A forestay is a part of a sailboat’s standing rigging that extends from the top of the mast to the bow and prevents the mast from leaning back. It can also support a sail and is commonly used for jib or genoa sails. Larger ships have one forestay per mast section.
A forestay is part of the standing rigging on a sailboat and extends from the top of the mast to the bow or front of the boat. The support can be a steel or fiber rope or a solid stainless steel or carbon composite rod. Smaller ships will generally have a single forestay, while larger ships with stepped masts have one for each mast section. The forestay serves a dual purpose: it prevents the mast from leaning back, and it can also support a sail on certain rigs. The sails attached to the stay are commonly jib or genoa sails.
The railing of sailboats is supported by a piece of foot rigging known as a forestay. The term “stand-up rig” means that it generally stays in one position and does not adjust while underway. It is usually a galvanized or stainless steel rope, fiber rope, or a solid carbon fiber or stainless steel rod. The bracket is attached to the bow or front peak of the vessel and extends to the top of the mast. On fractional rigs, the bracket attaches slightly down from the top of the mast, allowing the use of a smaller boom.
On boats with one-piece masts, only one forestay is used. Larger ships with stepped and multi-section masts have one per mast section. Each is named after the particular section of the mast, and includes the topmast, anterior topgallant, and anterior royal stays. The sets of supports that support the mast to the sides or the war weapons of the ship are known as shrouds. The rear mast or mizzen of a multimast boat has a support that runs aft and is known as a backstay.
In addition to its role as a mast support, the forestay is often fitted with a jib or genoa sail. Both are triangular sails and depending on the particular rig they can be configured individually or in sets. When two such sails are set, the foremost sail will be called a jib and will be attached to a line running in front of the forestay and secured to a bowsprit. The rear sail is rigged directly to the forestay and is called a sailboat. This is commonly known as a mower deck. Large, stepped mast vessels may feature up to four headsails, the mainsail, and three spotlights, one on each of the mast section racks.
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