A Sunfish is an example of a popular boat that has an unstayed mast.An Optimist is another example of an unstayed mast.
An unstayed mast (also known as a freestanding mast) is a type of mast on a boat that is not supported by any stays. Unstayed masts are often seen with smaller sailing dinghies such as the Optimist, Topper and the Laser, but can also be used on larger vessels. Unstayed masts are found on traditional American catboats, Dutch fishing vessels ranging up to 60 feet, recent schooners in the 70 foot range and the large sailing yacht A. Freedom Yachts and Nonsuch produced a large number of yachts up to 45 feet with unstayed masts. Unstayed masts may provide better aerodynamics but require careful design both as far as the mast itself is concerned and as far as the vessel deck and keel design is concerned. Unstayed masts themselves are often somewhat heavier, which raises the vessel center of gravity. The deck and hull that support the mast need to be specially designed for the installation of an unstayed mast. Remarkably, unstayed masts do reduce hull loads since the standing rigging does not induce compressive loads into the mast and tensile loads in the hull sides in way of the chainplates.
The choice between stayed and unstayed masts is inherently complex and needs to consider all naval architectural design aspects such as cost, weight, center of gravity, material availability, builder's experience, structural design, aerodynamics, human factors, and operational considerations.
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Sailing employs the wind—acting on sails, wingsails or kites—to propel a craft on the surface of the water, on ice (iceboat) or on land over a chosen course, which is often part of a larger plan of navigation.
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A sailboat or sailing boat is a boat propelled partly or entirely by sails and is smaller than a sailing ship. Distinctions in what constitutes a sailing boat and ship vary by region and maritime culture.
A sail plan is a description of the specific ways that a sailing craft is rigged, as discussed below. Also, the term “sail plan” is a graphic depiction of the arrangement of the sails for a given sailing craft.
The Norfolk wherry is a type of boat used on The Broads in Norfolk and Suffolk, England. Three main types were developed over its life, all featuring the distinctive gaff rig with a single, high-peaked sail and the mast stepped well forward.
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A sailing yacht, is a leisure craft that uses sails as its primary means of propulsion. A yacht may be a sail or power vessel used for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, so the term applies here to sailing vessels that have a cabin with amenities that accommodate overnight use. To be termed a "yacht", as opposed to a "boat", such a vessel is likely to be at least 33 feet (10 m) in length and have been judged to have good aesthetic qualities. Sailboats that do not accommodate overnight use or are smaller than 30 feet (9.1 m) are not universally called yachts. Sailing yachts in excess of 130 feet (40 m) are generally considered to be superyachts.
Caribbean Sailing Yachts (CSY) is a company which built heavy-displacement recreational sailboats built during the 1970s and 1980s in Tampa, Florida. CSY was one of the first companies to recognize the impending growth of the Caribbean charter industry and although the company went out of business in the early 1980s, the well-founded boats have continued to sail the world's oceans for the past four decades. CSY's unique script logo was imprinted on a brass companionway medallion, dishware, and trailerboard design.
Ljungström sailboat is the name for the sailboats created by the Swedish engineer Fredrik Ljungström, whose interest sailing had been since childhood. The characteristics of an Ljungström sailboat are circular arc hull and the Ljungström rig where the mast is unsupported by rope and wire, rotatable on two ball bearings and often with double main sails but no fore sail. At their time the Ljungström sailboats were a minor revolution as they were fast, safe and easy to sail as well as relatively easy and affordable to produce.
Dismasting, also spelled demasting, occurs to a sailing ship when one or more of the masts responsible for hoisting the sails that propel the vessel is brakes. Dismasting usually occurs as the result of high winds during a storm acting upon masts, sails, rigging, and spars. Over compression of the mast owing to tightening the rigger too much and g-forces as a consequence of wave action and the boat swinging back and forth can also be result in a dismasting. Dismasting does not necessarily impair the vessel's ability to stay afloat, but rather its ability to move under sail power. Frequently, the hull of the vessel remains intact, upright and seaworthy.
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