Masthead rig

A masthead rig on a sailing vessel consists of a forestay and backstay both attached at the top of the mast.

Since the jib has no mast in front of it to cause turbulent airflow over it, it is considered much more efficient than the main, especially for sailing up wind.

This need increases in direct proportion to the wind speed and jib size.

Increasing the tension on the back stay does not tend to bend the mast, as it would on a fractional sloop.

One reason this rig is used on oceangoing boats is that it can be made quite strong, as every part of it, except the boom, is in either tension or compression.