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 the rig forward by two
