Bermudan or Bermudian?

electrosys

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Originally Marconi I think you will find.
Not that that helps answer your question!

Mike

Other way around.

"The term Bermuda rig refers to a configuration of mast and rigging for a type of sailboat and is also known as a Marconi rig; this is the typical configuration for most modern sailboats. Developed in Bermuda in the 17th century, the term Marconi was a much later reference to the inventor Guglielmo Marconi, whose wireless radio masts the Bermuda rigs were said to resemble."

Yes - you guessed - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bermuda_rig
 

Woodlouse

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Originally Marconi I think you will find.
Not that that helps answer your question!

Mike

The term Marconi mast was originally used to describe the big gaffers when they started sporting inline topmasts instead of the fidded topmasts on older rigs. I don't believe it's ever been more than a colloquial term though used, as already mentioned, because the tall, straight masts resembled radio transmitter masts.
 

prv

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And as for "why Bermudan", I believe it's simply because vessels from around Bermuda were where the Royal Navy first encountered the rig.

Pete
 

Amulet

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I've been to Bermuda, but I' not a Bermudian

No, the question which puzzles me is why the different spelling.
People from Bermuda call themselves Bermudian and point out your error if you call them Bermudan. I think it is widely accepted that the rig is Bermudan and the people Bermudian.
I suspect the Bermudian spelling for the rig is a result of people understanding that Bermudan should be corrected to Bermudian but not understanding that it is acceptable for the rig.
 

chinita

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Thank you Amulet.

I can't help thinking that there is a more complex pedantic boaty explanation.

Yours makes too much sense!

Come on you Pedants - where are you!!
 

Woodlouse

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Marconi is the system devised to strengthen / support the radio masts, a series of overlapping diamond wires on cross trees

Nah. Marconi was a pioneer in radio technology so much of the early radio paraphernalia was referred to as a marconi something or other. Yacht rigs only became called marconi's after they started to resemble the radio masts on land. Even so overlapping diamond stays have never been necessary for radio masts because you can spread the stays out as wide as you need over the ground instead of being limited to a narrow hull that would require spreaders to support the mast.
 

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