Loads and Leads

How to calculate the load on your running rigging and how it translates to hardware

I learned the art and science of yacht rigging from the late Brion Toss (rigger extraordinaire from the Pacific Northwest of the US for those further afield), his books, classes and an internship set the foundation for over twenty years of fun. Brion had an affinity for quotations, both literary and pedestrian. On the more pedestrian end of the spectrum, Brion would occasionally break out, “Nothin’ too strong ever broke.” This begs the question, how is strong is strong enough?

To understand the load placed on our running rigging, we need to understand the loads generated by the sails and how those loads are transferred to the boat. A sailboat is a dynamic system – floating on the water, driven by the wind, and able to pivot freely about all three axes of motion. We can model this system well enough with some simple formulas and we will hand-wave our way through the rest. Just keep in mind that “all models are flawed, but some are useful.” – George E.P. Box.