The modern junk rig has been used for yachts since Blondie Hasler rigged a Folkboat that way for the first Observer Singlehanded Trans-Atlantic race way back in 19601.
Since then the popularity of the rig has waxed and waned, without really catching on. But there has pretty much always been a few proponents tirelessly evangelizing the benefits of the rig, claiming simplicity, low cost, and ease of reefing, among other things.
And said evangelists tend to gather a group of disciples who follow their exploits and dream of building their own junk-rigged cruising boat. That’s fine, there are indeed advantages to the rig, and there is no question that many successful long voyages have been made under it.
That said, there are also drawbacks to the junk rig that tend to get swept under the carpet by the fans that it’s as well to know about.
How do I know this?
Hi John,
I have not sailed on a junk and have only done a little reading on them. But I can say that having sailed both lug rigged and dipping lug rigged boats a lot, being on a tack where the sail is to windward of the mast is horrible, the sail’s lift/drag ratio is just too poor.
If we were only doing off the wind passages, square sails would probably still be quite popular and they have some advantages over the junk. Some advantages include:
But I would also never advocate for putting them on anything other than a replica or a boat intended for sail training because:
Most of the rigs have some good qualities but if you don’t look at the big picture, you can end up with a boat that is too compromised in other areas. To me bermudian rigs are the standard for modern cruising boats for a reason even though I get great pleasure when I manage to sail one of the other ones well.
Eric
Hi Eric,
Interesting about the benefits and trade offs of square rig. I can still remember as a child seeing a picture of two young people sitting on the yard on Yankee in National Geographic and thinking “I want to sail on a boat like that some day”.
But, as you say, despite all the efforts—cat ketches come to mind—it’s hard to compete with the Bermuda rig for yachts.
Hi John,
If that picture was of the first Yankee and not the second one, apparently she is easy to see sunken in Baddeck, just pretend your dinghy is the yard and you can live out your childhood dream while floating above. I have always wanted to stop by when in that neighborhood but haven’t managed to. There are always a few Boudreau’s trying to either raise and rebuild that boat or build a brand new one from scratch, they seem to focus on the first one and not the later two.
Eric
Hi Eric,
Yes, I too have always meant to go and take a look, but have never got around to it. The flesh pots of Baddeck or the tranquility of Maskells Harbour have always taken precedence.
In the early 90s I had a pair of ice climbing crampons with two adjustable front points designed to stick into the ice, and two secondary points behind at 45deg to aid in stability. One day I decided to remove the outside front point from each crampons, leaving me with only one point, which was now inline with my big toe. Everyone who saw them thought this was a stupid idea, in that I’d have 50% less traction on each crampons, and bombarded me with multiple reasons why this was a bad idea, dangerous or suicidal. Crampons had two points as it had been decided 50 years ago that this was how they should be. Fast forward 35 years, almost all technical crampons feature just one front (mono) point, the reasons they’re so much better, unknown until more people adopted them (a mono point actually creates a tripod between the front point and the 2 secondary points, making them much more stable then two points). My point? I think junk rigs are the same, in that they require the imagination to understand their advantages over a Bermuda rig. I would a Bermuda rig is formula one car and a junk rig is a Landrover. Which one would you prefer to cross an ocean on (it seems most ocean problems/disasters stem from a failure of the sail/mast/rigging or an inability to control the power of the ‘engine’). Maybe, the biggest failure of the junk is that we continue to fail to understand it, maybe becouse it’s a threat to dogma, and the marine industraila complex ; )
I couldn’t agree more with the above … have sailed on a 74′ 3 masted junk & was involved with her initial rigging (www.svseeker.com) … I have a Tom Colvin 42′ junk rigged Gazelle … every ‘rig’ is a functional compromise for specific sailing design parameters … but junks don’t need: accidental gybe preventers rigged for off wind work, multiple reefing control lines setups, topping lifts, to head up to reef (ie: sv Escape fiasco); in mast halyards & multiple control line winches, boom vangs, boom brakes, Cunningham luff control, travelers, running back stays, back stay tensioners, etc, etc, etc … oh yea, they do have their ‘pointing’ limitations so one needs to understand how best to sail them … but I’ll take the simple miss-understood junk rig over that of a Bermuda / Marconi rig for serious offshore voyaging any day .. especially in 35+ knots of wind with their “DIY” flat cut fully battened sails … but that’s just me & why I have a “junk rigged’ schooner with self standing sticks
Hi Neil,
Absolutely, as I said there are advantages to the Junk rig and for you they outweigh disadvantages. For me, I will put up with the disadvantages of the sloop rig every time, in exchange for it’s advantages, particularly since I don’t have to round up to reef, and never have: https://www.morganscloud.com/2010/11/19/reefing-a-sailboat/
That is why different rig design parameters appeal inversely to the personal specific needs & abilities of their owners (crew) … there is no best rig as all have their own merits & imposed limitations … however I have yet to come across a ‘junk rigged’ boat suffering this tragicomedy fatality rig screw-up, which to me, had inherent design limitations from the onset which overwhelmed all onboard given the conditions which they unfortunately found themselves to be in & I would conclude most likely indirectly contributed to their deaths (https://www.bwsailing.com/bw/anatomy-of-a-tragedy-at-sea/) … just saying each to his own with the consequences so being read in the obits
Hi Neill,
We will have to agree to disagree. You are, in my view, taking one tragedy and bending it to fit your agenda. There was nothing about that accident intrinsic to sloops. Rather it was the result of poor rig design and practice, which can happen with any rig. https://www.morganscloud.com/2022/08/22/lessons-from-a-tragedy-at-sea/
There are several order of magnitude more sloops than junks so it’s easy to play that game.
But I could just as easily say that the poor windward ability of junks can kill because of the inability to get off a lee shore. Or I could postulate that if I had been sailing a junk some years ago when caught off Hatteras it would be unlikely that I would be writing this today.
We can play this game all day, but it’s not useful because the brush is too broad in both cases.
If, however, you want to say that a particular junk is safer than the CNB 66 because it is smaller, breaks the sail up into smaller pieces, and does not have an intrinsically dangerous mainsheet position and a poorly designed automation system that requires rounding up to windward to reef, then we can probably be in 100% agreement. Other than I would be feel compelled to point out the intrinsic lee shore danger of junks.
I do agree with you for their ‘lee shore’ coasting limitations for which I’m much aware of especially in route planning … however, no sailor worth their salt knowingly wants to be ‘caught’ in an untenable lee shore’ situation regardless of their rig’s windward performance abilities (or lack thereof) … good ships & experienced sailors have foundered for way less then solely by their type of rig
Hi Neil,
We will definitely have to agree to disagree on that one. To me one of the greatest and hardest to eliminate risks in cruising is getting caught on a lee shore, and a good weatherly rig can often bail us out. For example, just an engine failure at the wrong moment can be a time when being able to make good way to windward will make the difference between losing the boat and not.
Hi Andrew,
Perhaps, but on the other hand having built junk sails and tried hard to make them work the way the owner wanted I would say I understand the rig reasonable well and based on that understanding I would doubt that any future understanding is going to change much. Or to put it another way, understanding does not repeal the laws of aerodynamics or momentum.
And I think it’s worth noting that both junk rig owners who responded have acknowledged my basic tips on limitations to look out for if we decide to go with a junk rig.
I can remember Peter and Annie ( Hill) sailing all over on their junk rig. Good enough that when Annie finished her new boat she rigged it as a junk.
wonder what she would say? Annie?
Hi Charles,
I’m sure she would explain why she likes the junk rig. And you will note that I specifically said:
I’m also betting she would acknowledge the fundamental drawbacks of the rig that I highlighted.
So, I have a junk-rigged schooner. Specifically a Colvin Gazelle. Unlike a traditional junk, the Colvin has a bowsprit and a jib. Technically, I think this makes it a Lorcha, a Portuguese mashup of a Chinese junk and a European hull and rig that they came up with when they were colonizing that part of the world.
Anyway, some of the concerns raised about the junk rig are correct. There is a fair amount of weight aloft, and taking the sails off and removing the battens to get it to a sailmaker, and then reversing all that, is a huge pain and takes a lot of time.
However, the claims about not being able to set light air sails isn’t really true. We run a mule from the aft mast to very good effect, and could easily fly a fisherman or a gollywobbler. With a bowsprit we also fly an asymmetrical spinnaker.
Further the claim that they will not go to windward is true IF you have flat cut sails. Ours were flat when we got the boat and wouldn’t go to windward for anything. We then had new sails made that had camber built in between each batten and she now goes to windward fairly well. About like most Gaff-rigged schooners. There is a bit of a penalty when the sails are on the “wrong” side of the mast, but it is difficult to measure.
All that said, in my mind it is a novelty rig in many ways. If I were to need new sails again I would likely go with gaff sails. They are easier to build and reduce weight aloft, and as the author points out are much simpler to bend on and remove. For the moment I will continue to sail my junk sails and have people be amazed. 🙂
Hi Paul,
I think that’s a very fair and balanced look at the rig. As you say, add a jib (and stays) and a lot gets better about going to windward for any boat, so I think that’s a smart compromise.
On the other hand, adding all that makes the junk rig far more complex which goes against the much vaunted simplicity benefit of junks.
The other issue is will the Gazell go up wind offshore. This owner says no: https://junkrigassociation.org/general_forum/6879165?mlpg=5
Your thoughts on that?
All that said, most (all?) true junk rigged yachts don’t have that any way to set a jib or light air sails?
I would agree that a classic flat-panel junk rig has all the downsides mentioned by John – inertia & momentum concerns, chafe concerns, aerodynamic concerns.
They are, fundamentally, a rig that was designed according to the limitations of the materials available at the time.
The importance of getting a true lifting airfoil shape on a sail was not fully appreciated until quite recently, in the grand scheme of history. Classic junks and lugs are terrible at this, and operate in an effectively stalled condition on all points of sail except for the one beam reach where the sail is to leeward of the mast.
There are many rigs that are descended from the classic junk, and are still often referred to as junk rigs, but that are substantially different in aerodynamics and operate as lifting airfoils under most conditions. Examples include Paul McKay’s Aerojunk, David Tyler’s soft wingsail junk, Slieve McGalliard’s split-rig junk….. the Junk Rig Association continues to provide a forum for evolving the concept. Over the last century, junk-descended rigs have received only a tiny fraction of the well-funded professional R&D effort of Bermudan-descended rigs, and so it is not surprising that many attempts at making modern junks end up repeating the same flaws of their thousand-year-old predecessors.
I would not characterize the Bermudan sloop / cutter rig as being inherently the best. It has a substantial list of inherent aerodynamic flaws and structural difficulties that have been partly overcome, today, by the application of tremendous quantities of money over several thousand design iterations. It has significant safety issues on a dead run that can only be mitigated through careful operating procedures and seamanship, and are almost impossible to eliminate from the design. In its best iterations, it’s a reasonably aero-efficient rig that is manageable by a short-handed crew on most points of sail; in its worst, it’s a costly chafe-prone mess of expensive short-lived parts that quickly becomes uncontrollable in heavy weather. And, while the best designers always land their products in the former category, the latter group is by no means small. The Bermudan rig’s main appeal for the last century or so has been twofold: one, it is the easiest and least expensive way of getting excellent pointing angles and VMG to windward on a modest-size yacht without completely eliminating the ability to reef; two, that characteristic led to its widespread adoption in racing, which led to racing rules being written around the assumption that a Bermudan sloop/cutter rig would be used, which led to most of the available R&D time and money being devoted to this rig.
Indeed, one of the great advances of modern racing boats like the VO 70 and IMOCA 60 has been to switch from a Bermudan-rigged to a gaff-rigged mainsail, the gaff being integrated into a complex triangular headboard/batten structure that shapes the tip aerodynamics. The junk’s full battens, modified to end at the mast via track slides instead of to extend forward of it via lashings, have also become standard kit on modern rigs.
The junk’s last major advantage, being freestanding and therefore allowing the sail to set forward of the beam when on a run, was a substantial benefit for slow boats on downwind courses. That is still true of some cruising boats – but we can now do better with freestanding wingsail rigs, for those few who care; and, for the hardcore racers, boat speeds are now such that the apparent wind is often forward of the beam even on downwind courses.
There’s definitely room to evolve new rigs that are descended from junks and combine some of their best features with new materials and aerodynamics.
I don’t see much of a place for classic flat-panel junks these days.
Hi Matt,
I agree with most of that, other than the idea that it’s because of racing rules or money spent that the sloop (and cutter) has come to dominate.
Rather, in my view, it’s because despite trying for several centuries we have been unable to come up with a better solution, at least for short handed vessels that spend a lot of time coastal. Over my life time I have seen countless attempts but all have failed to catch on against the Bermuda rig. I think the reason for that is intrinsic.
I also don’t classify fat head mains as gaff rig, but rather an incremental improvement (for some purposes) on the Bermuda rig. Of course I am from Bermuda :-).
I have sailed gaff rig and it’s a very different, and much more difficult, way to sail than a fat head main. The three biggest issues with gaff rig are:
The fat head main has none of those problems. It does have other issues, but that should probably be a tip.
Hi John, and all,
Since I want at least a decent performance from a rig, in all realistic situations, I can not consider any of the historic types of rig. That’s what the junk rig is; a rig that had its benefits, if compared to other historic rigs. Today, none of those benefits are exclusive to the junk rig, but arguably some important ones are missing on the currently most used types of rigs.
I find this topic very interesting. The type of rig mostly used today is far from perfect, and as mentioned by others, its current form has been kept static partly by racing rules. It’s high time we take another look elements of it.
Perhaps one of the most important benefits mostly missing today is the ability to depower the sails when sailing downwind. That’s especially critical for very fast boats with lots of sail. Several cruising multihulls are vulnerable to flip for that reason. I’d say putting a normal Bermuda configuration rig on such a fast cruising boat is a complete fail. On a racer it might be acceptable, but NOT on a cruiser. Still, that’s what is done.
Is it impossible to improve? No, of course not! There are several things one can do. The first one might be to stop copying race boat rigs. Take inspiration from them, yes of course, but change them to fit cruising. I don’t have all the answers, but have looked at this for many years and have some thoughts. I think I’ll experiment a bit. Any others here with ideas they wonder about?
I think there is a risk in this discussion of falling into the “I know a junk rigged boat that x” and deducing that all junk rigged boats have the same characteristic.
There has been a great deal of experimentation and there is diversity – but there has only been a fraction of the research compared to sloop rigs and it is hard to be confident how a particular boat would behave if converted to junk.
And to be a little critical – I think the article says that there are benefits to the Junk rig, but the largely focuses on the disbenefits. Interesting piece, but a personal view rather than attempt to a balanced view of the full ranges of pro’s and con’s – taking the fans experience as seriously as the critics.
There is a junk riged boat in my club which sails close hauled better than my cutter rigged sloop – and often faster which is depressing considering I am 20% longer! Not that this is proof of anything, other than junks vary as much as sloops.
To my mind, the case for the junk certainly looks stronger for the solo sailor
Hi Richard,
This is a Tip pointing out four issues, from first hand experience, that junk rig fans tend not to mention, but that those considering the rig should be aware of. It is not, and does not claim to be, an in depth analysis of Junk rigs, which would take several thousand words and weeks of research. Nor does the Tip say anywhere that that the Junk rig is a bad idea, in fact the opposite.
This is why we at AAC are so careful to separate Tips from Articles and Online Book Chapters, in which we take a deep dive into a subject, often over several parts.
It also clearly states that Junks are slow upwind, not that Junks are slow. That said, if you are getting beaten by a junk in a cutter up wind I would suggest it’s time for new sails, better tuning, and/or a good bottom scrub.
I suggest you reread the Tip.
Hi Richard,
Here is a very good piece over at PBO that I read before writing the above that clearly shows that with identical hulls the junk is much slower up wind and faster off the wind, at least until the sloop hoists a code or A sail. https://www.pbo.co.uk/seamanship/bermudan-rig-vs-junk-rig-17481
To be fair.. all that can be inferred from this article is that that particular variant of a junk rig is slower (and it had a 100kg internal lead ballast handicap the Bermuda rig didn’t suffer from, which is quite significant on such a small [6.5m – 21ft] boat).
There are several other designs of cambered junk rigs out there, that may well perform better. PBO didn’t see fit to trial those, so to draw a blanket “junk is slower upwind” conclusion from this experiment is manifestly unfair, all things considered.
And for the record, despite being a cambered junk rig fan, I have never particularly liked the ‘split junk’ rig.. The JR community are also experimenting with other variants that, IMO, perform better.
Hi Garryck,
I don’t agree. It’s not just this article that informs my opinion. As an ex sailmaker and sail designer and a life long performance sailor and sail trimmer I am absolutely comfortable that all other things being equal a junk will be significantly slower up wind than a sloop. The aerodynamics of a junk are just fundamentally less efficient than a sloop, and on the tack where the sail presses against the mast, that’s even worse. Also note the opinion of the two engineers we have here.
Does that mean I think junks are bad and sloops better? Not at all, but it’s as well to be aware of the drawbacks as well as the benefits in any decision. Otherwise all we are doing is giving in to confirmation bias.
And if we fool ourselves about the probably inability of a junk to claw off a lee shore, particularly if embayed, we could also get ourselves in real trouble. Can that risk be managed? Yes, but not if we stick our heads in the sand about it.
Hi all,
For our honeymoon in 1977, we sailed said ‘Jester’ for Mike Richey from the Isle of Wright to Newport – he was to take part in a single handed race while there, name I cannot remember. The whole trip took 60 days with 10 of those spent in Horta, then a basic little port with no sailing facilities but super friendly people and the last place where you could still get scrimshaw. We ran out of the Channel with a strong NE that got us quite quickly to nearly at least half way – and then spent days sailing the last bit. As you might know she had basically nothing: bucket and chuck it – trailing log – a beautiful sextant from a U boat – paraffin stove – paraffin nav lights that lasted about 5 hours, so we didn’t really bother after a while! – no engine, just one large sweep – the first Hasler self steering – time from WWV and a stop watch – etc….! And my new wife was seasick at least 90% of the time…!
However, as mentioned, unless there was enough wind the battens slatted in any slop and you crept along only, very frustrating. Going to weather was hard in both direction and efficiency – but we got there!
Since we had limited basic supplies and no money – eggs covered in Vaseline but still eating the last one within sight of land and many types of dried beans, we have never been so thin…!
Having done virtually the same voyage since in less than half the time, I cannot recommend such a rig, certainly on a small boat with a lot of movement.
Now my interest is in exploring what I call ‘sail trading’ and follow the likes of http://www.graindesail.com / http://www.towt.eu and a trip to the Azores last year to buy tea – successfully.
It was distressing to visit Dusseldorf and see both the size and amount of power boats consuming vast amounts of hydrocarbons when I would encourage all sailors to explore this aspect of sailing, and support efforts to make the wind work again…. Jamie Young.
Hi Jamie,
Wow, what an experience sailing on the original Jester. It may have been slow and one hell of a diet, but what an experence on an iconic boat. Thanks for sharing it.
Also sorry to hear about Dusseldorf, and I like too like the idea of exploring transporting goods under sail once more.
Was the sail you sewed for the customer cambered or flat? Do you think different junkrig sail shapes, such as cambered or split, mitigate the first issue- momentum?
Hi Braddock,
It had shape in it (broad seeming). And no, I don’t think anything can be done to solve this issue. In my view it’s intrinsic to the junk rig.
Hi John,
🚩 Critique 1: Momentum — “Junk sails crash violently in a swell”
Claim: Junk sails are heavy, and in ocean swell they crash back and forth dangerously, leading to broken battens.
✅ Counterpoint:
• Partially true — but mostly a design and trim issue.
• Most cases of violent sail movement in swell result from:
• Loose topping lifts or parrels
• Poor batten balance
• Flat sail cut with no camber or aerodynamic drive
• Modern cambered sails with properly tuned rigging greatly reduce slatting.
• Junk rigs are meant to be held with tension and balance, not left to sway freely like a loose curtain.
🗣️ Real-World Experience:
• Annie Hill (FanShi), Roger Taylor (Mingming), and Paul Thompson (La Chica) routinely sail offshore without broken battens — over tens of thousands of miles.
• Broken battens can happen — but so do snapped booms, shredded jibs, and broken furlers on Bermuda rigs. With smart material choices (e.g. PVC conduit or alloy tubing, carbon if budget allows), the issue is manageable.
⸻
🚩 Critique 2: Chafe — “You’re constantly fighting chafe at every contact point”
Claim: The combination of battens, mast contact, and lines causes serious chafe problems.
✅ Counterpoint:
• Junk rigs have more lines and contact points, but chafe is not a major issue if:
• Parrels are properly tensioned
• Wear patches are sewn where lines rub
• The sail uses chafe-resistant materials (e.g. Top Gun or acrylic canvas)
• Blocks and mast parrels are free to move without abrasion
• Routine checks and line upgrades (e.g. Dyneema with sleeves) make chafe management easy.
🧰 Pro Tip:
A junk rig sailor replaces a few lines every season. Compare that to standing rigging inspections, chainplate checks, furler service, and halyard chafe common on Bermuda rigs.
⸻
🚩 Critique 3: Repairs are difficult
Claim: When a junk sail needs fixing, you have to remove the whole thing — and it’s a huge ordeal.
✅ Counterpoint:
• You rarely need to remove a junk sail to repair it. Most repairs can be:
• Done in place — panel by panel
• Hand-stitched or patched like a traditional canvas job
• Bermuda mainsails with sliders, bolt ropes, full battens, or lazy jack entanglement often must be removed too — and are often more dangerous to handle in big weather.
🧵 Practical Example:
Sailors have patched torn junk panels at anchor or underway using sail tape, palm-and-needle, or zip ties. If a batten pocket fails, it’s often localized — not a complete sail failure.
⸻
🚩 Critique 4: Poor Upwind Performance — “Dangerously slow”
Claim: Junk rigs can’t point or drive upwind. Some even form a “reverse airfoil.”
✅ Counterpoint:
• Flat-cut junk sails (like the original Hasler-McLeod design) do struggle upwind.
• But modern cambered-panel and split junk rigs can:
• Point to ~45° apparent
• Hold 5–6 knots on a reach
• They don’t match a cutter with high-aspect sails, but for cruising, they’re sufficient — and far more comfortable.
📚 Real Cases:
• Badger (Annie Hill) and Poppy (Rob Denney) both made serious offshore progress to windward with well-designed junk rigs.
• Sunbird Yachts and Paul McKay’s “Split Junk” designs show significant upwind gains — often comparable to a full-keel Bermudan cruiser.
⸻
🚩 Critique 5: Light-wind Downwind Performance is Poor
Claim: No easy way to fly light-air sails like a Code 0 or spinnaker.
✅ Counterpoint:
• True — junk rigs don’t often carry light-air headsails.
• But:
• You can fly a drifter or spinnaker off the bow if desired.
• Wing-on-wing sailing with junk sails is simpler and safer than on Bermuda rigs.
• Reefing a Code 0 in squalls is far riskier than adjusting a junk rig.
🌀 Real-World Experience:
In downwind tradewind passages, many junk rig sailors report equal or better speed compared to similar Bermudan boats — and far less fuss.
⸻
🚩 Final Suggestion: “Always have a powerful engine.”
Claim: Junk rigs can’t be trusted to get off a lee shore without an engine.
✅ Counterpoint:
• Junk rigs can get off a lee shore if sailed properly — especially with:
• Cambered sails
• Smart tacking strategy
• Correct mast placement and CE balance
• That said: any cruiser should have a reliable engine — regardless of rig.
It would seem your conclusions in your comments and this article reflect early-generation junk rigs, poor execution, or mismatched expectations. Modern junk rigs (especially cambered and split designs) have proven offshore repeatedly.
Hi Braddock,
Clearly you are a junk rig fan, and that’s fine with me although I would suggest that you might be making a mistake by expending your energies trying to refute my first hand experience, rather than incorporating it into your decision making process. All boats have drawbacks and benefits. Anyway, let’s leave it at that.