A fore-and-aft rig is a sailing rig consisting mainly of sails that are set along the line of the keel rather than perpendicular to it. Such sails are described as fore-and-aft rigged.
Fore-and-aft rigged sails include staysails, bermuda rigged sails, gaff rigged sails, gaff sails, gunter rig, lateen sails, lugsails, the spanker sail on a square rig and crab claw sails.
Fore-and-aft rigs include:
- Rigs with one mast: the proa, the catboat, the sloop, the cutter
- Rigs with two masts: the ketch, the yawl
- Rigs with two or more masts: the schooner
Barques and barquentines are partially square rigged and partially fore-and-aft rigged.
Read more about Fore-and-aft Rig: Historical Development in Europe, Similar Phrases in Other Languages