What about a cutter stay on a fractional rig?

[jwdorst]

Thanks for the qick reply Brion to my earlier post about a Solent stay on a fractional rig.

As an alternative, will a stay attached to the mast just above the upper spreaders (in an aft swept double spreader rig), and run more or less parallel to the forestay down to the deck (I guess this is a cutter stay, without being intended for a cutter sail plan, but as an inner forestay intended for a second smaller furling jib), work?

My rig has intermediate shrouds running from the chainplates, through the ends of the lower spreaders, to the attachment points of the upper spreaders on the mast. My understanding is that these prevent the mast from bending too much (basically acting, partially, in the opposite direction of the cap shrouds and back stay. Will they be able to keep a second furler in check?

In a way, it would seem to me that the aft swept spreader set up is more suited to a cutter stay than the more traditional masthead rig with in-line spreaders, as the aft swept spreaders have some running backstay action 'built in'. Does this make sense?

Mast length (deckstepped) is approx. 53.5 feet. Forestay attaches at approx. 48 feet. So I guess this would be called a 7/8th rig. Upper shrouds are at approx. 32 feet from the step.

All comments appreciated.

JW

[Vincent DePillis]

This sounds very similar to what I am trying to do with my Corsair F31R trimaran. I found that changing hanked on headsails in severe weather is a real chore, and I did not trust the deep reef in the main because iit is well below the hounds, and if you crank on the main sheet, you start to get mast inversion.

So I have attached a carbon eye to the mast at the upper spreaders, and plan to use a facnor furler with an external halyard to raise a storm jib (just under half the size of the 200 square foot standard jib). The sail will tack about 18 inches back from the forestay. I have also made provision for check stays (probably 5 mm Dux) which go back to the outer end othe aft beams.

Here is the question-- the smallest facnor furler has a SWL of about 2000 lbs and is said to be good for up to 300 feet of sail area. But how do I think about the load-- If I crank on the main sheet (which is a 12/1) in 40 knots, and we are banging into the waves, will I be spiking the loads way above the SWL?

The next size up (swl about 3600 lbs) is another 200 bucks, which is mone I need for replacing some halyards.

Am I being paranoid?