B & R Rig or Not?

[HMT2]

Ok Hunter experts I have a question about my rig. I own a 1983 Hunter 31. Sailboatdata.com indicates that this boat has a B & R rig. All of the B & R rigs I have seen do not have a backstay. I have what I have always understood as a split backstay. Where a backstay comes out of the back of the mast and about thirteen-fifteen feet above the cockpit the stay splits into a two slightly less thick cables that are anchored near the port and starboard corners of my stern. All of this being aft of the boom end. Please inform me what is this rig?

 

[Allan12210]

You have a B and R Rig with a split backstay. Our generation boats retained that until the end of the run somewhere around 1986 when the Legend series were introduced I think. The spreaders on those newer boats were swept back even farther (further?) to allow for the removal of the backstay. which is better? Well, ours of course because more must be better. Actually, the elimination of the backstay led to a larger roach on the main and fractional rigged forestays. On a one for one comparison, I don't know which has an advantage. They're all good.

 

[Kermit]

The spreaders on those newer boats were swept back even farther (further?) to allow for the removal of the backstay. which is better?

Farther

 

[Parsons]

Your post reminded me that I didn't know what "B & R" stands for, even though I own one, so I did a little search. It's harder than you'd think to find that it's named after the two designers: Lars Bergstrom and Sven Ridder. I found this interesting article on the Boats.com web site for more: http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2000/08/the-bampr-rig/

 

[njlarry]

Your post reminded me that I didn't know what "B & R" stands for, even though I own one, so I did a little search. It's harder than you'd think to find that it's named after the two designers: Lars Bergstrom and Sven Ridder. I found this interesting article on the Boats.com web site for more: http://features.boats.com/boat-content/2000/08/the-bampr-rig/

Thank you Parsons, that clears it up well.

 

[Allan12210]

Farther

Thanks Kermit. I'm glad this got cleared up too.

 

[Benny17441]

I'm sorry for 1983 there were no B&R rigs. The object of a B&R is to accommodate a large roach main to power the boat. In 1983 the were still using the masthead rigs with tall high aspects mainsails and large Genoas to power the boat. The split backstay was common. The back swept spreaders came later.

 

[artboas]

Not a B& R rig

I'm sorry for 1983 there were no B&R rigs. The object of a B&R is to accommodate a large roach main to power the boat. In 1983 the were still using the masthead rigs with tall high aspects mainsails and large Genoas to power the boat. The split backstay was common. The back swept spreaders came later.

If there is a backstay it is a traditional masthead rig.
My 40.5 was the last masthead rig they manufactured.

 

[Bill Roosa]

Well my 40.5 has a backstay (split) and swept back spreaders. The manual says it is a B&R rig in the "tuning the rig" section.

 

[artboas]

Must be a different rig

Well my 40.5 has a backstay (split) and swept back spreaders. The manual says it is a B&R rig in the "tuning the rig" section.

My rig was US Spars. It was the first in-mast 40.5 that Hunter sold.
My shrouds were well inboard, versus my 49 which are outboard to the hull.

 

[Dan Johnson]

Benny...

Beg to differ with you, but the H34, beginning with production in 1983, used a B&R rig with split backstay through its four year run. The H31 also did so.

The main doesn't have a large roach, but the spreaders are considerly swept back compared to a standard straight arm spreader. See pix...

 

[HMT2]

So dear Hunter forum users, given the confusion that has occurred I contacted Hunter (now Hunter Marlow, which as an aside they are very helpful) with a link to our questions and responses. Based on the response I received from them the ones with split back stays might be considered early versions of a B & R rig and the ones without back stays and fuller roaches on the main might be termed current B & R rigs. See the response from Technical guy at Hunter.

 

[Richard Bryer]

According to my manual, rig tuning section , B&R rig for my 1983 H34, the basic difference between conventional rig and a B&R one has to do with swept back spreaders and diagonals. My understanding was that on early B&R rigs such as mine there was a degree of uncertainty as to the strength without a backstay so they continued to use a backstay for several more years.

http://sbo.sailboatowners.com/downloads/Hunter_34_62796807.pdf

 

[Dan Johnson]

In addition...

to what Richard posted, I was told that the B&R rig should be set up off the boat to get all the tensions and pre-bend correct, then the mast put on the boat to align it side to side and fore/aft.