Rationale Behind The Sloop Rig
After the cat rig, which has only a mainsail, the sloop rig is one of the simpler sailing rig configurations. A sloop typically has two sails, a mainsail and a jib; while the cutter has a mainsail and two foresails. Next in complexity are the ketch, the yawl, and the schooner, each of which has two masts and a minimum of three sails. A sloop has a simple system of mast stays—a forestay, backstay, and sidestays.
By having only two sails, the individual sails of a sloop are larger than those of an equivalent cutter, yawl or ketch. Until the advent of lightweight sailcloth and modern sail-handling systems, the larger sails of a sloop could be a handful. So, until the 1950s, sailboats over 10 metres LOA would typically use a cutter rig or a two-mast rig. After the advent of modern winches and light sailcloth, the sloop became the dominant sailing rig type for all but the largest sailboats.
No rig type is perfect for all conditions. Sloops, with their paucity of spars and control lines tend to impart less aerodynamic drag. Compared to other rigs, sloops tend to perform very well when sailing close hauled to windward; and sloops offer a sound overall compromise of abilities on all points of sail. Cutters and ketches and yawls are often still preferred to sloops when venturing far offshore, because it is easier to reef small sails, as the wind increases, while still keeping the boat balanced.
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