Sailing yacht mast

woodenclassicgaff rig

The mast of a gaff rig, whether main, foremast or other, is an essential structure that supports the sails and transmits wind forces to the rest of the hull. The mast can be a single-section mast, made up of a single section, or a single-stage mast made up of several parts. We rarely find more than two stages in gaff rigging, which will then be the lower mast and the boom mast. The main role of these masts is to support the sails and transmit the wind thrust to the boat. In traditional square rigs, the mast passes through the stanchion, a hole through the deck, and rests on the keel or a stanchion if attached to the deck. They are built to resist the forces exerted by sails inflated by the wind. The shrouds allow a better distribution of the forces exerted on the mast, by converting the bending exerted by the wind into compression in the axis of the mast. The design and construction of these masts therefore require particular expertise; every component, every part is carefully adjusted to ensure the stability and performance of the vessel in varied conditions.