singlemasted

Singlemasted refers to sailing vessels that have a single mast. The term covers a wide range of hull forms and sizes, from small dinghies to larger keelboats. The defining feature is a fore-and-aft rig mounted on one mast, in contrast to vessels with two or more masts such as schooners, ketches, and brigantines.

The most common singlemasted rig is the sloop, which carries a mainsail on the mast and a headsail (jib or genoa) at the bow. Other singlemasted configurations include cutters, which also use one mast but typically carry two or more foresails, including a staysail. Depending on design, singlemasted boats can be sailed with varying crew requirements, and many are suitable for single-handed operation.

Advantages of a singlemasted rig include simpler rigging, lower maintenance, and generally easier handling, especially for beginners and coastal cruising. The tradeoffs include less sail-area potential than many multirig vessels of the same length and fewer adaptable sail plans in certain conditions.

Historically, singlemasted craft were common in working boats, fishing craft, and early leisure yachts. The development of Bermuda rigs in the 19th century helped standardize singlemasted sloops as practical mainstream sailboats. Today, a large portion of production sailboats under roughly 40 feet are singlemasted, with examples ranging from cruising sloops to racing keelboats such as the J/24.