Cunningham (sailing)

It is named after its inventor, Briggs Cunningham, a victorious America's Cup skipper and yacht builder.

The system usually consists of a line which is secured at one end to the mast or boom below the foot of the mainsail.

It is then passed through a cringle in the luff of the sail near the foot but above the tack, and then led down on the other side to a fitting on the mast, boom or on deck.

The tension in the luff of the sail is adjusted using a combination of the halyard and the cunningham (where fitted).

The primary advantage of adjusting the cunningham is the speed and ease with which the luff tension can be changed while sailing or racing.