Editing Gunter rig (section)

{{Short description|Fore and aft sailing rig with nearly vertical upper spar}}
{{Other uses|Gunter (disambiguation){{!}}Gunter}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2022}}
{{Use British English|date=March 2022}}
[[Image:Lobster 12-5 segelnd.jpg|thumb|Gunter rigged [[Lobster 12.5]]]]
'''Gunter rig''' is a configuration of sail and spars used in sailing. It is a [[Fore-and-aft rig|fore and aft]] sail set abaft (behind) the mast. The lower half of the luff (front) of the sail is attached to the mast, and the upper half is fastened to a [[Spar (sailing)|spar]] which is approximately vertical and reaches above the top of the mast. This spar is called a "yard", but it is common for some to confuse it with a "gaff" (as in [[gaff rig]]).<ref name="Barnes 2014">{{cite book |last1=Barnes |first1=Roger |title=The Dinghy Cruising Companion: tales and advice from sailing in a small open boat |date=2014 |publisher=Adlard Coles Nautical |location=London |isbn=9781408180273 |edition=Kindle}}</ref>{{rp|38}} The overall shape of a gunter sail is roughly triangular, so having a superficial resemblance to [[Bermuda rig]].

A gunter sail may also be called a "gunter lug" - a name which suggests developmental origins from increasing the angle of a high peaked [[Lug sail#Types|standing lug]].{{r|Leather 1989|p=91}} Gunter sails are sometimes described as "sliding gunter".{{r|Nichols 2006}}

Gunter rig is generally used in small sailing craft. One important advantage is that the shorter mast used with this rig usually fits within the hull when unstepped, together with the boom and yard. This is helpful for a dinghy that is towed behind a car, stored in a garage, or used as a tender for a larger boat. The performance to windward comes close to that of Bermuda rig.{{r|Barnes 2014|p=38}}<ref name="Leather 1989">{{cite book |last1=Leather |first1=John |title=Spritsails and Lugsails |date=1979 |publisher=International Marine Publishing Company |location=Camden, Maine |isbn=0877429987 |edition=1989 reissue}}</ref>{{rp|91}} Gunter rig can be found in a few working craft, but the majority of uses are in pleasure craft.{{efn|An example of working craft using gunter rig is in whaleboats, particularly those from the [[Azores]];<ref name="Nichols 2006">{{cite book |last1=Nichols |first1=David L. |title=The Working Guide to Traditional Small-Boat Sails |date=2006 |publisher=Breakaway Books |location=Halcottsville, NY |isbn=9781891369674 |edition=Kindle|chapter=Chapter 4: The Sliding Gunter - A Versatile Traditional Sailing Rig}}</ref> the U.S. Navy often rigged their whaleboats with a sliding gunter.<ref name="Ansel">{{cite book |last1=Ansel |first1=Willits D. |title=The Whaleboat: A Study of Design, Construction and Use from 1850 to 1970 |date=1978 |publisher=Mystic Seaport Museum, Incorporated |isbn=0913372390}}</ref>{{rp|70}}}}

There are many variations of gunter rig: the most fundamental of which include whether the sail is hoisted with one or two halyards, and the ease with which reefs can be taken in.