Mike, Tony----

A six foot bowsprit is a wild idea. You could fly a 250% genoa on it! Our cutaway bow might get pretty depressed tho.

Arguement pro the extra rigging might be: extra strength - setting the runners and a small staysail on the second stay in heavy weather would provide extra mast support.

Con might be the extra weight aloft and the weight over the bow.

My thoughts have gone to a short (two, two and a half feet outboard of the stem) s.s. pipe design in a tight loop rather than a spar. Might be lighter than wood.

Suppose the inner 'fractional' stay could be carried at the mast until wanted, then brought forward and clipped to the stem? I imagine that a staysail that hanks on to itself could be rigged so that a single halyard to a winch could set both stay and sail? Not forgetting runners, of course.

You know me, I spend my time under the cockpit rather than IN the cockpit with thw tiller under my arm. So let me ask:

Is there a definite conceivable advantage to carrying more sail in a wider foretriangle? Just for light air? Our type of hull gets serious weather helm in heavy air - so I read that on other similar underbody boats a sprit is added to 'correct' weather helm. I understand you don't want to create a boat that gets lee helm in light air. One that won't round up naturally into the wind.

You captains who find it more fun to sail than sweat an epoxy lamination: Have you an opinion, a feeling, an intuition about the Ariel sail plan in this regaard?