"The time has come," the walrus said, "to speak of many things . . ."

Nov 4, 2018
155
Hunter 28.5 Catawba Island, OH
@rgranger, if you've been sailing just fine without them, why add them? One other point I took from the video is two more lines to handle - added complexity of sailing your boat. Who needs added complexity?

Not me, I've got enough to handle right now!
 
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Jan 19, 2010
12,362
Hobie 16 & Rhodes 22 Skeeter Charleston
So for someone like me who has swept back spreaders instead of a back stay.... is that what "running" back stays are for?
@Red_Dog

I didn't say I wanted to add them. I asked if swept back spreaders serve the same purpose as a running back stay.

Maybe I asked in an unclear way?
 
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capta

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Jun 4, 2009
4,766
Pearson 530 Admiralty Bay, Bequia SVG
We use our vang as a preventer going downhill and to keep the sail from losing air in lighter winds and bigger seas. Never heard the one about it being used to keep the boom parallel to the horizon. A topping lift can put a belly in the sail in light airs going off the wind as can our outhaul with our RF mast.
Again off the wind, I can let the traveler out downwind for a better angle of pull, and less sheet.
Sorry, I can't help with the backstay thing cause I've never used one, but bending a mast intentionally kinda sends shivers up and down my spine.
 
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Jan 11, 2014
11,323
Sabre 362 113 Fair Haven, NY
I didn't say I wanted to add them. I asked if swept back spreaders serve the same purpose as a running back stay.
The swept back spreaders serve the same purpose as a regular backstay, so there is no backstay. The absence of a back stay allows the mainsail to have a larger roach which will make the sail more efficient and powerful.
 
Oct 22, 2014
20,993
CAL 35 Cruiser #21 moored EVERETT WA
bending a mast intentionally kinda sends shivers up and down my spine.
That could be because you are a cruise captain earning money from your boat and a broken mast would be distasteful. If you were a race captain and you thought that be stressing the mast a little you could squeeze out .5 knots of additional speed at the risk (be it mostly low) of damaging your mast but not this race... I suspect you'd give it a try.
 
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Nov 4, 2018
155
Hunter 28.5 Catawba Island, OH
@capta, my apologizes if I phased that misleadingly. What I was meaning is the boom vang is a downwind control for horizontal boom angle. I will so edit my OP.

@rgranger, I didn't assume you wanted them, but wanted information for possible consideration.

As to cruise vs racer, I'm in the cruise category. However, my boat has all these controls,and whether or not I choose use them, to have basic knowledge of their use and when to use them gives me well equipped tool box.
 
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