Backstays are rigging lines that prevent a sailboat’s mast from leaning too far forward, with permanent and running configurations. Running backstays are used in competitive racing and can be adjusted to compensate for changes in wind direction and heading. They also allow for better sail control and increased boom maneuverability. Recreational sailboats often use backstays to mount equipment.
A backstay, as commonly used in a nautical context, is a piece of standing rigging commonly found on a fore-and-aft rigged sailboat. This line, usually constructed of multiple strands of wound wire, prevents the vessel’s neck from leaning too far forward. The forestay, on the other hand, prevents the mast from leaning too far back. Together, the backstay and forestay ensure that the mast will withstand the stress of various changes in wind speed without falling over.
Backstays are commonly found in two configurations, a permanent and a running backstay. Most recreational sailboats have a permanent backstay, one that is only adjusted for maintenance purposes. The permanent backstay extends from the top of the mast to the center of the transom at the stern of the boat.
Running backstays, by contrast, are used primarily in competitive racing, and can be constantly adjusted to compensate for various changes in wind direction and constant changes in heading or heading. Running backstays are usually mounted in bonded pairs about two-thirds of the way up the mast and run to the transom corners at the stern of the boat. Quite often, running backstays will have multiple attachment points on the mast, resulting in better sail control and increased boom maneuverability in racing conditions. Using adjusters, typically via hydraulically operated winches, the tension on running backstays can be increased or decreased as needed to take advantage of wind direction and course corrections.
Sailboats change direction, or heading, in one of two ways, either by tacking or jibing. Tacking means that the bow of the boat is directed into and through the wind during a course change, with the direction of the wind shifting from one side of the boat to the other. For this maneuver, a permanent backstay is adequate.
On the other hand, a running backstay is better able to handle the stress and convolutions of a taunt, which is a rather stressful turn of course, where the stern of the boat maneuvers with the wind. This often results in the sail boom, the horizontal mast that anchors the bottom of the mainsail, bobbing rapidly from one side of the boat to the other in an effort to hold back the wind. Additionally, taunting will involve a sudden and sometimes dangerous reversal of the ship’s heel or tilt. Jibing is often used in racing competition to round off a marker buoy.
Often the backstay on a recreational sailboat will be used to mount radar sets and VHS radio antenna equipment, as well as “crew overboard” pennants. These accessories are known as backstay mounts. Most of these mounts, of course, are used with permanent backstays.
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