Tom Cunliffe
The other day I was carting my bag down a long marina pontoon to join a performance cruiser. Glancing at the yachts on either side I was struck by the number that sported short bowsprits and chuckled at how the ever-turning wheel of history has a knack of rolling round to repeat itself.
Although the emphasis may have changed, the basic reason for rigging a bowsprit on a straight-stemmed modern yacht is not all that different from how things were on a gaff-rigged cutter over a century ago. Some offer a handy outrigger for ground tackle, and they all supply a useful point for tacking down a big headsail well clear of the forestay and its associated headsail gear. This is a huge ‘plus’ for asymmetric spinnakers and Code Zeros, and the benefits don’t end there. The bowsprit carries the centre of effort of two or three feet which minimises those grappling sessions with the wheel when the yacht heels hard in a gust and balance is blown to glory.
