Gunter Rig

A gunter rig is a fore-and-aft sail plan in which a near-vertical spar (the gunter yard) is hauled up close against and roughly parallel to a short mast by sliding rings or jaws, extending the luff aloft like a topmast. It gives a tall triangular sail with a low stowed length, so the spars fit inside the hull, which suits dinghies and ships’ boats. It resembles a gaff rig but the yard stands almost vertical rather than angled, approaching a Bermudan shape.