Junk rig

The Junk rig, also known as the Chinese lugsail or sampan rig, is a type of sail rig in which rigid members, called battens, span the full width of the sail and extend the sail forward of the mast.

An origin of the name junk rig is not directly recorded, however it is popularly attributed to the name from the traditional Chinese junk ship, where the rig was in use when first encountered by Europeans.

While relatively uncommon in use among modern production sailboats, the rig's potential advantages of easier use and lower cost for blue water cruisers have been explored by individuals such as trans-Atlantic racer Herbert "Blondie" Hasler and author Annie Hill.

The junk rig is a simple and effective rig. The rig contrasts starkly with the Bermuda rig which is prevalent on Western sail boats. In its most traditional form the junk rig is carried on an unstayed mast (i.e. a mast without shrouds or stays, supported only on the step at the keelson and the partners) however standing rigging of some kind is not uncommon.

The cost to rig a boat with a junk rig would typically be a fraction of the cost of a Bermuda rig, due mostly to the lower number of parts and adaptability of the rig to cheaper materials (especially the sailcloth.)

The junk rig typically produces less drive than a similarly sized Bermuda rig at low angles of attack (e.g. when sailing upwind, close-hauled) and this is especially pronounced in light wind. Performance close-hauled is perhaps the strongpoint of the Bermuda rig - key to winning a race with an upwind leg or outmaneuvering an opponent in battle.

The junk rig typically produces more drive than a similarly sized Bermuda rig when running downwind without a spinnaker. A junk rigged boat can let its sails out athwartships (and beyond.) On a Bermuda rigged boat the shrouds interfere with sails if the sail was let out until it was athwartship. The full battens of a junk sail prevent the sail from collapsing when running in light wind (dispensing with the need for a whisker pole.) On double-masted junk rigged boats, the sails can be flown wing-and-wing (i.e. on opposite sides of the boat) even when on a broad reach as can a Bermudan rig. The junk rig is well suited to downwind travel with its working sails.

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Wikipedia