Graham. I too was taken by that foresail - and the reasoning behind it..
I don't know if you, or anyone else, has researched the boat - I do recall reading about her before in 'Classic Boat' magazine and a bit of delving around found this article - which I have copied in its entirety as I thought it good reading. (With acknowledgement to its author - Sauntress's owner).
Was akin to our own experimentations with sail plans for our Swallow Boats I thought.. Or maybe not!
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The CB article refers. I was the author.
Having read the comments on the use of a square sail on a yacht, both for and against, allow me to add some of my own, for what they are worth.
Sauntress is a 28' 5 ton gaff cutter, 8' beam 100 years old. I have owned her since 1973 and sailed her without auxiliary power for the past 20 years cruising England, France, Norway, South West Ireland, NW Spain where she is currently based. That is by the by, but gives some background.
The CB article was written when Sauntress had what was then an experimental rig, old spinnaker pole for the yard and old spinnaker recut as the square sail. Since when we have moved on, though the basic system, yard kept aloft and the sail sent up on three halyards is the same.
The objection to keeping the yard permanently aloft is windage and perhaps weight. So far as weight is concerned the yard is a hollow spruce stick, adapted from a Sprite dinghy mast and thus minimal, much less, for example than the gaff. Windage must be a factor but I have kept the lifts and braces to 6mm three strand line, breaking strain half a ton, and these have spliced eyes that are a press fit on the yard arms. (no cumbersome fittings). The lifts go, as before from the yard arm to the mast head and thence to the deck ( pin rail port and starboard). The fore brace is continuous to bowsprit end and and back to a block under the bitts on a shock cord to maintain tension. The after braces go back to the mainsheet horse, through turning blocks and thence through the aft side of the cockpit to jamming cleats. It is true that I used the better part of a 200 metre roll in the process, but that notwithstanding, windage is negligible. In the overall scheme of things it is a kind of gossamer spiders' web, and more by luck than judgement does not interfere with the fore and aft rig, nor affect our racing performance. In short we remain competitive with the yard left aloft. This system allows one to brace the yard with a simple yank on the appropriate after brace (the weather brace or lee brace as the case may be)
Numerous photographs, if interested, without the square sail set are to be found on Caamouco.net vela tradicional (traditional sail).
The square sail was made last winter for me in England, having at last found a sail-maker prepared to take the proposition seriously. It is 16' across the head, 17' across the foot, 14' drop, the foot being slightly arched and has a deep integral reef (as it has to if it is to be set flying). I have tried, but failed to compress a photograph of the thing set, but having failed, I will describe how it performs. In the first place it is an extremely powerful sail, a delight to set and strike. Secondly it is a steadying sail and does not, in our case at least, induce rolling, rather the reverse. Third it works in some way I cannot explain in combination with the mainsail on a dead run, as the main feeds wind the the square sail, the lee side of which is not blanketed, as one might suppose. and fourthly, to my surprise it will set on a reach.
This is despite the yard bracing no more than maybe 15 degrees, for ease and pole out the weather clew, sheet in the lee clew and the sail acts rather like a very powerful balloon foresail. The cloth is slightly heavier than a spinnaker and thus it is a wonderful get you home in light airs sail, a consideration when you have no auxiliary power, whilst in a fresh breeze the boat quite simply flies.
I was heavily influenced by Claud Worth, Conor O'Brien and William Albert Robinson when trying, in effect to re-invent the wheel, by resurrecting what was common practice on yachts in the inter war years and if all is somewhat on the light side I would rather lose the spar and sail than the rig, though I have no reason to suppose that properly handled, anything should necessarily carry away.
But perhaps the most important thing is that it looks great, brings a grin from ear to ear when set and has not cost the proverbial arm and a leg to contrive. Yes there are a lot of lines, but that, to some extent is the nature of gaff rig and like the great man, "I will never again go to sea without a square sail".
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Well, I found it interesting.. indeed, idle speculation!
Andy
Baycruiser23 No.25 'Equinox'
