The origins of junk rigging
Junks are among the oldest man-made craft. Originating from the China Sea and the Java region, they are thought to have existed since at least the 2nd century. Their slow evolution, based on the model of oral transmission between master and disciple, produced vessels with rigs adapted to the conditions of this sea, characterized by monsoons and stable, alternating prevailing winds.
In general, they were shallow-draft boats with flat sails suitable for downwind sailing. They became known in the West around the 13th century, with the first great voyages to the Far East and the accounts of Marco Polo. Heavily armed military junk, fishing or trading junk, sea or river, or formidable pirate junk, their heavily battened sails established their supremacy on the China Sea.
With the exception of military vessels, sailcloth was often made from woven grass or very inexpensive canvas. The use of horizontal bamboo battens ensured sail strength, while allowing the use of these inexpensive fabrics. This is one of the characteristics still enjoyed today by modern junk sails.
Western junk rigging, with a trigger: Blondie Hasler
Born in Dublin in 1914, Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert Hasler joined the Royal Marines in 1932. His blond moustache earned him the nickname "Blondie". A man of character, intelligent, creative, determined, rational and meticulous, Hasler cultivated many passions, combining art, mechanics and navigation. His record of service during the Second World War includes a heroic canoe raid against German ships based in Bordeaux . He was one of only two survivors out of the 12 men involved.
After the war, Blondie Hasler continued to devise solutions to improve single-handed sailing. He was the first to develop a windvane gear with a submerged blade and differential gearing, several evolutions of which are still produced today. He also invented the self-tailing winch.
In 1956, he instigated the first solo transatlantic race with the concept of one man, one boat, one ocean. The race only came into being when a sponsor was found: the Observer newspaper. The first edition took place in 1960 under the name OSTAR (Observer Single-handed Transatlantic Race), from Plymouth to New York.
To take part, Hasler set out to design a boat and rig that would allow him to never leave the deck, and "Jester" was born. A modified 7.50 m long keel Folkboat, without cockpit, with two side companionways at mast level and two manholes closed by adjustable canvas eyelids to keep watch and steer from inside the boat. She was equipped with the famous regulator and... a junk sail. Thanks to this equipment, legend has it, Hasler completed the race in his slippers, without ever going out on deck! He reached New York in 47 days, finishing second behind Chichester, out of the 5 boats entered.
This led to a craze, mainly in Great Britain, for junk rigging with the participation of architects like Alex Primerose (at the time, sailboats were built by the unit) and then, with the industrialization of sailboat construction, the optional offer of junk-rigged production boats like the Corribee Coromandel, or the Sunbirds.
A junk rigging bible: "Practical Junk Rig"
During this period, Blondie Hasler and Jock McLeod helped the world of junk rigging by providing advice to professionals and amateurs alike, notably by publishing the famous "Practical Junk Rig" in 1988: an encyclopedic work synthesizing 25 years of research and development on junk rigging, adapted to Western construction.
This work has been welcomed by a growing number of amateur boaters and builders around the world who were already enjoying the benefits of junk rigging, or wished to do so. Practical Junk Rig explains in detail the design and aerodynamic theory of junk rigs and their implementation, aided by a wealth of precise illustrations. This reference work has been reissued and is still available.
