Changing Boat

[Twister_Ken]

I presume with no backstay(s) the spreaders are seriously swept aft? Are there lowers swept aft too?

My concern (i.e. crash jibing on a cruising boat) is how far will the mainsail go out before being stopped by the rig? If 150 degrees then acceptable imho but if close to 120 degrees becomes an issue (again imho)

My understanding, the rig is supported by triangulation, so an angle of 120º between forestay and shrouds. I sailed one once, don't remember model but mid 30 footer. You don't run deep in them (not if you want the mainsail to survive), and it was impossible to get enough forestay tension to lose forestay sag, although if the sail was cut with this in mind, presumably it wouldn't matter too much.

Very comfortable downstairs, though.

 

[flaming]

I presume with no backstay(s) the spreaders are seriously swept aft? Are there lowers swept aft too?

My concern (i.e. crash jibing on a cruising boat) is how far will the mainsail go out before being stopped by the rig? If 150 degrees then acceptable imho but if close to 120 degrees becomes an issue (again imho)

My dad had one for years. I don't recall the boom ever hitting the shrouds. The main would sort of wrap itself round the spreaders from about 1/2 way up when well eased, but with some pretty hefty chaffe protection seemed to be fine.

Only thing I didn't like about the rig was that it was very difficult to get a decent amount of forestay tension for serious upwind work. But as a cruising rig I rate it very highly.

 

[flaming]

You don't run deep in them (not if you want the mainsail to survive),

Actually we found this not to be the case, since the main is on the spreaders at the downwind angles you'd want to sail to gybe downwind anyway. Just beef up the chaffe patches, and regard replacing them as a regular maintenance item (3 sets in 5 years I think..?) and there's no more issue running downwind than with any other fractional boat.

 

[E39mad]

As far as I know the Bergstrom & Ridder (sp?) rig has spreaders that are swept back 30 degrees from the lateral plane on either side and therefore exactly 120 degrees. What issue do you foresee? Just idyll curiousity?

If the main can only go out to 120 degrees you increase the possibility of a crash gybe as the mainsail will back far sooner than if being at 150 degrees. It would appear that 150 degrees is possible thereby negating my concerns.