Rigging

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Yacht's Rigging

Components

Spars

Details

Sails

See Sails

Cordage

The term cordage refers to the ropes, called lines, that connect and manipulate sails. Cordage is attached to the spars and sometimes the sails. The materials chosen for cordage are determined by the strength, weight, and windage of the rope. Cordage can be divided into two types: running rigging and standing rigging.

Standing rigging is cordage which is fixed in position. Standing rigging is almost always in tension between a mast and the deck or hull. Due to its role, standing rigging is now most commonly made of wire rope. It was historically made of the same materials as running rigging and both types of materials were historically coated with a water repelling material like tar for added strength and protection from the the elements.
Running rigging is the cordage used to control the shape and position of the sails. Running rigging must be flexible in order to allow smooth movement of the spars and sails, but strong enough for the role it plays. For instance, a halyard, used to hoist heavy spars up and down, must be very strong and durable. On the other hand, a Sheet, used to control the orientation of a triangular sail, must be very flexible and smooth, and need only be strong enough to support the tension caused by the wind.

Rig Types

The Batwing Rig is a small-boat rig, with the yard and upper battens all radiating from a fitting that slides on the mast; this feature distinguishes batwing from other full-batten sails. The battens and head of the sail meet at the luff.
The Bermudian Rig is also called the marconi rig and a jibheaded rig among other names. It has a boomed triangular sail. Its popularity stems from its simplicity and weatherliness.
The Claw Rig also called the Polynesian Claw or South Pacific Claw is frequently seen on small boats like kayaks in the Western world; in Polynesia it may be found on larger vessels.
The Full-Batten Rig is seen in two forms: a rigid, nonadjustable type with profile support and reefing options; and the flexible adjustable type that imposes and supports sail camber.
The Gaff Rig has been used for centuries and is considered by many to be the most versatile, efficient, manageable, safe and seaworthy rig. It has been said that each and every other rig surpasses the gaff rig in some way, but no other rig combines so many good attributes. The gaff, to which the head of the sail is bent, is raised by two halyards (throat and peak). Peak halyard systems vary as do gaff lengths and shape.
The Gunter Rig is typically a small-boat rig with a yard peaked up to nearly vertical; in performance and appearance it is much like a high peaked gaff. The difference between the gaff rig and the gunter rig is that the gunter yard is raised vertically whereas the gaff is raised horizontally and then peaked up. The rig is useful for a sailing dingy in which all the parts may be stored inside the length of the dingy.
The Lateen Rig
The Lug Rig rivals the square rig in age. The rig resembles the square rig in that a mast is crossed by a yard onto which a four-sided sail is bent. Unlike the square rig, it is fore-and-aft. The peaked up portion abaft the mast is longer than the portion before. The lug rig may carry a boom and if so it is sometimes loose-footed.
The Settee Rig
The Square Rig is an ancient rig. Even after it was superseded by the easier-to-use and more versatile fore-and-aft rigs. It can be used in conjunction with other rig types. It is still used in the form of topsails on trade wind cruising boats. The addition of a square rig sail to the cruiser is a stout, manageable, powerful downwind alternative to a spinnaker.
The Sprit Rig
The Sprit-Boom Rig
The Wishbone Rig