What is a solent rig?

Question

What is a solent rig?

Answer 1

There is a type of one-design that is a Solent.

There is a solent stay that is an inner stay that is extra for heavy weather.

Google solent rig or solent stay

Answer 2

The Solent Stay is an alternative I first read about on Brion Toss’ web site (www.briontoss.com; search the Archives using the term ‘Solent Stay’) but I could find no local examples of this in use nor anyone who could give me a first-hand account of how well it worked.  (The farther a field I looked, the more I realized this just wasn’t done too often, at least in the Eastern U.S.).  Essentially, the Solent Stay is an inner stay that is placed just below the masthead and the existing forestay’s attachment point, thereby benefiting from backstay tension and eliminating the need for off-setting running backstays…and possibly also the inner tracks, cars and blocks for the sheet leads to the cockpit (see Figure 1).  Equipped with a release lever, the Solent can be removed from the foredeck and, because it’s geometry is different from a staysail stay, most likely secured directly to a bail on the side deck, just aft of the forward lower shroud, a simple and functional stowage location. (A released staysail stay usually needs to be rove around something before being tensioned due to its different geometry).  The only other additions required for a Solent Stay are the sail and perhaps a dedicated set of blocks on the existing genoa track along with dedicated sheets left attached to the sail.  Offshore, one can choose whether to leave the stay set up with the sail hanked on and bagged – and perhaps the sheets pre-run through their respective blocks – or the stay can be left stowed on the side deck with the sail in its locker.  This essentially is a choice between easier tacking/jibing and being continuously prepped for bigger winds.