Hypothetical rig question

[msl]

What would be the sailing behaviour of an older 35 to 40 foot masthead rig, sloop converted to a fractional rig - thus doing away with those huge overlapping 155 genoas??

[Jeff_H]

It very much depends on the design of the boat but in most cases the change from masthead to a fractional rig would not be possible without a very major effort, one that probably would not be worth it. The reason that I say this is that the position of the mast and therefore the weight of the mast and the center of effort of the rig is generally further forward on a fractional rig than it would be on a masthead rig. As a result the design of the keel and location of the keel and the distribution of bouyancy of the boat needs to be altered as well. Also fractional rigs best used in conjunction with boats that have a lot of stability relative thier drag. In that case, they can carry comparatively large standing sail areas relative to their drag within the limits of their working sail plan, which helps reduce the need for large-fraction overlapping headsails.

Jeff

[msl]

Your answer makes a lot of sense, Jeff. Thank you.
I was wondering about this after reading reviews of the C and C Landfall 38''s. One common complaint was the large sweeping genoa being hard to manage with a shorthanded crew. I suppose another solution is to use smaller sails but it defeats other positive design features the Landfall series offers.
I know that that boat''s balance and mast position are designed to accomodate large, sweeping foresails.
Comparing it to a J Boat or a Beneteau First Series - it makes more sense to stick to modern designs with smaller sail plans if sailing shorthanded is necessary.
Thanks again.
Mark L.