solent rig sailboat

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In development, ocean sailor equipment, which is the perfect rig for blue water cruising.

March 7, 2020
, Ocean Sailor Equipment

The Solent rig is the go-to rig for ocean cruising, says Dick Beaumont

The Solent rig, also known as the ‘Slutter rig’, is arguably the perfect rig for short –handed, blue water cruising ( shown to right ).

The rig can provide so many different combinations of sail form that the ideal profile is always available to suit wind strength and direction.

Based on a sloop rig it has the advantage over ketch, yawl or schooner because its high aspect mast is placed further aft so that the forward sail triangle, which creates drive, is proportionately much larger.

That said its advantage over the standard sloop rig is that it has, in addition to the genoa, a 100% full-size blade jib as well. This blade jib has the clew controlled by a jib sheet that runs through a car on a track well inside the shrouds, making it more efficient for sailing hard up wind because it still sets properly even up to 20 degrees to the wind. Whereas the standard sloop with its single genoa, with its track outside the shrouds, cannot point as high.

Also the standard sloop genoa must be cut to be both the upwind and reaching sail, whereas with the Solent rig, the genoa is cut for reaching and the blade jib is cut for beating.

The advantage the Solent rig has overa staysail cutter ( shown to right ) is that the jib is much bigger because its tack is taken right forward to within 80-100cm of the genoa, and the foot is very low cut, again creating more sail area.

Also a Solent rig inner forestay goes almost to the mast-head, so when under heavy load, it isn’t pulling the middle of the mast forward as happens with a staysail, so the problematic running backstays required on a staysail cutter are not needed.

When using the Solent rig for downwind sailing, asymmetric sails – cruising chute, gennaker or Code sail are a matter of choice, they are not obligatory.

On a standard sloop in relatively light winds say 15kts of apparent, the common profile for running dead down wind is ‘goose-winged’ with genoa on one side and mainsail on the other. The propensity for a wind shift or course variation to cause an uncontrolled gybe is ever present and even with a preventer rigged up, damage is highly likely should this happen.

Sailing for several days with this set up in the trade winds, say, and a will be very stressful as a lack of concentration may cause the dreaded Chinese gybe. Relying on using the autopilot pilot to steer dead down wind is not fail safe either; it places a lot of faith on technology, if the autopilot should drop the helm for any reason, the result can be catastrophic.

With a Solent rig the jib and the genoa are set up butterfly rigged. The worst that can happen if the yacht falls of course or the wind shifts is the headsails might back: the risk of gybing, however, is eliminated. So you can run dead down wind without concern.

Ideally the yacht will also have a code sail or gennaker with a pole, or even better two poles of different length ( shown to right ) .

The number one pole should be a bit shorter than a spinnaker pole so it can be used on the gennaker or code sail and the genoa.

The number two pole, if you have it, should be at full length for the jib so it can be used on the jib and the genoa.

If you don’t have a gennaker or code the pole sizes should be the perfect length for the jib and genoa. If you only have one pole it should be the correct size for the genoa.

Sail options for running down wind:

6- 15 knots apparent wind : Gennaker and genoa. As the wind increases the genoa is furled.

10-20 knots apparent wind : Gennaker or code only

15-25 knots apparent wind : Genoa and jib, as the wind increases the genoa is partially furled.

20- 30 knots apparent wind : Genoa only, furling as required.

30 knots plus apparent wind : Jib only furling as required.

And for up wind:

6 -12 knots apparent wind : Gennaker or code plus mainsail but off the wind 40 degrees plus. Jib and mainsail can be set if the course is hard on the wind but may require motor sailing in very light winds.

10-20 knots apparent wind : Genoa and mainsail but not too hard on the wind 35 degrees plus or jib and mainsail if hard on the wind.

15- 50 knots apparent wind : Jib and mainsail, reefing main and jib as required.

50 knots plus apparent wind : Jib only, reefing as required.

Some Solent rigs are comprised of a self -tacking jib which looks convenient, but this jib will also be your heavy weather foresail or storm sail and, whatever anyone tells you , a self-tacking foresail sail cannot be properly reefed. This is because as the sail is furled away around the foil the foot will tighten up and the leech will go slack and start flogging: in 40 knots plus, the sail will be ruined in no time.

When the jib sheets are run through cars on tracks the car is moved forward or back as the sail is furled to change the angle of force of the sheet, so the sail stays properly trimmed and set. I would advise having power winches for the genoa reefing line, as the genoa has to be fully furled to tack it.

There is only one disadvantage of the Solent rig compared to others: It is a lot more expensive.

Those extra costs come from:
Second forestay and chain-plate,
Second furler and foil.
Jib halyard
2x Jib sheets
Six to eight additional heavy duty blocks to carry the jib sheet aft to the cockpit.
Four additional blocks to carry the jib halyard back to the cockpit.
2x jib tracks and deck cars,
2x clutch cleats each side
2x cockpit winches.

The total cost will vary according to the size of yacht but for example on a 50ft yacht the additional cost is circa 30,000-40,000 euros.

The Solent rig is standard on every Kraken Yacht, for all these reasons.

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Two Headsails Are Better Than One

By Wendy Mitman Clarke
Updated: September 28, 2010

solent rig 368

Osprey is the first boat we’ve ever owned with a solent rig, that is, two headsails that are placed close together fore and aft and in line with one another. At deck level, a mere 21 inches separates the two furlers, an arrangement that has distinct advantages, especially for downwind sailing, and disadvantages, when it comes to going to weather. After about two years spent learning this rig, last summer we added a third furler for the staysail, which we find has given the arrangement far more versatility on all points of sail.

The most obvious benefit of this type of rig is the ability to have multiple headsails ready to deploy. On the headstay, we carry our No. 1, a 145-percent genoa, and we have our 125-percent genoa, the No. 2, on the inner forestay. These two sail sizes are what the boat came with. A third headsail, a 90-percent jib, is carried on the staysail stay. Before we added a furler on this stay, we used a hank-on staysail, but with the furler, we’ve found new ways to put this small sail to use; more on that later.

The solent rig truly shines going downwind, particularly dead downwind. What, on many other boats, is an awkward, rolly, nerve-wracking point of sail is, on Osprey, often like riding the rails on a fast-moving train. Along with its headsail arrangement, Osprey came with two spinnaker poles, which we mounted on a double-car track. With both our genoas poled out and the mainsail either double-reefed or taken down completely, the boat sails dead downwind extremely comfortably. With the mainsail down, we eliminate the worry of an accidental jibe, and as soon as the poles are set, the boat becomes remarkably stable. In 25 knots of true wind and 10-foot seas, we’ve made steady speeds of 7 to 8.5 knots with little effort while in complete control. (In air under 10 true, we use the cruising chute when possible for dead-downwind sailing).

Setting Sails Launching this sail arrangement takes a little time and requires someone on the foredeck, which in rolly seas can be tricky. Starting with the headsails furled, we position one pole with the sheet through the jaws, then unfurl the sail against the pole, pulling the pole aft until the sail is set. Because the poles are on a single track and each pole car is independently controlled, it’s necessary to launch the lower pole first. On Osprey, the lower pole is the starboard pole. Once the starboard pole is set, we repeat the process by lowering the inboard end of the port pole and launching it.

To get the most from this double-pole rig, the ability to adjust the sheet-lead angles is critical. We use 12-foot-long Harken Big Boat genoa tracks and adjustable cars with a 4-to-1 purchase.

Once the sails are set, the boat nearly sails herself. And because the two sails balance each other out, the load and strain on the autopilot is greatly diminished. However, one disadvantage to this rig is that once the poles are out, our ability to maneuver radically for any reason-quickly altering course, for instance, to avoid another vessel or floating object-is limited. On a run, we make it a point to be extra vigilant so we have plenty of time to douse one or both poles if needed.

We’ve found with practice that dousing this rig is also fairly easy. Starting with the upper pole-on Osprey, the one set and stored to port-we ease the jib sheet, letting the pole go forward. It becomes pretty easy to furl the headsail. We disconnect the pole, raise it to the top of the track, and stow it in its proper vertical position, with the inboard end at the top of the track and the outboard end mounted on an attachment point just aft of the forward lower shrouds on the port side. Next, we do the same with the starboard pole, whose outboard end mounts on the starboard side at a similar mounting point. Sometimes we need to refurl the last 10 feet of the headsails to get a proper furl.

With the solent rig, the spinnaker poles also come in very handy on a broad reach. With an apparent-wind angle of 170 to 120 degrees, we pole out one of the headsails to windward and run the main to leeward. Wind velocity determines which headsail we choose and whether we reef the main. My husband, Johnny, came up with this idea from his years spent sailing Snipes and other racing dinghies that employ whisker poles rather than spinnaker poles. On our 14-ton Osprey, this arrangement has proven extremely fast and stable. The windward pole eliminates the blanketing effect of the mainsail, which can collapse a leeward-set jib, making the boat roll and the sails slap and bang. Heading from the Bahamas to the U.S. East Coast across the Gulf Stream in lumpy conditions and 10 to 12 knots of true wind at 130-degrees apparent, we were able to sail pretty comfortably at 5 to 6 knots of boat speed while the two boats with us, which couldn’t pole out their jibs, were often forced to motor, rolling all the while.

The Downside to the Solent Rig As the wind angle closes, some of the solent rig’s disadvantages become more apparent. Unlike a cutter rig, in which the head stays are separated by a good distance, the close proximity of the two headsails in the solent arrangement makes flying both at the same time impossible; you must choose one or the other. In lighter air, when we use the No. 1, the rig behaves very much like a traditional sloop-rigged boat. The biggest problem with this, however, is tacking-Johnny likes to say that the rig was designed to tack once a month, and that seems about right. The slot between the two sails is so narrow that it’s extremely hard, without furling the No. 1, to get it through to the other side. Also, in heavier air, the close proximity of the headstays significantly disturbs the airflow on the No. 2, degrading the boat’s ability to point using this headsail.

When sailing upwind in 10 to 15 knots of true wind, we use the No. 1 and the full main. This gives us the power that Osprey needs to sail through wind chop and moderate swell while making anywhere from 5 to 7 knots, depending on the sea state. In wind speeds of 15 to 20 knots true, we use the No. 2 and, depending on conditions, a full main or a single reef. In 25 knots and up, going upwind, we double-reef the main (we only have two reefs), and reef the No. 2 as needed.

To try and mitigate some of the solent rig’s upwind foibles, we started experimenting with the staysail. We found it to be so useful that last summer we added a third furler for it. This extra sail is easy and quick to deploy and tack. Now, for instance, if we’re sailing upwind in 25 knots or more, rather than use the No. 2 at all, with its limited pointing ability, we now deploy the staysail. Should we be sailing close to the wind with the No. 1 and need to tack, we can unfurl the staysail, furl the No. 1, and with the added horsepower of the small staysail, the boat moves efficiently through the tack instead of stopping dead, particularly in choppy conditions. Now we often add the staysail on all points of sail. We use it to complement the No. 1 when we’re sailing upwind or close to the wind, and it usually adds half a knot of boat speed. The staysail also works well with either of the genoas when they’re poled out to windward.

The roller-furled staysail also eliminates another disadvantage to the solent rig: heaving to. Unlike a cutter rig, with its small, setback yankee jib, Osprey’s No. 2 is too big and too far forward for us to easily find the sweet spot to balance the boat. The staysail, due to its size and its location farther aft, lets us heave to quickly and comfortably.

After two and a half years of getting to know the solent rig, we feel we’re finally starting to make it work to its full potential. Its long-distance downwind-sailing abilities and its off-the-wind versatility thus far have outweighed its disadvantages when going upwind. And by adding the staysail as a permanent fixture, we’ve mitigated many of those problems. It’s not the easiest system, but for us it’s proven its worth time and time again.

The Clarkes in May sailed Osprey , with poles out, 1,200 nautical miles downwind from the Dominican Republic to Guatemala, where they plan to spend hurricane season.

More: How To , keelboat , monohull , sail handling , sails and rigging , seamanship
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CRUISING SAILBOAT RIGS: Sloops, Cutters, and Solent Rigs

In our previous episode in this series we discussed what I like to call split rigs–ketches, yawls, and schooners–where a sailplan is divided among two or more masts. Cruising sailors once upon a time preferred such rigs, at least on larger cruising boats, because each separate sail requiring handling was smaller and thus more manageable. These days, however, by far the most popular rig for both racing and cruising sailboats is the simple sloop rig. This has a single mast supporting a single Marconi mainsail with a single headsail supported by a single headstay flying forward of it.

Its advantages are manifest: there are only two sails for the crew to handle, each of which can be hoisted with a single halyard and trimmed with a single sheet. While sailing, there are normally only two lines–the jib sheet and mainsheet–that need to be controlled at any given moment. And because there is but one headsail flying forward of the main, tacking a sloop is easy, since the headsail, even if it is a large overlapping genoa, can pass easily through the open foretriangle.

Sloop rigs are highly efficient to windward, thanks to the so-called “slot effect” created by the interaction of the mainsail and headsail. How this actually works is a matter of some debate. The traditional theory is that airflow in the narrow slot between the sails is accelerated, which decreases air pressure on the leeward side of the mainsail, thus increasing the lift the sail generates.

The revisionist theory is that air deflected from the headsail actually works to decrease airflow in the slot, increasing pressure on the windward side of the headsail, thus increasing the lift it generates. Since increasing the lift generated by one sail seems to necessarily decrease that generated by the other, others believe a single Marconi sail must be just as aerodynamic, if not more so, than two sails. This last proposition, however, is contradicted by real-world experience, as no one has yet created a single-sail rig that is as fast and closewinded as a double-sail sloop rig.

The almighty slot in action. Its effects are salubrious, but no one can really explain why

The primary disadvantage of a sloop rig is that the sails must be relatively large. They are therefore harder to handle in that they are heavier (making them harder to hoist) and generate larger loads when flying. Much of this difficulty, however, is obviated by modern winches and roller-furling gear, which is why sloop rigs are now so popular, and deservedly so. In light to moderate sailing conditions, which is what most sailors normally encounter, a sloop is by far the fastest, most easily handled rig currently available.

In heavier conditions sloops do present some challenges. To reduce sail area forward of the mast, if the headsail is hanked on to the headstay, which was the traditional practice, you must change the sail for a smaller one. This requires crew to work for extended periods on the bow of the boat, where conditions can get wild and wet. If the headsail is on a modern roller-furler, the sail can be easily roller-reefed from the cockpit, but past a certain point a roller-reefed headsail’s shape becomes inefficient. You either must live with this or unroll the sail and change it for another smaller one. The stronger the wind gets, the more distorted the roller-reefed sail becomes, and the more important it is to change it. Changing a sail on a furler in a strong wind, however, is an awful chore. The very first thing you must do (unroll the sail) greatly increases sail area right when you most want to decrease it. Then you must somehow control a large headsail as it comes off a furling rod with its luff unrestrained in strong wind.

Coastal cruisers are never likely to sail in strong conditions for very long. On the few brief occasions their boats are pressed hard they are normally willing to limp along on an ugly scrap of roller-reefed genoa. They are also more likely to have to short-tack their boats in confined areas, thus the ease of tacking a sloop makes it the rig of choice on coastal boats. Bluewater cruisers, on the other hand, may sail in strong weather for days on end, so there are advantages to cutting up the sail area in the foretriangle into smaller more manageable pieces. Bluewater cruisers traditionally therefore often prefer a cutter rig, which has a single mast and a headstay like a sloop, but also an inner forestay behind the headstay from which a smaller intermediate staysail can be flown.

Modern cutter-rigged cruiser sailing under a staysail and a reefed mainsail

The big advantage of a cutter rig is that in a big blow the jib on the headstay can come right off (or be rolled up) and the smaller staysail can carry on alone, more inboard and lower in the rig, where it balances better against the reduced area of a deeply reefed mainsail. Cutters are also efficient to windward, though some claim they are not as efficient as sloops. Personally, I’ve found cutters are sometimes actually more closewinded than sloops, at least in moderate to strong winds, as the sheeting angles on a pair of smaller, flatter headsails can be narrower than the angle on one larger, more full-bodied sail. In very heavy conditions, with just a staysail and reefed mainsail deployed, I believe a cutter is almost always more efficient to windward than a sloop.

On anything from a beam reach to a tight closehauled angle, a cutter can also fly both its headsails unobstructed. Sailing on a broad reach, however, the staysail blocks air from reaching the jib, reducing the rig’s effective sail area just when the decrease in apparent wind speed caused by the wind blowing from behind the boat demands that sail area instead be increased. Another problem is that a cutter requires extra standing rigging–not only the inner forestay, but also, very often, either an extra set of swept-back aft shrouds or a pair of running backstays to help support the inner forestay from behind. This adds complexity and increases rig weight well above the deck.

The biggest disadvantage of a cutter rig is that there are two headsails to tack (or jibe) across the boat instead of just one. There is an extra set of sheets to handle, plus the jib quarrels with the inner forestay every time it comes across the foretriangle. This is less of a problem if the jib is small and high-cut (these are called yankee jibs) so that it slips more easily through the narrow gap between the inner forestay and headstay. When flying a large genoa, however, crew must often go forward to help horse the sail around the inner forestay. If you don’t have enough crew for this, you may have to roll up part of the genoa (assuming it’s on a roller-furler) before tacking or jibing and unroll it again afterward, which is a bother. Also, if the wind grows strong again, but not so strong that you can sail on the staysail alone, you either have to change your genoa for a smaller sail or roller-reef it into an inefficient shape, which is (theoretically) precisely the conundrum that drove you to favor a cutter rig in the first place.

On a true cutter specifically designed to accommodate a staysail, the mast is usually farther aft than it would be on a sloop and/or there is a bowsprit to enlarge the foretriangle. This allows for a larger, more useful staysail and should enlarge the gap between the headstay and inner forestay so a jib can tack through more easily. A larger foretriangle also allows the jib to be larger without overlapping the mainsail, but a big overlapping genoa will still present problems when tacking or jibing.

A “true” cutter under sail. With the mast aft the foretriangle is bigger, which allows for a bigger, more useful staysail. As on this boat, a true cutter often flies a high-cut yankee jib forward of the staysail

The staysail can also be made club-footed with its own boom. Such a spar, known as a jib-boom, can be controlled by a single sheet that need not be adjusted when tacking. When short-tacking in enough breeze for the boat to sail under main and staysail alone this is the height of convenience. You can shift the helm back and forth without ever touching a line. A jib-boom, however, unless sheeted tight, will flail about the foredeck whenever its sail is luffing while being hoisted, doused, or reefed. It may harm crew on the foredeck during an accidental jibe, as it can sweep suddenly across the boat with some force unless restrained by a preventer.

A cutter-rigged cruiser with a club-footed staysail

Bear in mind, too, that enlarging the foretriangle, particularly on a boat without a bowsprit, usually means mainsail area must be reduced commensurately. In many cases the mainsail is then too small and/or too far aft for the boat to sail and maneuver under main alone. When attempting to dock, anchor, or moor under sail this can be a significant disadvantage. (Note, however, that many sloops are also often unable to maneuver under mainsail alone.)

One variation increasingly popular with bluewater cruisers is a sloop/cutter hybrid, sometimes called a slutter rig, where a removeable inner forestay is installed on what would otherwise be a straight sloop rig. The removable stay normally has some sort of quick-release mechanism at deck level that makes it easy to set up and tension the stay and to loosen and remove it. When stowed, the removeable stay is brought aft to the mast and secured.

Example of an inner forestay with a retro-fitted inner forestay with a quick-release fitting that allows the stay to be moved out of the way when desired

To a large extent, the slutter rig does offer the best of both worlds. In light to moderate winds you can stow the inner forestay and sail the boat as a straight sloop with one large genoa passing through an open foretriangle. In heavy conditions, you can set up the inner forestay, hank on a staysail, roll up or douse the large genoa, and sail the boat under main and staysail alone. Since setting up an inner forestay and hanking on a staysail is normally less taxing than stripping a large genoa off a furling rod and hoisting a smaller working jib and/or storm sail in its place, this is a viable practice.

Sometimes you see true cutters that have been converted to slutters. Here the foretriangle is normally large enough to fly two headsails simultaneously if desired, which is often not possible on a converted sloop. The downside to this arrangement is that making the inner forestay removable makes it impossible to install either a roller-furling staysail (currently a popular arrangement on cutter rigs) or a club-footed staysail.

Another variation that has appeared more recently is the so-called solent rig, where a solent stay is installed directly behind a boat’s headstay. The headstay carries a big genoa (usually on a roller-furler) that is flown in light to moderate wind, and the solent stay carries what is effectively a smaller working jib (or a “blade jib,” as some like to call them now) to fly in stronger conditions. The solent jib (which is normally larger than a staysail) can be rigged permanently on its own roller-furler, or it can be on a removable stay, as is seen on slutters and some cutter rigs.

The huge problem with a permanent solent rig is that the genoa forward on the headstay is normally so close to the solent stay that it cannot be pulled through the gap between the stays, but must be entirely rolled up and unfurled again every time the boat is tacked. In some cases the solent stay actually isn’t terribly close to the headstay, but still the top of the stay is always very close to the top of the headstay and tacking is thus always problematic. For this reason, personally, I strongly favor removable solent stays.

Typical solent rig with the two stays quite close together

On this example, the two stays are farther apart, until you get up to the masthead

One recent innovation that has made the handling of removable sails much easier are sails with torque-rope luffs that are mounted on continuous-line furlers. These were developed first on shorthanded ocean-racing boats, but are now leaking on to cruising boats with increasing frequency. For these to work the sail must usually be a lighter laminated sail rather than straight Dacron. A length of high-modulus rope especially designed to resist twisting, a torque rope so called, is sewn into the luff of the sail, which is then mounted on a removable lightweight continuous-line furling drum. Once the sail is hoisted with its torque rope tensioned it can be furled up on its own luff. It can also be taken down and stowed in a bag this way, all rolled up on itself. And it can be hoisted again while still rolled up. Handling the sail is thus very easy, as the only time it is unrolled and flying free is when you are actually flying it.

The great flexibility of a torque-rope sail actually gives you two different options if you are trying to create a solent rig. The smaller solent sail can be made a removable torque-rope sail, in which case you will be setting and flying it inside the headstay. Or you can keep a small working jib on your headstay and set up a larger removable genoa-size torque-rope sail forward of it. Sails like this have all sorts of names–Code Zero sails, screechers, gennakers, etc. The most important thing, if you are ordering one, is not what you call it, but rather that it is cut flat enough to sail efficiently to windward. Also, when flying such a sail you’ll need some sort of bowsprit forward of your headstay to carry it, and the sprit must be strong enough to carry the rig’s full headstay load when the sail flying.

The headsail arrangement on my cutter-rigged boat Lunacy . A triple-headsail sloop you might call it. The headstay and the inner forestay are permanently rigged. The screecher, as I call it, flies on its own luff forward of the headstay and is controlled with a removable continuous-line furler. The bowsprit and the plate under it were added to carry the big load the sail generates. When the screecher is flying the headstay goes slack and the screecher’s torque rope is what’s holding up the front of the mast

An IMOCA Open 60 flying a staysail on a continuous-line furler

A continuous-line furler up close and personal, removed from the rig with sail furled

Yet another option is to make the staysail in a cutter rig a removable torque-rope sail. I have seen these on shorthanded racing boats, but never on a cruising boat. I wonder sometimes if I should try it on my boat. If anyone has tried it on their boat, I do wish they would get in touch!

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My last two boats–a Bristol 39 and a Warwick 47–have been sloops with inner forestays. The present Warwick has a r/f forstaysail so it’/s more or less permanent. This is a great heavy weather and offshore rig–perfect for the ocean and he Caribbean, the Med not so much. The forestayail is pretty small so it takes a considerable blow to make it the right choice.

Go easy on the torque rope idea unless a) the mast is beefed up for it b) the winches, lead blocks and the deck under the winch base on which the halyard lays are beefed up. You need to plan on having a halyard lock for the top of the torque rope AND a robust purchase to load the bottom end. THIS is how the race boats are set up Coop

Cutter Rigged Sailboats [GUIDE] Advantages, Sailing, Options & Features

Cutter rigs are often more prevalent in boating magazines and theory than they are in your marina. Most cruising sailboats are Bermuda rigged sloops with just one permanently attached headsail. So, are two headsails better than one? Or, are they double the trouble?

History of Cutters

What is a Cutter Rig?

Cutter features, cutter rig options, sailing a cutter rigged sailboat, 5 popular manufacturers making cutter rigs, it takes two to tango, cutter rigged sailboat faqs.

History of Cutters

Cutters became popular in the early 18th century. These traditional cutters were decked (instead of open) and featured multiple headsails. Smugglers used cutters to smuggle goods, and the coast guard used cutters to try to catch the smugglers.

Various navies also used the cutter rig. Navy cutters featured excellent maneuverability and were better at sailing to windward than square-rigged ships.

Navies used cutters for coastal patrol, collecting customs duties, and “cutting out” raids. These “cutting out” operations consisted of a boarding attack. Fast, maneuverable cutters could stealthily approach an enemy vessel and board it. This type of attack was common in the late 18th century.

US Coast Guard ships, now powerful, fast, engine-driven, steel vessels, are still called cutters today as a nod to their past.

A cutter rig sailboat has two headsails instead of just one. The jib is located forward and is either attached to a bowsprit or the bow. The inner sail is called the staysail and is attached to an inner forestay.

Traditional cutters were built for speed. Today, cutter rigged sailboats are popular with ocean-crossing sailors, cruisers, and sailors looking for an easy to manage, versatile rig for all conditions.

It’s important to distinguish cutters from other types of boats with a single mast. Cutters regularly fly two headsails on nearly every point of sail. Many sloops are equipped to fly different-sized headsails, but it is unusual or unnecessary for them to fly more than one at a time.

Solent Rig vs Cutter Rig

A solent rig is traditionally called a slutter–a little bit sloop and a little bit cutter. This configuration features two large headsails mounted close together. The solent rig is good if you do a lot of downwind sailing. You can pole out both headsails and go wing-on-wing, with one headsail on the starboard side and one on the port side.

If you are on any other point of sail, you can only use one solent rig headsail at a time. If you use the inner sail, the wind flow is disrupted by the furled forward sail. And, if you use the forward sail, you’ll have to furl it to tack because there’s not enough space between the forestays.

The solent rig is a way to add more sail options to a standard sloop. Most solent stays are not required rigging to keep the mast up, so owners remove them when not in use to make tacking the primary headsail easier.

Advantages of a Cutter Rig

There are a lot of reasons to like a cutter. A cutter rigged boat has redundant rigging and spreads the sail load across its rigging. And a cutter rig offers increased sail options–it offers increased sail area in light winds and easy and efficient ways to decrease sail area in heavy weather.

In heavy weather, a cutter will drop or furl her larger headsail – usually a yankee or a genoa. That leaves just the smaller inner staysail. This arrangement is superior to the standard sloop, which sails in high winds by reefing her headsail. The staysail, however, lowers the center of effort on the sail plan and maintains draft over the reefed mainsail. That makes the boat more stable, maintains performance, and reduces stresses on the rig.

If you imagine the sailor going to sea and needing to reef, it’s easy to see how many more choices they have than the sloop sailor. While each sailor can reef their mainsail, a cutter skipper has full control over both headsails as well.

Because a cutter rig spreads the load across two headsails, it’s easier to manage. There might be more sails, but each sail is smaller and has smaller loads on it. That makes cutters the preferred option for sailing offshore when short-handed, as are more cruising couples.

Lastly, it has to be added that there’s something appealing about the traditional looks of a cutter.

Disadvantages of a Cutter Rig

While there are many benefits of a cutter, there are drawbacks and disadvantages too.

Sailors will have more lines to manage and more processes to think through. More sails mean more halyards and sheets. And when it comes to maintenance and upkeep, a cutter will have more standing and running rigging to replace, along with one more sail.

Cutters are also harder to tack. You’ll be dealing with two headsails instead of just one. Many designs deal with this problem by making the staysail self-tacking. This has fallen out of favor, but it’s a great advantage if you find yourself short-tacking up or down rivers.

Regardless of whether you need to tack both headsails or not, getting the larger sail to tack through the slot and around the inner forestay is sometimes a challenge. Many skippers find themselves furling the headsail, at least partially, to complete the tack.

Cutters need extra foretriangle room, which can mean adding a bowsprit, moving the mast back, or both.

Cutter Rig Position

Looking at a cutter rigged sailboat diagram, you might see a bowsprit depicted. Often, cutters fly their yankee from a bowsprit. Bowsprits allow boat designers to increase the fore triangle’s size without making the mast taller. Other cutters don’t use a bowsprit and mount the yankee sail on the bow.

A cutter sailboat might seem like more work. After all, there are two sails to trim and manage. In addition, you’ll have to perform maintenance on two sails and purchase and maintain double the hardware.

However, the two headsail arrangement can be easier to manage when the sails are under load. Instead of having one jib or genoa to trim, the weight and pressure are spread across two sails.

Mast Location

Today’s modern boat designers often focus on providing living space in the cabin. Designers often move the mast forward to create a larger, more open saloon. When the mast is forward, there’s less space to mount two headsails. A cutter sailboat needs a decent foretriangle area.

A cutter rigged sailboat is also more expensive for boat builders. The deck must be strong enough to handle the inner forestay’s loads. Between the additional building costs, saloon design issues, and customers’ concern over increased complexity, boat builders often favor a single headsail.

Easier on the Boat and Crew

Since the loads are distributed between two smaller sails instead of being handled by one large genoa. This means there’s less pressure on attachments points and hardware, and therefore less wear and tear. In addition, because there are separate attachment points on the deck for each sail, the load is distributed across the deck instead of focused on one spot.

Because each headsail is smaller, the sails are easier to winch in, so the crew will find it easier to manage the sails.

There’s nothing cookie-cutter about a sailing cutter. From the cut of the jib to the configuration of the staysail, each cutter sailboat is unique.

Yankee, Jib, or Genoa

Traditional cutters have a yankee cut headsail along with a staysail. The yankee is high-cut and usually has no overlap. The high cut improves visibility, and a yankee has less twist than a typical jib. By sloop standards, it looks very small, but on a cutter it works in unison with the staysail.

A jib is a regular headsail that does not overlap the mast, while a genoa is a big jib that does overlaps. The amount of overlap is measured in percentage, so a 100-percent working jib fills the foretriangle perfectly. Other options include the 135 and 155-percent genoas, which are popular for sailors in light winds.

The problem with using a big jib or genoa with a staysail is that there will often be a close overlap between the two headsails. If flown together, the air over the staysail interferes with the air over the outer sail, making each one slightly less efficient. In these cases, it’s often better to drop the staysail and leave it for when the wind pipes up.

Roller Furler, Club, or Hank-On Sails

Sailors have many options to manage and store their cutter’s sails. Sailors can mix and match the options that work for them.

Roller Furler vs Hank-on Sails

You can have both sails on roller furlers, both hanked on, or a mix of the two.

Buying and maintaining two roller furlers is expensive, but it makes the sails easy to manage. You can easily unfurl, reef, and furl both headsails from the cockpit without having to work on the deck.

Hank-on sails are fool-proof and offer less expense and maintenance. You can use a hank-on staysail, either loose-footed or club-footed, depending on your needs. Hank-on sails make sail changes easy and they never jam or come unfurled unexpectedly.

The most common setup on most cutters is to have the larger yankee or jib on a furler, and the smaller and more manageable staysail hanked on.

Club-footed Staysail

A club-footed staysail is attached to a self-tacking boom. Since there is only one control sheet to handle, there’s a lot less work to do to tack from the cockpit. It tacks just like another mainsail. You can tack the yankee while the club-footed staysail self-tacks.

Island Packets and many other cutters feature this arrangement, which makes tacking easy.

However, a club-footed staysail takes up space on the foredeck–it’s always in the way. It’s harder to get to your windlass and ground tackle. In addition, it’s harder to store your dinghy on the foredeck under the staysail boom. The boom also presents a risk to anyone on the foredeck, since it can swing during tacks and jibes and is even lower to the deck than the mainsail boom.

Loose-footed Staysail

Keeping a loose-footed staysail on a furler clears space on the deck. Without the boom, you can more easily move around the foredeck, and you’ll have more space when you are managing the anchor. In addition, you can more easily store your dinghy on the foredeck.

However, the staysail loses its self-tacking ability. You’ll now have to have staysail tracks for the sheet’s turning blocks and another set of sheet winches in the cockpit. When it comes time to tack the boat, you’ll have two headsails with four sheets and four winches to handle. Most owners choose to furl the outer headsail before the tack. Then, they can perform the maneuver using the staysail alone.

The good news is that most offshore boats are not tacking very often. If you’re on a multi-day passage, chances are you’ll only tack once or twice on the whole trip.

Downwind and Light Air Sails

There are a number of light air sails that will help your cutter perform better when the wind is light. Popular options include the code zero, gennaker, and asymmetrical spinnaker.

Adding one of these sails to your inventory can make it a dream sailing machine. A code zero can be flown in light air. Since the cutter is already well equipped for sailing in heavy air, a light air sail really gives you the ability to tackle anything.

Sloop Rig, Ketch, and Yawl

While some describe a cutter as a cutter-rigged sloop or a sloop cutter, a modern sloop has one mast and one permanent headsail.

But you’ll also find the cutter rig used on a ketch or a yawl. A cutter ketch or yawl offers a cruising sailor increased sail area and choices by adding the mizzen mast and sail behind.

Sailing a cutter rigged boat is not that different from sailing a traditional sloop. Sailors will have to pay close attention to trim and tacking.

Sailing a Cutter Rig to Windward

A cutter usually can’t point as high as a sloop when sailing to windward. The yankee hinders the staysail’s airflow, and the staysail starts to stall.

Tacking a Sailboat Cutter

If you need to short tack up a narrow channel, and both your sails are loose-footed, you can roll up one of the headsails and just use one headsail to tack. Many staysails have a boom and are self-tacking. This means you can tack the yankee, and the staysail will take care of itself.

Reefing a Cutter

A cutter sailboat has more options to easily get the right amount of sail. You can add a reef to your mainsail, then furl or reef the yankee a little, and then add another reef to the mainsail. As the wind increases, you can take the yankee in all together, and sail with a double-reefed mainsail and the staysail. Finally, you can add the third reef to the mainsail. Some staysails can be reefed, too.

A cutter rig offers many options during heavy weather. For example, you may end up taking the mainsail down altogether and leaving the staysail up. Or, you might choose to replace the staysail with a tiny storm sail.

Adding a storm jib on a sail cutter is much easier than a standard sloop. On a sloop, you’d have to remove the large genoa from the bow and then add the storm sail. This operation places the skipper in a challenging situation, which can be avoided on a cutter.

On a cutter, you can remove the staysail and add the storm jib to the inner forestay. Working a little aft of the bow will give you increased stability while managing the staysail’s smaller load.

While many modern sailboats are sloop-rigged, cutter-seeking sailors still have options.

Rustler Yachts

While many new yachts have ditched the sturdy offshore cutter rig in favor of greater simplicity, Rustler is making a name for themselves by bringing it back. It’s still one of the best options for offshore sailing, and it’s great to see a modern yacht company using the rig to its full potential.

The Rustler doesn’t need a bowsprit to accommodate its cutter rig. The Rustler is set up for single-handed and offshore cruising with all lines managed from the cockpit. Their smaller boats are rigged as easier-to-sail sloops for coastal hops, while the larger 42, 44, and 57 are rigged as true cutters with staysails and yankees.

Cabo Rico Cutters

Cabo Rico built cutters between 34 and 56 feet long. They aren’t currently in production but often come up on the used boat market. They are beautiful, semi-custom yachts that turn heads where ever they go. Of all the cutters the company built, the William Crealock-designed Cabo Rico 38 was the most long-lived, with about 200 hulls built. The second most popular design was the 34. The company also built a 42, 45, 47, and 56—but only a handful of each of these custom beauties ever left the factory. Most of the larger Cabo Ricos were designed by Chuck Paine.

Cabo Ricos have bowsprits, and the staysail is usually club-footed, although owners may have modified this. Cabo Ricos are known for their solid construction, beautiful teak interiors, and offshore capabilities.

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Pacific Seacraft

Pacific Seacraft features a full line of cutters. Pacific Seacraft boats are known for their construction, durability, and overall quality.

Just a few of the best-known cutters built by Pacific Seacraft include the following.

Pacific Seacraft/Crealock 34
Pacific Seacraft/Crealock 37
Pacific Seacraft 40

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Island Packet Yachts

Island Packet boats are probably the most popular cutter design available today. Designer and company founder Bob Johnson created beautiful cutter-rigged full-keel boats with shallow drafts that were very popular around Florida, the Bahamas, and the east coast of the US.

Island Packets are known for their comfortable, spacious layouts. Older models could be ordered from the factory as either sloop or cutter-rigged. The result is that you see a mix of the two, as well as plenty of cutters that have removed their staysails to make a quasi-sloop.

Island Packet is still in business today, but now favors solent-rigged sloops with twin headsails.

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Hess-Designed Cutters

Lyle Hess designed several famous cutter-rigged boats, including the Falmouth Cutter 22 and the Bristol Channel Cutter 28. These gorgeous boats are smaller than most cruising boats but are a joy to sail. Lyle Hess’ designs were popularized by sailing legends Lin and Larry Pardey, who sailed their small wood-built cutters Serraffyn and Taleisin around the world multiple times.

These beautiful cutters have a timeless look like no other boats. They have inspired many other designs, too. You’ll find them built from both wood or fiberglass, but a variety of builders and yards have made them over the years.

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Cutter rigged boats offer cruising sailors a flexible sail plan that’s perfect for offshore sailing. Sailors can adjust the amount of sail according to the current wind conditions. Traditional cutters were known for being fast and agile, and today’s cutters carry on the tradition with pride.

What is a cutter rigged yacht?

A cutter rigged yacht features two headsails. One headsail, usually a high-cut yankee, is all the way forward, either on a bowsprit or the bow. The staysail is smaller and attached to an inner forestay.

What is the advantage of a cutter rig?

A cutter rig offers cruising sailors more flexibility. They can easily increase and decrease the sail area and choose the optimum combination for the sailing conditions. While there are more lines and sails to handle, each sail is smaller and therefore easier to manage.

Matt has been boating around Florida for over 25 years in everything from small powerboats to large cruising catamarans. He currently lives aboard a 38-foot Cabo Rico sailboat with his wife Lucy and adventure dog Chelsea. Together, they cruise between winters in The Bahamas and summers in the Chesapeake Bay.

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Bluewater Cruising - Cutter Rig vs. Solent Rig (Part 1)

Published date: october 9 2018.

Two popular options for off-shore cruising are the cutter rig and the solent rig, both sporting their own pros and cons.

The cutter rig utilises two headsails that sit relatively far apart from each other: a high-cut yankee connected to the main forestay (high clew to avoid the foot catching in waves when reaching), and a staysail connected to the inner forestay (the lower-clewed staysail catches the wind the high-cut yankee does not). Both sails can be used and tacked at the same time.

The solent stay, on the other hand, sits directly behind the main forestay. It allows the use of two different sized genoas but only one is used at any one time, and the forward genoa needs to be furled during a tack.

Unsure which to choose? In this two-part series, we will provide some views on both setups to aid your choice of rig.

First, we will look at the cutter rig.

One advantage is that, compared to a single large genoa, the two smaller headsails of the cutter rig produce a lower centre of gravity and therefore heeling angle. This means that the boat sails more upright and reduces the risk of capsizing, facilitating easier handling in varying weather conditions.

A second advantage of the cutter rig is that, if winds are high and you want to reduce power, the yankee can be furled away completely, leaving just the staysail which can be used with a deeply reefed main. This can facilitate a satisfactory heave-to, which is otherwise unlikely with a boat that has a partially rolled genoa on the main forestay.

Traditionally the cutter rig - which thrives in reaching conditions - has had limitations on other points of sail. For example, close hauled the staysail can be stalled by the forward jib, and visa versa running downwind. However, this is where modern performance sailing techniques can help to revitalise this classic rig setup.

With the addition of a code zero and an asymmetric to a cutter rig you get very close, in our opinion, to the perfect cruising setup. In light airs, beating and reaching, where the traditional cutter rig may lack power, the code zero will provide the perfect boost. As windspeed increases, furl the code zero and you are in the optimum zone for the yankee and staysail. With more wind, furl the yankee and run with the staysail and reefed main. As you crack off the wind, the code zero provides all the power you would need, up to moderate wind speeds, and then downwind you unfurl the asymmetric.

Upffront would advocate that sailing your downwind angles with an asymmetric is faster, more efficient and more comfortable than dead-downwind sailing. However, if you really want to keep those twin poles, and go downwind in a straight line, then poling out the code zero with the yankee is also an option!

As you may be able to tell, Upffront is a fan of a modern cutter rig, however there are some downsides to consider. If your boat is not already setup for a staysail, the retrofit is more complicated than for a solent rig. Adding an inner forestay requires an attachment point for the new stay as well as a halyard sheave on the front of the rig but also, importantly, additional backstays to support the new, inner forestay load.

At the end of the day, the right choice for you and your boat will come down to a number of different, competing priorities: your existing rig and sail wardrobe setup, sailing style and of course budget!

Read Part two here where we look at the Solent Rig in more detail

If you have any questions about code zero and asymmetric furlers, please feel free to email us at [email protected] , or click the link below to see our full range:

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The Solent Has Its Own Stay!

A stay that gets its name from a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of southern England, the Solent . This traditionally windy place with strong currents can cause rough sea conditions and can make for some interesting sailing, to say the least. This body of water is also famous for hosting one of sailing’s largest events known as Cowes Week . These sometimes unrelenting sailing conditions have brought forth the conception of an entire stay, aptly called the Solent Stay.

As most boats these days are equipped with headsail furlers, rigging a Solent stay is a modification that many blue water cruisers are considering, more and more. The Solent stay is an inner fore-stay that provides an alternative to the Sta-sail stay . Its benefits, similar to that of the Sta-sail Stay, are to provide an inner stay that can fly a smaller/ heavier headsail without having to unfurl, douse and change out the boats everyday headsail.

The Solent stay is unique to the Sta-sail in that the stay is rigged close enough to the fore stay at the mast, eliminating the needs for any additional back-stays, i.e. running backstays. It is also possible that the new Solent sail could share sheet leads with the boat’s existing Genoa lead cars, depending on design and lay-out, and Solent Sail cut.

The tricky part, when adding any stay to the boat, be to locate a strong place on deck that is available to anchor the chainplate for the Solent Stay. Typically there will be only 1 or 2 reasonable locations for this. This may result in the two forward stays not being parallel to each other (see image left). If you can get over the appearance (easily done especially if it is removable, and I can’t say that it has ever bothered me anyways) this set-up probably makes the most sense. Especially if you consider it a good idea to move the center of effort inboard when trying to reduce sail and ensure control of the boat.

~The on-deck attachment can be moved as far inboard as a conventional Sta-sail stay!

Some Solent stays are rigged to be removable and stowed aft (more on stowing removable stays here ). This is a totally acceptable practice. However, as the boat length increases so does the sail size and the associated hardware. Therefore, rigging the Solent stay and sail can become a bit more difficult, if nothing else more burdensome. Therefore It is also common, and totally acceptable, to install a more permanent solution by rigging stay in place with a furler . When rigging the Solent stay with a furler, a good concept might be to have a smaller sail (maybe 110%) built that will carry you through most sailing conditions, medium to heavy (i.e. say… 15-30 knots wind speed), with at least one, maybe two reef points. This sail should be cut to achieve all points of sail from the hard beat to the beam reach. Now, the headstay furler should get a full cut-over-sized Genoa (maybe 150% or larger) that can be used as a light air drifter or full cut Genoa.

~Yes, this sail will need to be furled completely during tacks, but shouldn’t be a problem in light airs.

This new light air headsail should be cut for working upwind from a close reach, to downwind, just below the beam reach for light to moderate conditions (i.e. say… 5-12 knots wind speed). For more foresail options regarding downwind sailing, read our blogs here and here .

Lastly, there is one final consideration: the tension of putting two fore-stays opposite of the one back-stay can end up sharing the loads. This can lead to the Solent stay sagging to leeward, moving the draft aft and causing issues with being able to point the boat upwind. This is not preferred in most heavy weather conditions, especially when having to work upwind. The solution lies in the how the rig tune is set up. The headstay will need to be slackened a good bit, and the new inner Solent stay will need to be tightened fairly tight; so that the backstay is pulling on the Solent Stay not the headstay. This set up will compliment the aforementioned light air Genoa/ Drifter sail on the headstay and everyday jib on the Solent Stay.

In the case of the Solent Stay being removable, make sure your Highfield lever is set to a tighter tension than the Head-stay. This should cause the Head-stay to become slack when the Solent stay is in use. Then to combat the leeward sag of the Solent Stay even further, it is also a good idea to make sure the back-stay is at its maximum recommended working tension (usually approx. 30% of breaking strength).

As always, you should seek the advice of your local rigger to ensure this Solent stay system is set up completely and properly. Have question or a comment, please leave us a few words in our comments box below.

Thanks for the read!

Views from Aloft

This week we were aloft to replace a headsail furler. Hood Yacht Systems provided this furler. The Hood Seafurl seems to be a good furler. I’d say my only real tiff with these systems is the rubber liner that is found inside each of the extrusions. The ball bearings are dry lubricated, which I like….

Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show 2015

2015 Annapolis Spring Sailboat Show

Inspecting Your Mast and Rigging

Your sailboat rigging should be thoroughly checked once a season. The best way to do this is by pulling the mast or masts out of the boat and running down a check list. One can also spot most major problems from a bosun’s chair, and if done regularly, is generally more cost effective. It is…

Sailboat Racing

This is pretty much for those that enjoy a good sailboat race. Amazing acceleration! [youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dt9g3XcH0F0&w=560&h=315]

Wiktionary.org offers this defintion of the word vang. Although the etymology is all very interesting. The latter is the one we are the most interested in. Below is a good video describing the benefits of the boom vang and when to use it. [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C31nGzO54O4&w=560&h=315] The Boom Vang, in its simplest form, is a block and…

18 Comments

Good morning, I have a Lagoon 52f rigged up with a solent staysail with a facnor fx7000 continus furler. The sail has a soft luff and 2:1 halyard. I am having issues furling the sail. Does is this have to do with halyard tension or set up of the system itself. It just seems to be really tough to furler. An advice is greatly appreciated Thank you

First thing is always the spin test. With the system down and the parts disconnected, spin the drum by hand to see if it’s free moving. Perhaps it’s a ratcheting unit (those will require some understanding as they will lock and unlock in both directions via a mechanism in the drum). Do the same thing with the headswivel, ensure it spins freely.

If nothing jumps out about either of those, and they seem to be spinning and operational as expected. Then look into how the furling line is lead, follow it back from the drum to ensure that it can run freely without any interference from lead points. Then with the sail disconnected and using the halyard to hold up the drum, mock up the Furling system with the furling line, sans sail and headswivel, and try to spin/Furl the drum from cockpit via furling line…. back and forth, just to double check.

Once you feel good about all of that, rig the compete system again. Remember, the tosrion cable that goes through the luff of the sail needs to be very tight prior to furling/unfurling to provide a good axis for the sail to wrap around. Having said that, overly tight can bind the bearings. Especially if the unit is older, what seemed to spin fine without load (1st test) may not be the same under load. This means a rebuild or replace is necessary, this is unlikely unless the unit is significantly old or damaged.

The last part of using it properly (and usually the problem) is that you have to ease the sheet a lot, especially initially during the furl to get it started. Only during the last 30% of the Furl do you need to add a bit of sheet resistance to ensure a tight Furl.

I have also heard of sailmakers changing to swiveling tack to allow the unit to Furl from the top down, which may make it easier. Make sure you talk to your local sailmakers about this theory and their thoughts on it.

If problems persist, it may be time to consult your local rigger.

Good luck and we hope that helps. ~T.R.C.

Hi…Thanks for the blog…so helpful…I am a new owner of a Beneteau 473 Oceanis Clipper. Sailing in Med…(Greece right now) would like to sail blue water…have you ever rigged a 473 Oceanis? do you have specific ideas about where the stay should be attached? The mast has a V-shaped bracket on top, with blocks to hang (I suppose) a spinnaker halyard…so a tiny bit off-center on each side. My brother added a sprit to his boat older wooden boat to rig an asymmetrical spinnaker…do think I have the option to do both?–a sprit and solent stay or inner forestay? Thank you…(for the spin could use a sock but i would really like to be able to roller furl it instead of stowing it and rigging it every time…:) Thanks for your blog.

Thanks for contacting us. I do think you should be able to add a sprit no problem. From the sound of it the V shaped bracket that you refer to is very likely to support a block (or two) for a spinnaker halyard (s). If you compliment this with a Top Down furler , I think this would be the most user friendly set up.

For the Solent Stay, you will need to choose a spot (may already have one) pretty close to where the backstay connects, about a 12-18 inches from the top of mast. Then a sheave box for the halyard will need to be installed. The biggest part here is the deck attachment (and storage of the stay when not in use), some boat’s already have a strong point for this inside of the headstay, but some have to add it.

Send us some pictures to [email protected] and we can help further.

Hope this helps.

We own a Bene 473 and installed a Solent rig. This boat is actually designed to have one as an option and you can obtain a CAD drawing of the deck fitting that attaches to the bulkhead separating the chain locker and the V-berth. The mast also is prefitted to accept the inner-stay which makes for an easy installation. This sail comes in handy above about 23-25 kts or more of wind when beating and is great for dead-down-wind with the genoa.

Thank you, great comment and useful info for Beneteau owners!

Cheers, ~T.R.C.

Gents, Generally a nice piece but I respectfully suggest there are a few details (those pesky critters) I would argue against. I have consulted on perhaps eight of these stays and only one used a hyfield lever, because it was already there.

The top of mast to anchor-bulk-head version establishes a triangle that does not lend itself to making sails that will work easily across the speed and angle spectrum conductive to the sail’s size. The Aspect ratio is way to high. This condition is exacerbated in the event of the boat using a furler. Such a high aspect ratio makes for a sail with a really small head angle, very acute and so very difficult to remain in shape of the life cycle one wishes sails to have. More so if on a furler

The use of a high field lever is not suggested, at least by me. Rather a tackle system.

Prime reasons: They are heavy and clunky. For the tensioning part of the installation costs, they may well me more expensive than the equivalent portion of the entire system using cordage and thimbles. They require the lever and the sail to be carried forward and connected to the boat. If the lever is to remain connected to its location ion the bow, it needs to be secured to stop banging around. Then one must attach the stay, under conditions when the amount of time you spend on the bow is preferred to be less not more. There are ways to mitigate all this but they require their own systems and more steps in the procedure. Once set and the stay is attached, it is not possible to adjust the tension on the stay, well not without a lot of work. All ‘stays’ regardless of material will stretch over the hours the stay is set. With the tackle arrangement, the tension on the stay can be adjusted to compensate for this.

Independently one should, I strongly suggest a spectra type cordage, NER EnduraBraid for instance, one can use ‘regular’ (bronze) hanks and need not break the bank for soft hanks.

IF one installs two pad eyes, one either side of the mast in the appropriate location, AND a spectra loop or lashing passing between the two, to which the top of the stay is secured, AND installs a halyard deflector in the bight of the subsequently formed V, one can use the boat’s second genoa halyard if so equipped and so avoid cutting holes in the mast, for a stay fitting and halyard. This method also lends itself to being installed with the mast in place.

I have consulted on the design and installation of Solent stays on: A Quest 30 used in the Bermuda 1-2. Outbound 44 used in the OSTAR on 2009. A Baltic 39 used for offshore cruising, in about 2008 A J-105 on which I sailed DH in things like the Halifax race. Beneteau 45’ish’ footer Used for cruising in the NE.

The concept is really good, but the devil IS in the details.

http://joecoopersailing.com/?s=solent&submit=Search

http://joecoopersailing.com/Solent-stays/

We are on the same page when it comes storing the removable inner stay, I think, have you read this…. https://theriggingco.com/2014/07/09/how-to-stow-your-inner-fore-stay/

I also learned from your high aspect sail cut tid bit, very informative. It sounds viable and makes sense. Although, I think about boats with non overlapping jibs with 7/8 fractional masts (don’t need to name them, there are plenty). They must suffer from this as well then? We are not sail makers (and do not claim to be in the least). Are there any sail makers out there that would like to comment on this? Anyone? Bueller?

PS – I bet I can connect my highfield lever faster than you can reeve and lash your tackle ;-0) Game on!!!! Haha…just a joke and thank you for taking the time.

I am in the process of adding a solent stay to my Beneteau 473 for offshore use. My plan is to add a furler to the inner-stay with a heavy weather jib 100-110%. I know these inner stays are often used for spitfire (storm) jibs, but with the furler changing out sails would not be ideal. Can you suggest a solution?

Thanks for commenting. I think adding a furler and making this a permanent stay (if I hear you correctly) of the boat is a great idea! One concept is to loosen the existing headstay/ furler arrangemnet a bit and cutting a full size large Genoa for it. This is good for light air sailing, but it must be furled to tack, due to the small space between furlers. This sail should carry you in a range of 5-10 knots of windspeed. Then adding the permanent Solent Stay/ Furler arrangement with a 110 (or so) Jib that might have one reef to it. This would be the day in and day out foresail for the boat. Ideally it should be a sail that can be flown in 15-20 unfurled and 22-30 reefed, but that conversation is best suited for a sailmaker.

Add a whisker pole and your boat should be able to handle various points of sail and wind speeds without much ado.

Hope that helps thanks for taking the time.

Thanks for a good article!

I have a CS36 (Canadian Sailcraft) with two docking cleats close together in the exact spot on the foredeck where one would attach an inner forestay or Solent stay. Is there a way to use those cleats as an attachment point (I’m thinking two cleats could possibly distribute load somewhat) and how can I tell if they’ll bear the load? Ordinarily I would just reinforce the spot and move the cleats elsewhere but it would involve major below-deck rearrangment. The trip I’m planning would probably have me using that particular stay for a hank on storm jib.

Hello! Thanks for taking the time to comment. Sorry I am bit late on getting back to you. To answer your question, NO, I would not use the horn cleats to attach an inner forestay of any kind. Horn cleats (although very strong) are made to be loaded in shear and therefore are typically not tied into the boat’s keel. The chainplate for any stay must be tied into the boat’s keel by way of the hull, bow stem, transom or any other structural knee or bulkhead. Most likely there is an anchor locker bulkhead nearby and this is usually the best place to tie into for an inner forestay. Although you will need to make sure that it is an actual structural bulkhead. Be sure to contact your local marine carpenter, fiberglass repair man, or rigger if you are unsure.

I am sure this is not the answer you were looking for but I hope that it is helpful either way.

Thanks for the Read, ~T.R.C.

The Catalina 445 comes with a Selden bowsprit which is intended to be used with a downwind sail and a luff rope furler on a continuous line. That sail needs to be taken down after it’s furled. With some reinforcement do you think it would be practical to put up a conventional furler and a rig this as a solent rig? Solo sailing a lot, it would be nice to have two sails up front, similar to what Tartan yachts does.

Thanks for the comment and YES this is totally do-able, BUT not from the sprit. Your boat is a perfect candidate and we do this upgrade quite frequently. You would install a tang on the mast and depending on how the bow is configured, add a chainplate near where the forestay connects now. Then install a stay and rig it with a furler. This would become the tightest stay and fly the boat’s everyday foresail….maybe even make it self tending depending on what type of conditions the boat sails in. The old headstay/furler is then loosened a bit and outfitted with a large light air drifter sail, which can also be very handy when poled out sailing downwind.

‘Appreciate you checking us out and thanks for the read. Please don’t hesitate if we can help further.

Thanks Jim, this looks like a good option too. Will carry on the research, and thanks so much for answering my questions! Cheers Viki

Reblogged this on Astrolabe Sailing and commented: This looks like a good concept! Great blog to check out for Rigging ideas.

Is it beneficial to add running backstays with a solent stay?

It can be beneficial, but only to eliminate excessive mast pump if that is an issue. A true Solent Stay does not require the use of additional back-stays as it should be rigged close enough to the headstay so that it can utilize the boats dedicated backstay. All-in-all It is not necessary and defeats the purpose, to use running back-stays for a Solent Stay. If mast pumping is an issue there may be better solutions and you should consult a rigger for your boat specifically.

Thanks for the comment, ~T.R.C.

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joecoopersailing.com

Sailing coaching, consulting and instruction, crew training, sailing systems & techniques for solving sailing's challenges. call coop at 401-965-6006, short–handed sailing: the solent stay.

In an earlier post I proposed a second stay, called a Solent Stay as a way to be able to deploy the correct sail for the conditions, without struggling with lowering the regular roller furling headsail. In this post I elaborate on the details of the stay and its component parts. It is worthwhile noting that some of the French boats, Beneteau and Jeanneau in particular offer much of the required hardware for a Solent set up on the spar and deck with the basic spar package.

The components of a Solent stay are:

Attachment of stay to the mast
Attachment of the stay to the deck
A mechanism for tensioning the stay
A halyard sheave
Halyard exit in the mast, leading to a winch
Possibly a turning block and related pad eye
Possibly another rope clutch. This depends on how your boat has the rest of the lines laid out.
Sheeting positions for the sails.

I will look at each item in detail below.

The Stay Until recently standing rigging on boats was either wire or rod. The development of synthetic standing rigging (coming largely from the Open solo classes) has become normalized to the point where I have consulted on half a dozen installations of synthetic stays for boats. The preferred material for a Solent stay is Spectra fiber, ideally the latest version, (and there are several and it is always being upgraded). The latest is a product called Dynex Dux which is a heat set Dyneema, (European name for Spectra) for this Solent stay application Dynex Dux is excellent because of its mechanical properties, being: • High strength • Light weight • High resistance to UV • High resistance to Chafe • Ability to coil up and so stow in a small space • Ease of splicing • Relatively low cost &high value for a complete stay

It is a bit stiff and one rigger I know refers to it as Fiber Wire, but that is about the only down side I have seen.

Also the high resistance to chafe means, to me, that one can use conventional bronze hanks rather than the more expensive soft hanks. I do not think there is a need for “soft hanks” in this arrangement for most sailors. The value: Cost versus utility, is low in my opinion.

Bronze hanks over a Dynux Dux composite stay on a Baltic 38

Spectra cordage stays permits use of regular bronze hanks

Attachment of stay to the mast and halyard options. Generally speaking the upper end of the Solent stay will attach to the spar within 12 inches of the bottom of the Genoa halyard sheave box. Much of this detail depends on the particulars of the mast in question. Issues to contemplate are: Age of the mast: This is not so much for mechanical issues but more due to obsolete hardware and design details on the spar. The simplest and easiest way to attach a stay to a spar is with a Gibb T fitting. Depending on the spar details you may need to install a sheave box under the stay attachment OR I have done a couple of boats where the halyard runs above the stay connection to the spar, via a dead dye and into the sheave box for the Genoa, using the spare Genoa halyard sheave. This works when there are two sheaves in the box. Charleston Spars has some boxes where the second sheave is below the Genoa sheave and this works too. If your spar does not have this kind of arrangement, you will have to cut into the spar and install a sheave box. Because the stay attaches to the top of the spar, running backstays are not required. This detail highlights a particular advantage of this stay layout over a traditional “cutter” stay.

The above image, taken from the deck, shows the head of the solent Jib and stay. Just under where the stay attaches to the spar,can be seen a Harken halyard deflector, leading the halyard around the stay and into a second Genoa sheave box.

Attachment of the stay to the deck and tensioning of the stay.

Historically second stays inside the fore-triangle have been tensioned with either a Highfield lever or more recently some kind of screw adjustment device. While this is an OK solution, this hardware is heavy and expensive, compared to a tackle as a way to tension the Solent (or any other inside stay for that matter).

A superior technique for tensioning a Solent stay is to install a multi part, I usually use 4:1, tackle with the tail leading aft where it can be readily led to a winch. This method has several advantages over a mechanical adjuster.

Solent stay adjustment tackle

The above image shows the detail on the Baltic 38 used for tensioning the Solent.

Solent stay details on J-105

This image shows part of the same idea on a J-105 that I sail on in many double-handed races.

Solent stay tensioning system

The above picture is a version of tensioning. This taken from a 40 foot competitor in the O.S.T.A.R 2011

Solent stay tensioning arrangement on a 40 foot Pogo Class 40

This image is of a Solent stay tensioning arrangement on a single handed Class 40. The sail can be hanked onto the stay while the stay is restrained aft against the mast, thus the Solent sail can be close to all rigged and ready to go, before it is needed. The tackle helps pull the sail forward, so if there are two people on watch, the aft crew member can tail the fall of the tackle and the crew on the bow can help it stay clear of obstacles like mooring cleats, hatches, vents etc on the deck. The biggest advantage to my mind though is that the stay can be re-tensioned after a few hours of sailing. Typically when sailing in hard air, the inside stays (well all stays do actually) tends to stretch out a bit and so the sail lays off to leeward, affecting the boats performance. With the tackle led to a winch, the stay can be re-tensioned any time. Further, say the Solent is lowered yet still deployed forward, in anticipation of re- use shortly, but one finds a great need to tack in a hurry, (remember the stay sets right up against the back of the furler so there is no room to tack the Genoa thru that space, unless you roll up the Genoa), it is a simple and fast drill to open the clutch and pull the solent aft Versus trying to cast off a Screw thread turn buckle type adjuster or carry a sail and Highfield lever back aft, out of the way. I prefer to have the load if the deck part of the tension mechanism spread across the deck as seen here:

Tensioning tackle for Solent Stay on Baltic 38

This installation uses a double pad eye on center line, the aft part of which is used for the tack on the sail and a single, to port. The dead end is on the forward part of the double pad eye. The dead end has a snap shackle so as to minimize the amount of line one needs to pull around.

Depending on the construction detail of your boat, it may or may not be necessary to reinforce the deck in the way of the pad eyes. Again each boat will be unique in this detail.

Halyard, sheets and related & operating rigging issues One of course needs a halyard on which to hoist this sail. This typically means either: If you have had to cut a sheave box, then you will almost certainly have to cut an exit slit in the mast also. Make sure you look around the spar before you start making holes. You do not what to place the holes to close to each other. OR If you have a second Genoa halyard sheave there is a good chance you will have a matching slot for the halyard, it may even be moused. Depending on how the boat’s winches are laid out, you will need to install a turning block at the base of the mast and possibly another clutch. Other thoughts on this arrangement Depending on what you are planning for the boat, it is perfectly acceptable for me to have the halyard winch for this sail on the mast. The idea that all lines need to be in the cockpit does not make sense to me in reality. For instance it is preferable I think to have the halyard for the Spinnaker to be at the mast. That way as you pull the sock down over the sail, you are able to keep control of it as you lower the halyard. It is worth noting that many of the latest crop of single handed offshore race boats has reverted to having some of the halyards, like the kite and the halyard for the roller reaching sails operable at the mast. Also having halyards at the mast minimizes the need for more hardware in the deck to lead the halyards aft.

You should also be aware of how a sails sheeting position is determined and make sure you have the requisite hardware n place and that the sails are built in accordance with where the hardware is. It is possible for a competent sailmaker to make perfectly viable remarks about sheeting positions with a view to better performance of the sail in questions, so be open to adding proper hardware to allow the sail to set properly.

I will be writing on the entire topic of sail sheeting geometry shortly

Next: what types of sails you can deploy on your new stay.

And here is a link to the story on Solent Stays I wrote for SAIL magazine in the Jan 2013 edition

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Cutter Rig or Solent Rig?

Is the Cutter Rig More Useful than the Solent Rig for Offshore Cruising?

For years the cutter rig has been extremely popular with offshore sailors, providing greater flexibility and easier sail handling than the sloop rig in varying wind and sea conditions.

But look around any anchorage where offshore cruisers congregate and you'll notice that the solent rig is mounting a serious challenge to the cutter rig.

But why is that, and what's the difference between these two rigs?

The best way of showing the physical difference is with a couple of pics...

But of course there's rather more to it than that, each of the two rigs having significant benefits and disadvantages when compared to the other. Let's take a look at them...

The Cutter Rig

Unlike the solent rig, both sails are intended to be flown at the same time. Usually the jib will be a high-cut yankee and the smaller staysail will have a lower clew catching the wind that would otherwise escape below the yankee.

With both headsails set, the boat can be tacked without the need to furl the jib.
In high winds, the yankee can be furled completely leaving the staysail set with a deeply reefed main. Many fin-keel cutters reefed down like this will heave-to satisfactorily, whereas they're much less likely to with a partially rolled jib on the forestay.
The lower combined centre of effort of two smaller sails when compared to that of a larger single sail produces a lower heeling moment. Translation - a cutter sails more upright!

Disadvantages

Hard on the wind, the jib stalls the staysail, leaving you with two options. Either drop the staysail or bear off the wind a little.
Downwind, the staysail will blanket the jib and has to be dropped, leaving a relatively small jib to power the boat.
Running backstays must be set up to resist the forward pull on the mast by the inner forestay. Alternatively, aft intermediate stays could be incorporated in the standing rigging.

You can read more about the cutters here...

The Solent Rig

The Solent Rig is quite different from the Cutter Rig in as much as it's effectively a sloop with two different sized headsails on separate in-line stays - usually set on furlers.

You fly one sail or the other - not both at the same time as with the cutter rig.

You have a choice of headsails. Typically, the forward sail could be a 140% genoa for use as an offwind/reaching sail and the aft one a 100% working jib for windward work.
Having said earlier that you fly one sail or the other, I'll immediately contradict myself by saying that you can sail dead downwind 'wing-and-wing' with one sail poled out to port and the other poled out to starboard. You certainly can't do that effectively with a cutter.
With both stays attached close to the top of the mast, there's no need for running backstays, swept-back spreaders or aft intermediates as there is with the cutter.
You can't tack the forward sail through the gap between it and the one behind it - you have to furl it away completely before hauling it out again when you've gone through the wind.
Hard on the wind, the furled sail disrupts the airflow over the working sail, reducing performance.
With the forestay tension shared between two stays, the luff of the sail may fall away more than you'd want it to, also reducing windward performance.

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Yes, it can be done - as on 'Badgers Sett' above - and this article shows how...

Or Maybe a Cutter Rig and a Solent Rig?

Provided the mast is far enough aft and the fore-triangle can accommodate it, why not a solent rig with a staysail - a solent-rigged cutter perhaps?

You'd have a lot of lines in the cockpit, but could this be the best of both worlds?

Other popular rigs for cruising offshore...

Is The Ketch Sailboat the Best Type of Sailboat for Offshore Cruising?

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Adding a solent stay.

Whether you view it from the top down or the bottom up, a Solent rig needs to be carefully thought out, well-engineered, and strategically located. Some sailors add a short bow sprit or U-shaped, tubular extension that includes a bobstay and supports the attachment of a new headstay. The old headstay chainplate becomes the new tack point for the Solent stay. Another approach is to retain the existing headstay and simply attach a new tang just a bit below the headstay sheave box. Then add a deck fitting to attach the Solent stay and tack the sail(s). The deck must be reinforced with a transverse member, or a tie rod must be mechanically fastened to the stem so that the tension loads don’t damage the deck.

Either approach can be a win-win solution, but as with all sailboat modifications, the devil is in the details. On the up side, both options offer a double-headsail rig that doesn’t require the addition of running backstays. But when the sprit option is chosen, rig support can be jeopardized due to the placement of the headstay outboard of the stem of the vessel. On a traditional cutter, the same thing occurs, but the original stem-mounted headstay simply becomes the forestay, and the loads are shared. With a removable Solent stay disconnected, this belt-and-suspenders security is lost.

Make sure that the loadbearing capacity of the sprit and its attachment points have been carefully calculated. This structure must account for more than tension in the headstay(s). It includes designing the structure to counteract forces such as those exerted by one or two anchors pounding into short, steep seas on a squally afternoon sail home. Little things can play a major role down the road, like properly sizing bobstay terminals and fittings to account for degradation caused by intermittent or continuous immersion in seawater. Many modern designers prefer to add a little more ballast and a little more height to the mast rather than put the headstay outboard on a 21stcentury bowsprit. However, plumbbowed boats have complicated anchor handling, making short sprits almost a necessity.

In the case of boats with high sail area-displacement ratios, you may want to put a light-air genoa or a drifter/reacher on the headstay and set up another roller-furler with a non-overlapping sail on the Solent stay. The trick is knowing when to switch gears from the lightweight sail on the headstay and unwind or hank on the small jib that sets on the Solent stay. In either case, when the stay becomes a permanent fixture, the rig is better supported, but each tack or jibe of the larger headsail requires rolling it and unrolling it.

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Cutter vs Solent rig question.

Add to quote

How is the purpose of a Solent rig different from that of a Cutter rig? How do the sailing characteristics differ between the two types? Thank you.

while the solent rig has two head stays it is NOT designed to fly both a jib and stay - it is designed for either or, not and/or when going upwind - for me for example I fly my genoa in normal air or my 200% light air screacher in air from 0-14knts. I could, with poles fly both at once down wind -I'm not sure of the backtay holding out for heavy wind on that - but the gap between sails (about 2 feet at the base) is not sufficient for airflow working up wind. Cutter rig is designed for both to fly at once, upwind/downwide all points of sail.

Jack Tyler (presently sailing somewhere aboard Whoosh) has a good discussion of the Solent rig and how he installed it on his Pearson 424. BTW - has anyone heard anything from Whoosh? Jack's posts were always very helpful and interesting. http://www.pearson424.org/exterior/rigging/tylerstay.html http://www.svsarah.com/Whoosh/Whoosh.htm

and for a graphical demonstration with screacher furled on forward headstay, mounted to a curved track that helps position the the tack either too windward or off depending on course etc.. and the 150 genoa on aft headstay :

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OP asked 'rig' not 'stay', there is a difference as explained to me, but I'm just one opinion. Tartan calls there screacher over jib rig a solent rig, so I figured that's what he meant. PCI just calls my rig an optional screacher. I refer to my boat as having a solent rig, as opposed to a cutter when asked if I'm a cutter rigged catamaran.

Good point Chuckles... You're right AFAICT. The Solent Rig is not the same as Solent stay... The Solent rig is essentially what you and I have on our boats, with a screacher forward of the normal forestay. The advantages of a Solent rig over a cutter probably have much to do with light air performance. Two smaller sails do not generally provide the same power as a single large sail equal to them in area. However, as you pointed out, a Solent rig isn't designed to fly both headsails at one time generally, and the outer headsail generally sheets outside both forestays.

Thank you, kindly. ChucklesR and Sailingdog. I did mean rig and I understand it much better now. Thanks again. Mark L.

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Is the Cutter Rig Superior to the Solent Rig for Offshore Cruising?
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Is the Cutter Rig Superior to the Solent Rig for Offshore Cruising?
Revisited The solent Rig
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Is the Cutter Rig Superior to the Solent Rig for Offshore Cruising?

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COMMENTS

Solent (sailing rig)
Solent (sailing rig) A solent [1] refers to a sail and rigging system on sailboats, typically sloops. Sailors, particularly British sailors, often refer to a 100% jib as a Solent, because its smaller size is preferable when sailing in the strong winds found in the Solent between the Isle of Wight and Britain.
Revisited The solent Rig
The Solent RIG. The principal difference between a cutter staysail and a Solent jib is that, unless a hurricane is blowing, the staysail is not big enough to power a yacht upwind alone, but a Solent jib is a full size working jib. The sail area of the Kraken 50 Solent jib is 52.6 m2. If we cutter-rigged the K50, the staysail would be 25.5 m2.
Which is the perfect rig for blue water cruising?
The Solent rig, also known as the 'Slutter rig', is arguably the perfect rig for short -handed, blue water cruising ( shown to right ). The rig can provide so many different combinations of sail form that the ideal profile is always available to suit wind strength and direction. Based on a sloop rig it has the advantage over ketch, yawl ...
Bluewater Cruising: Cutter Rig versus Solent Rig
Unlike the cutter rig, it is not intended for both headsails on a solent rig to be flown at the same time. That said, it is possible to use twin headsails (which help to steady the boat) to sail dead-downwind, with one sail poled out to starboard and the other to port. This is one of the major advantages of the solent rig.
The DIY Solent Stay or Inner Forestay
A Solent stay is a stay that sets between the mast and the forestay. It connects to the mast at a point that is only slightly below the existing backstay, and meets on the deck only slightly abaft of the existing forestay. Under such an arrangement, the mast requires no additional support. The existing backstay provides adequate tension to ...
Solent Rig
solent rig 368. Sailing downwind, the two headsails set on the solent rig¿s stays help steady the boat and increase speed. Michael Hilbruner. Osprey is the first boat we've ever owned with a solent rig, that is, two headsails that are placed close together fore and aft and in line with one another. At deck level, a mere 21 inches separates ...
Solent
Rigs: Solent. A development of the 14 HYDRA. Double engine system allows for temporary use as a motorsailer. Reported sail area = Main + 100% fore triangle. Plan also available with a deeper twin keel. Draft: 1.62 m / 5.31 ft. Plans also available with fin keel: ... Sail area:-Main: 20.4 m² / 219.6 ft² ...
CRUISING SAILBOAT RIGS: Sloops, Cutters, and Solent Rigs
The great flexibility of a torque-rope sail actually gives you two different options if you are trying to create a solent rig. The smaller solent sail can be made a removable torque-rope sail, in which case you will be setting and flying it inside the headstay. Or you can keep a small working jib on your headstay and set up a larger removable ...
Cruising Rigs—Sloop, Cutter, or Solent?
To define our terms, a solent rig is one with two headsails but, unlike a cutter, they are never used at the same time and the stays are much closer together. The inner headsail (solent) is cut for going upwind and is usually about the same size as the foretriangle with little or no overlap. And the outer sail is a genoa used for reaching ...
Adding a Solent Stay
Then add a deck fitting to attach the Solent stay and tack the sail (s). The deck must be reinforced with a transverse member, or a tie rod must be mechanically fastened to the stem so that the tension loads don't damage the deck. Either approach can be a win-win solution, but as with all sailboat modifications, the devil is in the details.
Kraken 50 Solent Rig
Each Kraken yacht includes the versatile Solent Rig as standard. Join Dick Beaumont as he shows off an extremely useful point of sail when sailing the trade ...
Cutter Rigged Sailboats [GUIDE] Advantages, Sailing, Options & Features
Solent Rig vs Cutter Rig. A solent rig is traditionally called a slutter-a little bit sloop and a little bit cutter. This configuration features two large headsails mounted close together. The solent rig is good if you do a lot of downwind sailing. ... The solent rig is a way to add more sail options to a standard sloop. Most solent stays are ...
Sailing with a Solent Rig: Who needs a chute?
In this Episode, Is a Solent Rig for everyone? Nope. But for us, it's a great configuration. Here's a video of us doing various sail changes through many poi...
Bluewater Cruising
Two popular options for off-shore cruising are the cutter rig and the solent rig, both sporting their own pros and cons. The cutter rig utilises two headsails that sit relatively far apart from each other: a high-cut yankee connected to the main forestay (high clew to avoid the foot catching in waves when reaching), and a staysail connected to ...
The Solent Has Its Own Stay!
The Solent stay is an inner fore-stay that provides an alternative to the Sta-sail stay . Its benefits, similar to that of the Sta-sail Stay, are to provide an inner stay that can fly a smaller/ heavier headsail without having to unfurl, douse and change out the boats everyday headsail. The Solent stay is unique to the Sta-sail in that the stay ...
Boat Review: Island Packet 349
But that was before the advent of the new Solent rig. Hoisting sail—which aboard our test boat consisted of the Quantum laminated performance canvas, complete with full-batten main—we immediately unrolled our Code Zero and were soon doing 3.5 knots at a 50-degree apparent wind angle, generating all of 9 knots of apparent wind out of ...
Short-handed sailing: The Solent Stay
The sail can be hanked onto the stay while the stay is restrained aft against the mast, thus the Solent sail can be close to all rigged and ready to go, before it is needed. The tackle helps pull the sail forward, so if there are two people on watch, the aft crew member can tail the fall of the tackle and the crew on the bow can help it stay ...
Convert Your Sloop to a Double-Headsail Rig
The Solent sail. 1. The sail need not overlap the mast, since a 100 percent headsail will be plenty big enough in the conditions under which you typically set a Solent. 2. The sail can be slightly higher clewed, depending on the sheet lead. 3. It should hank on. You can use one of three types of hanks.
Bluewater Cruising: Cutter Rig versus Solent Rig
Two popular options for off-shore cruising are the cutter rig and the solent rig, both sporting their own pros and cons. The cutter rig utilises two headsails that sit relatively far apart from each other: a high-cut yankee connected to the main forestay (high clew to avoid the foot catching in waves when reaching), and a staysail connected to ...
Is the Cutter Rig Superior to the Solent Rig for Offshore Cruising?
The Solent Rig. The Solent Rig is quite different from the Cutter Rig in as much as it's effectively a sloop with two different sized headsails on separate in-line stays - usually set on furlers. You fly one sail or the other - not both at the same time as with the cutter rig. Benefits. You have a choice of headsails.
Rigs: Solent
Sail area: Rig dimensions above are for self-tacking jib. For 155% reacher: ... Rig measurement for Solent #2 headsail: I - 27.294m / 89.55ft J - 7.56m / 24.8ft. Sail area; Main - 983 sqft Blade jib - 438 sqft Genoa - 810 sqft Spinnaker - 2,300 sqft. Hull length: 14.93m / 49ft
Adding a Solent Stay
The trick is knowing when to switch gears from the lightweight sail on the headstay and unwind or hank on the small jib that sets on the Solent stay. In either case, when the stay becomes a permanent fixture, the rig is better supported, but each tack or jibe of the larger headsail requires rolling it and unrolling it.
Cutter vs Solent rig question.
The Solent rig is essentially what you and I have on our boats, with a screacher forward of the normal forestay. The advantages of a Solent rig over a cutter probably have much to do with light air performance. Two smaller sails do not generally provide the same power as a single large sail equal to them in area.