Fractional v mast head rig

[ghostlymoron]

Why are fractional rigs considered more 'racy' than mast head?

 

[Neil_Y]

They allow for greater control of mast shape and hence depth/power of main.

You can bend the mast signifcantly to take out the fullness of the main by pulling on backstay and letting off check stays. So the answer is really that the sail can be fine tuned over a greater wind range than with a straight mast.

 

[AIDY]

Our boat is fractional.... allows mast to be bent... and has a bigger mainsail v's the conventional rig for the same boat...

 

[Lakesailor]

I find the shrouds coming aft are a pain for downwind sailing. (Maybe this only affects smaller boats with dinghy-like rigs)

 

[Alfie168]

Fractional is far far better as having lots of strings to pull makes you feel more important. Tweak that backstay and you can be just like Ben Ainslie, a chisel jawed greyhound of the seas no less.

With a masthead rig you have time to think about stuff like Cobb Barbecues and Tilley Hats, and whether Tilman would have approved of your Eberspacher (sp)...

Tim

 

[billmacfarlane]

They're considered racy for the reasons that Neil Y mentions. I also think that they're precisely the same reasons they're good for cruising.

 

[dt4134]

I find the shrouds coming aft are a pain for downwind sailing. (Maybe this only affects smaller boats with dinghy-like rigs)

No it affects bigger racers too. You would usually sail the angles downwind on an IRC boat, which are commonly fractionally rigged without runners, whereas older IOR boats can sometimes be sailed to advantage dead downwind.

 

[jonic]

Fractional is far far better as having lots of strings to pull makes you feel more important. Tweak that backstay and you can be just like Ben Ainslie, a chisel jawed greyhound of the seas no less.

With a masthead rig you have time to think about stuff like Cobb Barbecues and Tilley Hats, and whether Tilman would have approved of your Eberspacher (sp)...

Tim

 

[dunedin]

Fractional is far far better as having lots of strings to pull makes you feel more important. Tweak that backstay and you can be just like Ben Ainslie, a chisel jawed greyhound of the seas no less.

Actually Ben won all of his medals in boats without any stays, let alone an adjustable backstay. Indeed he dominated first in the Laser, one of the boats with the least tweaks possible - pure sailing ability. Oh and it is single sailed, so neither masthead nor fractional rigged. Pretty nifty sailor though.

PS For me fractional is better / faster for most coastal cruising. Masthead may be more bulletproof in the deep oceans

 

[saltylegs]

fractional is only more racy if it has inline spreaders so you can use backstay, runners and checkstays to get best sail shape.
swept back spreaders (fractional) and mast head (usually in line) rigs are comparable. IMHO

 

[William_H]

Fractional rig

I love my fractional rig 21fter. The lack of inner forestay and small jibs make tacking very easy and I do a lot of tacking. (never use engine). The mainsail works a lot better and is more adjustable.
The problems of running when sail hits sidestays is managed by extra chafe strips on the batten pockets and patches where the spreader tip is hit. No question in my mind fractional always olewill

 

[doug748]

Tacking is much quicker and there is less chafe on a small genoa due to the stress of getting the thing past the shrouds and guardrails.
I am a big admirer of fractional rig but, for the cruiser, masthead does have it's points as well.

 

[Signed Out]

Big gennys are a pain in the bum- harder to sheet, hoist (or furl), handle on foredeck (or in cabin), trim and so on (in my experience). A larger (relative) main with smaller foresail is easier to use, and to me therefore, easier to get right, quicker. And they're prettier.

 

[Red Admiral]

The huge advantage of a masthead rig is that it is stronger. The mast can be properly stayed throughout its length without the complication of jumper stays and spreaders . Masthead rigs have even been known to survive a roll-over in extreme conditions eg an Olsen 35 in the notorious Fastnet race. I would not feel anything like as confident with a fractional rig. Dinghies, of course, are a law unto themselves.

 

[savageseadog]

Is there any other sort of rig than fractional?

 

[Deleted member 36384]

Fractional rigs can be harder to reef for no other reason than the large area of the main, gybing can be a bit of a handful compared to the masthead equivalent as well. Bringing a yacht to a halt (under sail) with a fractional rig and aft swept spreader can be more problematic. The yacht needs to be fine reaching to come to a stop. This becomes an issue because when the yacht slows down, the apparent wind moves aft, the sail fills again (boom against the shrouds) and one has to luff up away from the objective in order to stop under sail.

None of the above are particular issues but if changing from a masthead to a fractional one should be aware of them.

My own preference is fractional because I like the large main for manoeuvring under sail, the yacht responds faster in slow situations compared to the masthead equivalent. I currently own a masthead and I am just as happy with that.