Junk rig (balanced lug)

[Silkie]

My knowledge is strictly theoretical but I'd always understood it to be the least dramatic of rigs on nearly all counts. I'd love to sail one to find out.

[Arghiro]

JohnS, I reckon that the racing fraternity have an excessive influence on UK cruising designs. Too many boats have to be "cruiser/racers in order to sail. The genuine cruising people tend to either have bespoke boats built (very few and very expensive) or just buy cheaply from the many rather older boats available.

Just look at the marketing blurbs for boats "Cruising doesn't have to mean slow", "our race developed hull", "no slouch on a passage" etc etc. Junk rig is perceived as slow upwind so not generally suited to racing. For most cruisers that is completely irrelevant, whether true or not.