[Epiphany]

I anticipate purchasing a 35-38 foot boat, primarily for single-handling in offshore waters, around the end of the year. I''ve done a lot of reading on the advantages and disadvantages of various rigs, and have come down to the 3 referenced in the subject line of this post. But I''m still a little confused. Here''s what I think I know at this point:

A sloop, with only 2 sails, offers the greatest degree of simplicity in sail-handling for a single-hander.

A fractional sloop offers the same 2-sail simplicity, but with the added benefit of a smaller foresail (jib or genoa).

A cutter, while adding the complexity of a 3rd sail, may offer easier sail-handling because each of the foresails is smaller. Plus, it may improve the ability to heave-to by keeping more sail area forward than a reefed jib on a sloop or fractional sloop.

I''ll very much appreciate any thoughts on this subject.