One sails in this boat, not on it. While six can daysail it, this vessel is much more comfortable for four, and the rig is easy for a singlehander or a couple. Racing with a spinnaker calls for a crew of three or four. Rainbow owners either rig a tarp over the boom as a tent to keep the rain out or bail out the bilge after each storm. The afterdeck has a big lazarette with space to store an outboard, fuel tank, fenders and other necessities.
Halyards go to cleats on the mast, and the original reefing system was a rolling boom.
The hull lines are classic and, from some angles, quite beautiful. There's moderate overhang at the bow and stern, and the transom is nicely proportioned. The low cuddy cabin does not detract from the lines of the basic Rainbow, although there are three distinctive variants that make the boat less sleek. About 25 boats were built with a deck mold that had a sort of double bubble on top, which increased the cabin space significantly. While still a very small cruiser, this Weekender model had four bunks, a sink and stove and sitting headroom.