A solent[1] refers to a sail and rigging system on sailboats, typically sloops.
When this forestay is covered with a roller-furling jib, which cannot be quickly removed, it becomes impossible to attach a different sail to the same stay.
When needed to hold the solent sail, the stay is attached to a point just behind the forestay, where it is tensioned with a tackle or a Highfield lever.
It may be detached and secured just in front of the mast, or led to one side and fastened next to the shrouds.
A solent stay serves essentially as an alternative forestay when a roller-fuller prevents raising a different sail on the same line.