page_title: Fractional rig
hierarchical_section_title: Fractional rig
caption_attribution_description: English: Sailing sloop
context_page_description: A fractional rig on a sailing vessel consists of a foresail, such as a jib or genoa sail, that does not reach all the way to the top of the mast.
  In the adjacent picture, the forestay that secures the mast at the front of the boat is attached to the mast at a lower point and the fore sail is rigged to this stay. The mast is farther forward on the boat than on a masthead rig and so it has a larger main sail. Masthead rigs are most common on larger keel boats or cruisers. A fractional rig is typically used on sailing dinghies and racing oriented keel boats, such as the J/24.
  Fractional rigs were introduced on race boats in order to allow more controllability of the surface of the main sail and also less drag when sailing upwind. According to one manufacturer, "a key to making fast boats easier to sail than slow boats is the 'fractional rig'".
  Fractional rigs tend to have a larger main sail and a smaller headsail which is often a non-overlapping jib. This configuration is optimized for up-wind sailing efficiency.
context_section_description: A fractional rig on a sailing vessel consists of a foresail, such as a jib or genoa sail, that does not reach all the way to the top of the mast.
  In the adjacent picture, the forestay that secures the mast at the front of the boat is attached to the mast at a lower point and the fore sail (jib or genoa) is rigged to this stay. The mast is farther forward on the boat than on a masthead rig and so it has a larger main sail. Masthead rigs are most common on larger keel boats or cruisers. A fractional rig is typically used on sailing dinghies and racing oriented keel boats, such as the J/24.
  Fractional rigs were introduced on race boats in order to allow more controllability of the surface of the main sail and also less drag when sailing upwind.  According to one manufacturer, "a key to making fast boats easier to sail than slow boats is the 'fractional rig'".
  Fractional rigs tend to have a larger main sail and a smaller headsail which is often a non-overlapping jib.  This configuration is optimized for up-wind sailing efficiency.  For downwind sailing without a spinnaker, the larger mainsail of a fractional rig has a significant advantage over a masthead rig, but a disadvantage when spinnakers are flown.  Many newer high-performance fractional rig sailboats, fly the spinnaker or the gennaker from the masthead.  On many modern skiffs and race dinghies, the jib is relatively small compared to the size of the main and it is normally left in place when the spinnaker or gennaker is used due to this type of jib's minimal aerodynamic interference.
  Another major advantage of the fractional rig, especially the '3/4' rig (where the fore stay goes 3/4 the way up the mast), is that the jib can be taken in without inducing excessive weather helm which could cause the boat to lose control and “round up” into the wind.  With the masthead sloop, both the main and the jib must be reduced in size evenly when shortening sail.  This is typically accomplished by reefing the main and either rolling up a portion of the headsail on a furler, or changing to a smaller headsail.
  Since jibs need considerable forestay tension to set properly and the amount of tension needed increases with wind speed, being able to drop the jib altogether in windy conditions puts less strain on the rig and hull. Fractional rigs are used on lightly built multi-hulls for this reason.
caption: A J/24 showing its fractional rig.
exif: {}