On a sailing vessel, a forestay, sometimes just called a stay, is a piece of standing rigging which keeps a mast from falling backwards. It is attached either at the very top of the mast, or in fractional rigs between about 1/8 and 1/4 from the top of the mast.

Nov 19, 2019 · Forestay (1 or HS) – The forestay, or headstay, connects the mast to the front (bow) of the boat and keeps your mast from falling aft. Your forestay can be full length (masthead to deck) or fractional (1/8 to 1/4 from the top of the mast to the deck).

Feb 21, 2025 · A forestay sail, also known as a jib or genoa, is an essential part of a sailing vessel’s rigging. It is a triangular sail that is attached to the forestay, which is a wire or cable that runs from the top of the mast to the bow of the boat.

Mar 6, 2023 · A forestay (or headstay) is a cable or wire rope which connects the bow (front) of the boat to the mast, providing both structural integrity and stability while sailing. The forestay prevents the mast from falling aft (backwards), which can be dangerous in …

The forestay is an essential component of a sailboat’s rigging system. It is a wire or cable that runs from the top of the mast to the bow of the boat, securing the mast and supporting the tension of the sail rig.

Dec 6, 2023 · Can you begin to imagine what would be involved to design and build a sailboat with optional mast locations or even modify a sailboat from one rig location to the other?

There is a separate light forestay that supports the mast. And when the jib is hoisted the jibstay built into the sail takes the full load of holding the rig up with no tension on the separate forestay. It is really important for performance for the stay built into the jib to take the full load.

Sailboat stays connected to the top of the mast to the deck of the sailboat. Stays stabilize the mast in the forward and aft directions. Stays are typically mounted to the very front of the bow and the rearmost part of the stern. The forestay connects the top of the mast to the bow of the boat.

Jul 24, 2019 · An inner forestay adds options for sail plan and mast control. But the location of an inner forestay can mean that it’s sometimes an inconvenience when not in use. It can interfere with tacking or prohibit dinghy storage on the foredeck.

The forestay is a key part of a sailboat’s standing rigging, running from the top of the mast to a fixed point near the bow. Its primary purpose is to support the mast from the forward direction, counterbalancing the backstay and providing overall stability to the rig.