Why more cruisers should go wireless

Nick Charman makes the case for all cruising yachts to change tack

- Nick Charman

You see a yacht with a mast, or masts held up with no rigging and think: ‘What’s going on? Why does it not fall over? This must be wrong – masts are supposed to be held up by wires, yes? All sensible boats have rigging, surely?’

Some of us sailors, and many yacht designers disagree. Freestanding masts are not an experiment, but are well-established technology. So why are there not more of them?

Because few sailors have any experience of sailing them. As they are not commonly accepted, the production yacht companies, quite logically, tend not to make them. Designing and building yachts is a very competitive business and sales to such a small minority is unprofitable. Following on, they’re rarely reviewed in the yachting press, and, because of racing rules, are very rarely seen on racing boats. So they continue to be the preserve of the enthusiasts who love them.

Freestanding masts are much more frequently seen on dinghies, of course. The Laser, Topper, Finn and Optimist are very common sights. Yet the larger yacht market seems far more unwilling to adopt the advantages of no wires.

Why do owners love them?

In short because freestanding masts simplify the rig and make sail handling easier for short-handed cruisers. They also improve performance and sail efficiency in a number of ways.