For the military definition of sloop see: Sloop-of-war. In the 18th and the earlier part of the 19th centuries a sloop-of-war was a small sailing Warship (also known as one of the Escort types with a single gun deck

The sail plan of a typical sloop, with a gaff rig on the mainsail

For the open learning project see: SLOOP Project. A sail-plan is a set of drawings usually prepared by a naval architect. Gaff rig is a Sailing rig (configuration of sails in which the Sail is four-cornered Fore-and-aft rigged controlled at its peak and usually A mainsail is the most important sail raised from the main (or only mast of a sailing vessel SLOOP is an E-Learning and OpenContent project funded by the European Commission.

A sloop (from Dutch sloep) is a sailboat with a fore-and-aft rig and a single mast farther forward than the mast of a cutter. Dutch ( is a West Germanic language spoken by around 24 million people 22 million of which are from the Netherlands, Belgium and Suriname In some cases less is more The purpose of this article is to give an overview A fore-and-aft rig is a Sailing rig consisting mainly of Sails that are set along the line of the Keel rather than perpendicular to it The mast of a sailing ship is a tall vertical or near vertical Spar, or arrangement of Spars which supports the Sails Large ships have several masts When used in a nautical sense a cutter is a small single-masted vessel Fore-and-aft rigged with two or more Headsails a Bowsprit, and A sloop's fore-triangle is smaller than a cutter's, and a sloop usually bends only one headsail, though this distinction is not definitive. A headsail of a Sailing vessel is any Sail set forward of the foremost mast. Unlike cutters, sloops usually have only one headsail, though some sloops such as the Friendship Sloop have more than one. The Friendship sloop is a style of gaff-rigged Sloop that originated in Friendship Maine around 1880 Ultimately position of the mast is the most important factor.

On a gaff rigged, single masted boat, the clearest distinction between a sloop and a cutter is the run of the forestay. When used in a nautical sense a cutter is a small single-masted vessel Fore-and-aft rigged with two or more Headsails a Bowsprit, and On a Sailing vessel a forestay, sometimes just called a stay is a piece of Standing rigging which keeps a mast from falling backwards On the sloop, it runs to the outboard end of the bowsprit, which means that spar must always stay in position and cannot be retracted. The bowsprit, or boltsprit, of a Sailing vessel is a pole extending forward from the vessel's prow On the cutter, the forestay runs to the stem head of the hull. This allows the bowsprit to be run back inboard and stowed. This can be helpful in crowded harbours or when stowing the jib in strong wind conditions.

Rationale behind the sloop rig

Typical Bermuda rigged sloop

No design is perfect for all conditions; sloops are designed to optimize upwind sailing. The term Bermuda rig refers to a configuration of mast and Rigging for a type of Sailboat and is also known as a Marconi rig; this is the typical However, sloops also offer an excellent overall compromise acceptable, if not optimal, to all points of sail. It is clear that the most difficult direction to sail is to the windward (known as sailing close-hauled); this requires some specific design features. Points of sail describes a sailing boat's course in relation to the wind direction The sail should be as vertical as possible to optimize the energy of the wind.

Two forces act on a vessel to push it from vertical (also known as heeling over): (1) the weight of the rig itself will tend to heel the boat, and (2) the sideways force of the wind on the sails. The sloop is a light rig with fewer lines and spars, and the sails on a sloop tend to be flat which minimizes sideways force when well trimmed. The heeling forces are also counterbalanced by the keel, which uses weight and hydrodynamics to offset the forces from the rigging and sails. In boats and ships keel can refer to either of two parts a structural element or a hydrodynamic element

When sailing upwind, it is also important to minimize the drag of the wind on the sail and rig. A major cause of drag of the sail is a vortex of turbulent air generated by the top of the mast and sail. V erification of the O rigins of R otation in T ornadoes Ex periment or VORTEX, is a field project that seeks to understand how a In Fluid dynamics, turbulence or turbulent flow is a fluid regime characterized by chaotic Stochastic property changes Secondary causes are non-optimal aerodynamic shapes of masts, stays and control lines. The sloop minimizes the drag of the tip-vortex with a high and narrow sail design (high aspect), maximizing the amount of sail for a given tip-vortex compared to a square-rigged or gaff-rigged ship. Also, the simplicity of the rig reduces the drag induced by control lines, masts and spars.

Sails carried

A sloop-rigged J-24 sailboat

To maximize the amount of sail carried, the classical sloop may use a bowsprit, which is essentially a fixed spar that projects forward from the bow of the boat. The bowsprit, or boltsprit, of a Sailing vessel is a pole extending forward from the vessel's prow For downwind sailing, the typical foresail may be replaced (or sometimes supplemented) by larger sails known as spinnakers or gennakers. A foresail is one of a few different types of Sail set on the foremost mast ( foremast) of a Sailing vessel: A A spinnaker is a special type of Sail that is designed specifically for Sailing off the wind from a reaching course to a downwind i A gennaker is a recently-developed Sail used when Sailing Downwind; it can be described as a cross between The typical foresail known as the jib, which does not overlap the mast more than 10 to 20 percent, may be replaced by a genoa jib, which overlaps the mast by as much as 55 to 100 percent for racing rules and sometimes more. A jib (also spelled jibb) is a triangular Staysail set ahead of the foremost mast of a sailing boat The genoa or jenny was originally referred to as the 'overlapping jib' or the Genoa jib, being named after the city of Genoa as explained below The mainsail and Genoa form an efficient double wing.

The Bermuda Sloop

Main article: Bermuda sloop

The modern yachting sloop is known as the Bermuda sloop, due to its Bermuda rig (also known as the Marconi rig, due to its resemblance to the wireless towers of Guglielmo Marconi), which is the optimal rig for upwind sailing; consequently sloops are popular with sport sailors and yachtsmen, and for racing. The Bermuda sloop is a type of fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel developed on the islands of Bermuda in the 17th century The term Bermuda rig refers to a configuration of mast and Rigging for a type of Sailboat and is also known as a Marconi rig; this is the typical Marchese Guglielmo Marconi mar'koni (25 April 1874 – 20 July 1937 was an Italian inventor best known for his development of a Radiotelegraph system The rig is simple in its basic form, yet when tuned properly it is maneuverable and fast. The main disadvantage is the relatively large size of the sails, especially on larger vessels. It is also less successful sailing downwind; the addition of a spinnaker is necessary for reasonable downwind speed in all but the strongest winds, and the spinnaker is an intrinsically unstable sail requiring continual trimming. A spinnaker is a special type of Sail that is designed specifically for Sailing off the wind from a reaching course to a downwind i

The Bermuda sloop is a type of fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel developed on the island of Bermuda in the 17th century. Ba (officially The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. In this sense, the term applied to small ships, rather than boats. In its purest form, it is single-masted, although ships with such rigging were built with as many as three masts. Its original form had gaff rig, but evolved to use what is now known as Bermuda rig, making it the basis of nearly all modern sailing yachts. Gaff rig is a Sailing rig (configuration of sails in which the Sail is four-cornered Fore-and-aft rigged controlled at its peak and usually The term Bermuda rig refers to a configuration of mast and Rigging for a type of Sailboat and is also known as a Marconi rig; this is the typical Although the Bermuda sloop is often described as a development of the narrower-beamed Jamaica sloop, which dates from the 1670s, the high, raked masts, and triangular sails of its Bermuda rig are rooted in a tradition of Bermudian boat design dating from the early 17th century. Part of that tradition included long, horizontal bowsprits, and large jibs. Three jibs were commonly used on Bermudian ships. Triangular sails appeared on Bermudian boats early in the 17th century, a development of the Dutch bezaan, or leg-of-mutton rig, itself derived from the Lateen rig. A lateen (from a la trina, meaning triangular or latin-rig is a triangular Sail set on a long yard mounted at an angle on the mast This became the Bermuda rig, and was appearing on Bermudian ships by the early 19th century. A large spinnaker was carried on a spinnaker boom when running down-wind.

Historic naval definition

A three-masted Bermuda sloop of the Royal Navy, ca. The Bermuda sloop is a type of fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel developed on the islands of Bermuda in the 17th century The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) 1831. Also called Ballyhou schooners, the RN referred to these as sloops-of-war.

The naval term "sloop" referred to ships with different rigs and sizes varying from navy to navy. "Sloop-of-war" was more of a reference to the purpose of the craft rather than the specific size or sailplan. In the 18th and the earlier part of the 19th centuries a sloop-of-war was a small sailing Warship (also known as one of the Escort types with a single gun deck The Royal Navy began buying Bermuda sloops, beginning with an order for three sloops-of-war (HMS Dasher, HMS Driver, and HMS Hunter, were each of 200 tons, armed with twelve 24 pounders) placed with Bermudian builders in 1795 [1]. The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) The Bermuda sloop is a type of fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel developed on the islands of Bermuda in the 17th century Five ships of the Royal Navy have been named HMS Dasher: was an 18-gun sloop launched in 1797 They were intended to counter the then-extant menace of French privateers, which the Navy's ships-of-the-line were ill-designed to counter. A privateer was a private Warship authorized by a country's Government by Letters of marque to attack foreign shipping A ship-of-the-line was a type of naval warship constructed from the 17th century through the mid-19th century to take part in the the naval tactic known as the Line of battle Eventually, Bermuda sloops became the standard advice vessels of the navy, used for communications, reconnoitering, anti-slaving, anti-smuggling, and other roles to which they were well suited. The most notable examples of these were HMS Pickle, which raced back to England with news of the British victory and the death of Admiral Lord Nelson at the end of the Battle of Trafalgar, and HMS Whiting (79 tons and four guns), which lowered anchor in the harbor of Hampton Roads on 8 July 1812, carrying dispatches. Service In 1803 Pickle was attached to Admiral William Cornwallis ' Inshore Squadron where she was used to recconoitre enemy harbours during the Blockade Vice-Admiral Horatio Nelson 1st Viscount Nelson 1st Duke of Bronté, KB (29 September 1758– 21 October 1805 was a British The Battle of Trafalgar ( 21 October 1805) was a historic sea battle fought between the British Royal Navy and the combined fleets of the Hampton Roads is the name of both a body of water and the region of land areas which surround it in southeastern Virginia in the USA. Events 939 - The Major Occultation or Ghaybat el-Kubra of Muhammad al-Mahdi 1099 - First Crusade: 15000 Year 1812 ( MDCCCXII) a leap year started on Wednesday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar (or a Leap year The American privateer Dash, which happened to be leaving port, seized the vessel. The crew of the Whiting had not yet received news of the American declaration of war, and her capture was the first naval action of the American War of 1812. The War of 1812 was fought between the United States of America and the British Empire, particularly Great Britain and her North American colonies Generally a sloop was smaller than a frigate; however, in the later days of the U.S. Navy's sailing fleet, some of the largest vessels were called sloops because they carried fewer guns than a frigate, as few as 20. The classification of sloop was similar to a corvette. A corvette is a small maneuverable lightly armed Warship, originally smaller than a Frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft, although many

Modern Naval Definition

In modern use, a sloop refers to a warship between a corvette and a frigate in size. A corvette is a small maneuverable lightly armed Warship, originally smaller than a Frigate and larger than a coastal patrol craft, although many For the bird see Frigatebird. A frigate /ˈfrɪgɪt/ is a warship Such vessels were common during the age of steam, but ships of this type were becoming obsolete by the Second World War. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including The Royal Navy used sloops, such as those of the Flower Class [2], for numerous roles, including escort duty and anti-submarine warfare, during the Great War. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All The same was true during the Second World War, when the Royal Navy used the Black Swan class, but for many years, now, its smallest warships have been frigates (not including fishery patrol vessels and offshore patrol vessels, like the Peacock Class [3]). World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including Black Swan class Royal Navy The first two ships were built under the 1937 Programme and the second pair under the 1939 Programme

Modern civilian connotation

Sloops in their modern form were developed by the French Navy as blockade runners to circumvent Royal Navy blockades. The French Navy, officially the Marine nationale ( National Navy) and often called La Royale ( The Royal Navy) is the maritime arm A blockade runner is a term applied to ships used to evade a naval Blockade of a harbor or strait as opposed to confronting the blockaders to break the blockade The Royal Navy of the United Kingdom is the oldest of the British armed services (and is therefore known as the Senior Service) A blockade is any effort to prevent supplies Troops information or aid from reaching an opposing force They were later adapted to pilot boats (small ships that take a pilot out to a ship to guide it into a harbor). A harbor or harbour (see spelling differences) or haven, is a place where ships may shelter from the Weather or are stored Later still, they were adapted to smaller revenue cutters.

The first modern sloops were fitted with the Bermuda Rig, so called as a result of its development in Bermuda during the 17th century. The term Bermuda rig refers to a configuration of mast and Rigging for a type of Sailboat and is also known as a Marconi rig; this is the typical Ba (officially The Bermuda Islands or The Somers Isles) is a British overseas territory in the North Atlantic Ocean. This rig is also called the Marconi rig because of the resemblance of its tall mast and complex standing rigging to Guglielmo Marconi's wireless (radio) transmission antennas. Marchese Guglielmo Marconi mar'koni (25 April 1874 – 20 July 1937 was an Italian inventor best known for his development of a Radiotelegraph system Wireless communication is the transfer of information over a distance without the use of electrical conductors or " Wires quot

The state of the art in racing sloops today may be seen in the IACC yachts sailed in the America's Cup competition. The International Americas Cup Class is a class of sailing vessels that was developed for the America's Cup competition The America’s Cup is the most prestigious Regatta and Match race in the sport of Sailing, and the oldest active Trophy in international This statement is only true in that the most money has been spent in this class, to build the fastest boats that meet the IACC rule. Much faster sloops have been built that don't fit the rule, using such forbidden technology as canting keels and movable water ballast. The current Volvo Ocean Race is using a new class, the Volvo 70 which boasts a canting keel, carbon construction throughout and very powerful sailplans. The Volvo Ocean Race (formerly the Whitbread Round the World Race) is a Yacht race around the world held every three years The 24-hour distance record was recently broken several times, with ABN AMRO 2 setting the record distance of 563 nautical miles (1,043 km) for a monohull (January 2006). These boats routinely sail at or above wind speeds and can sustain mid-20-knot (37 km/h) speeds hour after hour.

The largest yachting sloop built to date is Mirabella V, with a carbon-fiber mast that is 289 feet (90 m) high. Mirabella V is a Sloop -rigged super yacht launched in 2003. At an estimated cost of over US$50million she is the largest single-masted yacht Carbon fiber reinforced plastic ( CFRP or CRP) is a very strong light and expensive Composite material or fiber reinforced plastic.

See also

• Sailboat
• Bermuda rig, also called a Marconi rig, the most common of the sloop rigs
• Bermuda sloop gaff or Bermuda rigged vessels built in Bermuda from the 17th to 19th Centuries
• Friendship Sloop, a traditional gaff-rigged sloop developed for the Maine lobster fishery
• Sloop John B, a traditional song about an ill-fated trip on the eponymous vessel, made famous by the Beach Boys
• Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, A traditional sloop launched in 1969 to promote environmental awareness
• Mast aft rig, a single mast rig with a mast further back than a sloop or cutter

External links

• Hudson River Sloop Woody Guthrie, a smaller Hudson River Ferry sloop operated by the Beacon Sloop Club