Running backstays support the
headstay in a
fractionally rigged boat. A
masthead rig has the advantage of not needing them. A running backstay runs from each lateral corner of the
stern to the mast at the level where the
forestay
On a sailing vessel, a forestay, sometimes just called a stay, is a piece of standing rigging which keeps a mast from falling backwards. It is attached either at the very top of the mast, or in fractional rigs between about 1/8 and 1/4 from the t ...
begins in the fractional rig. Together with other
rigging, it supports the
mast. Because they are attached low on the mast, they can present a significant problem in an accidental
gybe, as the boom hits the stay, with the possibility of breaking the boom, mast, or both.
During
beating or
reaching, the running backstay in
windward
Windward () and leeward () are terms used to describe the direction of the wind. Windward is ''upwind'' from the point of reference, i.e. towards the direction from which the wind is coming; leeward is ''downwind'' from the point of reference ...
side is in tension. The one in the
leeward side is lazy. As the boat tacks they change over. Another function of the running backstay is to adjust the tension of the forestay to suit the sailing angle and sea condition. In general, during a hard beat when the boat sails very close to the wind, the running backstay is tightened to increase the tension of the forestay. The
genoa
Genoa ( ; it, Genova ; lij, Zêna ). is the capital of the Italian region of Liguria and the sixth-largest city in Italy. In 2015, 594,733 people lived within the city's administrative limits. As of the 2011 Italian census, the Province of ...
is sheeted in. Under these conditions, the
draft
Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...
of the genoa is brought forward reducing the
drag.
Sailing rigs and rigging
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