Hunter Sailboats have something called a B&R "fractional rig" with swept
back spreaders. For the life of me, I can't figure out the advantage(s) of
this design. On the downside, they seem to make running downwind difficult
and create a high wind load. Any comments? Perhaps therein lies the
advantage. When you run downwind, you don't have to bother to put up a
sail.

"Bill Farina" wrote in message
Hunter Sailboats have something called a B&R "fractional rig" with swept
back spreaders. For the life of me, I can't figure out the advantage(s)
of
this design. On the downside, they seem to make running downwind
difficult
and create a high wind load. Any comments? Perhaps therein lies the
advantage. When you run downwind, you don't have to bother to put up a
sail.

My 2 cents worth: I don't like that rig. The purported advantage is the
elimination of a backstay or runners. But as you imply it's inefficient on
a run, unless you are willing to broad reach and tack as opposed to a dead
run. A friend has a newer 410 Hunter, which we leave in our wake downwind
with our 34' full-keel CCA-type boat. He'd be wiser to douse the main and
fly a cruising spinnaker.

Max

My understanding is with the backstay eliminated you can have a larger, big
roach mainsail.

SV


"Bill Farina" wrote in message
...
Hunter Sailboats have something called a B&R "fractional rig" with swept
back spreaders. For the life of me, I can't figure out the advantage(s)
of
this design. On the downside, they seem to make running downwind
difficult
and create a high wind load. Any comments? Perhaps therein lies the
advantage. When you run downwind, you don't have to bother to put up a
sail.

Bill Farina wrote:
Hunter Sailboats have something called a B&R "fractional rig" with swept
back spreaders. For the life of me, I can't figure out the advantage(s) of
this design.

Well, then don't buy one.

... On the downside, they seem to make running downwind difficult
and create a high wind load.

What's a "high wind load"?

BTW the B&R rig was the rig of choice among Int'l 14s and other open
design super high performance dinghies for a number of years (they have
advanced beyond that now, but the current rigs are recognizably derived
from the B&R type). To say that you "can't figure out the advantage(s)"
is basically admitting that you don't know how to sail a performance boat.

OTOH it's kind of a mismatch IMHO for a heavy keelboat. But hey, if it
makes you feel tough & salty to diss Hunters, go ahead. Everybody needs
a hobby.

Fresh Breezes- Doug King

For the life of me, I can't figure out the advantage(s) of this
design.

I can't figure out how the tune the stupid thing. Of course maybe Hunter
drivers don't worry about that.
S/V Express 30 "Ringmaster"
"No shirt, no skirt, full service"

"SAIL LOCO" wrote in message

For the life of me, I can't figure out the advantage(s) of this
design.

I can't figure out how the tune the stupid thing. Of course maybe Hunter
drivers don't worry about that.

Yeah, they do, actually. The ones we know are always bitching about tuning
that rig, and frequently asking for assistance. Of course we are always
busy at the time.

Max

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 10:40:05 -0400, "Bill Farina"
wrote this crap:

Hunter Sailboats have something called a B&R "fractional rig" with swept
back spreaders. For the life of me, I can't figure out the advantage(s) of
this design. On the downside, they seem to make running downwind difficult
and create a high wind load. Any comments? Perhaps therein lies the
advantage. When you run downwind, you don't have to bother to put up a
sail.

There is no backstay. So there is a huge roach on the mainsail.




Pathetic Earthlings! No one can save you now!

but then you get the bozo's who buy the in mast furling and trade the
roach for convenience and wind up with a ****ty rig with no redeeming
virtues.

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 22:24:31 -0400, Horvath
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 10:40:05 -0400, "Bill Farina"
wrote this crap:

Hunter Sailboats have something called a B&R "fractional rig" with swept
back spreaders. For the life of me, I can't figure out the advantage(s) of
this design. On the downside, they seem to make running downwind difficult
and create a high wind load. Any comments? Perhaps therein lies the
advantage. When you run downwind, you don't have to bother to put up a
sail.

There is no backstay. So there is a huge roach on the mainsail.




Pathetic Earthlings! No one can save you now!

Which is exactly what Horass has done.

--
"j" ganz @@
www.sailnow.com

"Marc" wrote in message
...
but then you get the bozo's who buy the in mast furling and trade the
roach for convenience and wind up with a ****ty rig with no redeeming
virtues.

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 22:24:31 -0400, Horvath
wrote:

On Wed, 16 Jun 2004 10:40:05 -0400, "Bill Farina"
wrote this crap:

Hunter Sailboats have something called a B&R "fractional rig" with swept
back spreaders. For the life of me, I can't figure out the advantage(s)
of
this design. On the downside, they seem to make running downwind
difficult
and create a high wind load. Any comments? Perhaps therein lies the
advantage. When you run downwind, you don't have to bother to put up a
sail.

There is no backstay. So there is a huge roach on the mainsail.




Pathetic Earthlings! No one can save you now!

Which is exactly what Horass has done.


I don't believe Horvath was dumb enough to compromise his rig by getting a
furling main. He may not know what a whisker pole is, but he's not THAT dumb.

RB