STANDING Rigging developments

Racing yachts and cruisers place different demands on their standing rigging, yet, there’s much that each camp can learn from the other. Rupert Holmes reports on the latest developments

- Rupert Holmes

While owners of cruising yachts generally aim to look after their boats as well as possible, in my experience some are unduly lax about setting up standing rigging with sufficient tension. If the shrouds flop around on the lee side when beating, they are too loose, which can lead to accentuated peak loads, especially when falling off a wave. Accurate tensioning is also particularly important to correctly support the mast of yachts with multiple swept-back spreaders.

On the other hand, some inshore racers have a reputation for being on the cavalier side regarding safety. Nevertheless, given that boat speed and pointing ability depend on good rig set up, they are likely to have this element properly sorted. In addition, successful racing teams tend to be very risk-averse in terms of any kind of failure onboard. This makes sense given the kind of minor failure that might see a cruiser spend five minutes hove to while making a quick repair can mean the difference between a podium finish and a mid-fleet result.

Those who race the longest distances are often the most scrupulous about the reliability and resilience of their vessels. As well as being pushed much harder, some of these craft cover considerable distances. Richard Palmer’s 33ft JPK10.10 Jangada, for instance, sailed 11,500 miles last season, 7,400 of them while racing. That’s a more punishing schedule than all but a tiny percentage of yachts that complete circumnavigations.

Equally, many regular competitors in domestic JOG and RORC offshore races notch up 3-5,000 miles in a season. Sailing these kinds of distances, especially when driving a boat hard, can be extraordinarily punishing. As a result these boats tend to be set up, maintained and serviced in an absolutely fastidious manner.