Quote:
Originally Posted by bob chaisson
 OK……., I just wanted to toss in a simple quote, ..... From an engineering standpoint, I personally like having a big steel cable tied to the tip of my mast and the butt of my boat, it just gives me a warm and fuzzy. |
Bob
Nobody here has been advocating the recent trend to backstay-less rigs, and (other than dinghies and recent Hunters) relatively few frac rigs don't have a real backstay.
Granted there are some losses re headsail shape, esp in a situation without runners, but the gyst of the percieved "advantage" is in reduced headsail size (jibs gennies AND kites) for a more easily controlled boat with minimal crew.
Those of us running fracs without runners pay the performance price as a trade off for the ease and convenience. Anybody doing this is obviously not racing, and on this board racers appear to be minority.
Having owned both types up to 40 feet, I am now pleased to have a fractional rig for the reasons stated previously in this now-revived thread.
Given the large numbers of existing masthead rigs in boats generally 10 years old or older, they are here to stay, and they sail just fine. But these days, given the choice and all other things being equal, I'm glad to handle the smaller headsails and have good control of the most powerful sail, the main.