Bermuda rig facts for kids
A Bermuda rig is a special type of sail setup used on sailboats. It's also known as a Marconi rig. This rig uses a tall, triangular main sail. This main sail is usually attached to a long pole called a boom at its bottom edge. Bermuda rigs are very popular on modern sailboats. This is because their tall, thin sails are great at catching the wind. They help boats sail well, especially when going against the wind. The name "Marconi rig" came from the inventor Guglielmo Marconi. His early wireless radio masts looked a lot like the tall masts and wires of these boats. However, the name "Bermuda rig" was used much earlier. It started in the late 1600s. European sailors saw how well the small boats in Bermuda worked.
History of the Bermuda Rig
The Bermuda rig was first developed in Bermuda during the 17th century. It was based on an older sail design called the "leg-of-mutton" sail. The waters around the Bermuda islands were tricky to sail. This was because of strong, gusty winds and many reefs. Most other sail designs didn't handle these challenges very well.
It's believed that a Dutch-born person in Bermuda created the first of these new designs. They might have seen the "lateen rigs" used by the Moors. These rigs were common when Spain ruled Holland. The Dutch changed these early lateen rigs. They turned the long poles (called yards) into angled masts. This design was known as bezaanjacht in Dutch. This means "leg of mutton" in English.
By the 19th century, the design had changed a lot. It now used tall, triangular sails and extra front sails called jibs. The boats were also built using light Bermuda cedar wood for their bodies (hulls). This made Bermuda sailboats very fast and easy to steer. They could sail into the wind easily. They were also super fast when sailing with the wind. Soon, these boats became popular for races.
Why it's Called a Marconi Rig
The name "Marconi rig" became popular after the 1899 America's Cup yacht race. This race took place in New York City. During the race, Guglielmo Marconi showed off his new wireless radio. He used it to report on the race. People noticed that the tall masts of the Bermuda-rigged boats, with their many supporting cables, looked just like Marconi's radio masts. That's how these boats got the nickname "Marconi rigs."
Images for kids
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17th-century woodcut of a Bermudian vessel with early Bermuda rig (before the addition of a boom)
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1885 Map of Bermuda and its reefs by Anna Brassey, showing the challenges of sailing in Bermuda's waters.
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A painting from 1831 by John Lynn. It shows a Bermuda sloop of the Royal Navy. The Spirit of Bermuda was based on this design.
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The sail training ship Spirit of Bermuda.
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A 19th-century race in Bermuda. You can see three Bermuda rigged boats and two gaff rigged sloops.
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A Bermuda Fitted Dinghy at Mangrove Bay in 2016.
See also
In Spanish: Vela bermudiana para niños
