Question: I'm looking at a Hunter 356. Do you have any comments on the B&R rig? I had a similar rig on my Mark 25. I liked it more and more after I sold it. But, it could round up and at times releasing the main sheet didn't help because the sail was already on the spreaders. Does this boat have enough rudder to balance?

Drew

Answer: As you probably already know, the B&R rig sprung from Hunter’s involvement in the BOC with Hunter’s Child, a 60-foot offshore sailing machine that went on to second place in that race. While the rig proved itself in that round the world contest, and there are many Hunters out there that actively sailing and cruising with it, there are some drawbacks to the rig as well. Some cite it as a difficult rig to tune--it’s a high tensioned rig and, unless you tension the mast on the ground in the yard, some of the rig fittings can only be accessed by going aloft. As you noted, you won’t be sailing wing and wing on one of these without the swept back spreaders threatening to poke a hole in the sail. Granted, it’s a slow way to sail, but sometimes--like on trade wind passages--it’s the easiest way to sail and save the crew from unnecessary jibing. And even though I’ve spent a lot of time sailing freestanding rigs, I also just like the idea of a backstay. It’s good to have one to hang on to from time to time, as well as to fly a flag from, mount a radar on, rig an SSB antennae, hold the mast up, and so on. I sail what would be qualified as a 60’s era crab crusher, so call me old fashioned.

You’ll have to weigh the pros and cons of your experience with the rig. The idea behind it was to have a large mainsail which would be easier to deal with in gusty winds. It sounds like your experience rounding up opposes that concept, or that perhaps you were carrying too much sail and should have reefed down.

The rudder is mounted all the way aft, making for a very maneuverable boat, evident every time my neighbor backs his boat all the way down the fairway. If you’re just looking for a comfy and racy boat to take out and weekend on, the Hunter 356 may very well fit the bill, but if you’re looking to take on open waters, something with a bit more heft may be in order. Don’t rule out older boats either--you can get a lot of bang for your buck provided you have a bit of mechanical aptitude and/or sweat equity. It basically boils down to what kind of sailing you plan on doing and how much time you want to spend fixing the boat. Even newer boats need work, so age isn‘t everything. Ask around here for some more insights: http://www.sailjazz.com/listmanager