[MHml] Forestay tension.

[Paul Nudd]

Larry Forgy wrote:
> One argument for the better windward ability of the tris was that with a 
> center hull, they could get better tension on the forestay.  This made 
> sense to me in my old fixed-mast monohull days, but is that still true 
> with more modern three-stay rotating-mast rigs?  I don't see how tris 
> with that configuration could have better forestay tension than a cat.
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Masthead rigs use backstay to tension forestay and benefit from a stiff 
platform.
Fractional rigs can use running backstays to tension forestay and 
benefit from a stiff platform. If they don't use running backstays they 
use mainsheet tension to tension forestay and benefit from a stiff platform.
The smaller the jib, the less significant the forestay tension.
No jib, no significance. Better still no forestay!
The most efficient rigs are found on sailboards and c class cats and 
these have no jibs.
Statistics show that generally a tri can be faster than a cat of the 
same length.
The reason for this will always be speculation (how can we test the 
hypothesis?).
Although a tri can achieve a straighter forestay than an equivalent cat, 
I don't think this feature is a significant reason why tris can be 
faster than cats of the same length.
PN