Gaff rig - has a four-sided mainsail, the head of the mainsail is guided by a gaff. Lateen rig - has a three-sided (triangular) mainsail on a long yard.
The team of Sven-Olof Ridder and Lars Bergström are responcible for a number of innovations in the world of sailing, including the Windex (masthead wind indicator) and the B&R rig, which has been adopted by many builders to this day. They formed their first company, RADAB, an acronym for research and development, AB, in 1964 (with Harald Undén) while the two were engineering students at the ...
Count the number of turns on the turnbuckles. You will start to see the prebend appear in the mast. Pull a string from the top to the bottom. Tighten the diagonals until the distance from the string back to the center of the bend is about 1% of the total length of the mast. You can now have the mast put back on.
Windex 92. 1981 • 9.2 m. The team of Sven-Olof Ridder and Lars Bergström are responcible for a number of innovations in the world of sailing, including the Windex (masthead wind indicator) and the B&R rig, which has been adopted by many builders to this day. They formed their first company, RADAB, an acronym for research...
The complex B&R rig, with its swept-back spreaders and diamond shrouds, is also a headache for some owners. There's a lot of rigging for a novice to adjust, and according to our survey, the dealers who commissioned the boats were not necessarily more capable of adjusting the rig than the owners. ... You should definitely sail the boat before ...
Hunter 310 Ottawa. Jul 1, 2021. #2. Hi Gary. I have wrestled with tuning the B&R rig for the past five years. I have found that at about 10 - 12% the mast is well supported and the leeward shrouds remain under tension in a 15 knot wind. There needs to be some fore - aft bend which ideally matches the cut of the sail's luff.
The Hunter 28.5 is rigged as a sloop with a split backstay and a B&R rig, which means that it has no backstay and uses swept-back spreaders to support the mast. The mast is deck-stepped and has a height of 12.6m (41.33 ft) above the waterline. The sail area is 36.9m² (397 sq ft), with a mainsail of 16m² (172 sq ft) and a genoa of 21m² (226 ...
Sailboat Reviews; Sailboats 31-35ft; used_sailboats; Hunter 310 This innovative family boat typifies Hunter's design philosophy with its B&R rig, radar arch, circular cockpit and good value, but owners cite numerous niggling problems.
Rig; Rig type: B&R: Sails; Mainsail area: 22.1 m 2 (238 sq ft) Jib/genoa area: 10.0 m 2 (108 sq ft) Spinnaker area: 55.0 m 2 (592 sq ft) [edit on Wikidata] The B&R 23 is a sailing boat designed in the early 1990s. It has an ultralight construction with a very large sail plane. Typical crew is a helmsman and two deck hands in trapezes. The boat ...
Updated: March 28, 2013. backstay setup. The lazy runner can be walked forward and attached to the lower aft shrouds via a bronze snap swivel, then tensioned via the tackle. I separate the two metals via a strong rope strop tied to the stay, using a prusik knot to prevent it from creeping up when tensioned. Tim Barker.
No dinghies have a backstay and the mast is sufficiently supported. The B&R is a well tested rig and it is just not having a backstay feels wrong if you are used to one. The Hunter was designed with this in mind and as a cruising boat it is very unlikely to have high loadings on a run anyway. 21 May 2019. #10.
Rigging Type: B&R: LOA: 39.42 ft / 12.02 m: ... more powerful boat that will be better able to stand up to the wind. Bal./Disp = ballast (lbs)/ displacement (lbs)*100 ... (100% Fore + Main Triangles) which is the area as defined by the rig measurements.) S.A. (reported) can differ depending on the size of the head sail used to calculate the S.A ...
The link is a good ad for B&R rig without backstay, but does it work in storm and reality, if you want to cross the atlantic? Offcause it works, but it feels ... What's a B&R Rig? sjs: General Sailing Forum: 14: 25-05-2016 16:08: Rig Maintenance & Tuning: GordMay: Construction, Maintenance & Refit: 7: 02-04-2012 10:58: Hunter 33: Vaya Con Dios:
While the B&R rig worked acceptably to support the mast (if you accept main sail chafe when sailing down wind) on some boats that also used backstays, the rig design does have one major drawback. When the original rigging gets over 15 years old and needs replacement the more-complex B&R will cost about 3 times what a conventional single or ...
June 17, 2024. Sailboats are powered by sails using the force of the wind. They are also referred to as sailing dinghies, boats, and yachts, depending on their size. Sailboats range in size, from lightweight dinghies like the Optimist dinghy (7'9") all the way up to mega yachts over 200 feet long. The length is often abbreviated as LOA (length ...
While the rigging for AC37 is a fully one design "supplied" component from by Future Fibres, identical onboard each AC75, some significant changes have been made to the rigging packages since the 36th America's Cup. One talking point is the elimination of the backstay, which also has a knock-on effect on the wider engine above deck.
Here's a quick walkthrough as we are rigging my 2025 YarCraft 210 TFX powered by a Yamaha F300 FourStroke Outboard. Electronics - Humminbird Helix 12, Helix ...