Spreader Lengths

I have just bought a performance cruising boat (44') , and I have noticed that the rig appears slightly diffferent to other boats around. Its spreaders seem quite a bit longer and it has its capshrouds and lowers taken out to the gunwhale. I'd be interested in any thoughts of the relative merits of such an arrangement.

[SailDesign]

Oats - full-width rigging plans reduce compression in the mast considerably, but don't allow large overlaps as a rule. This allows for a lighter mast, less ballast, and consequently the (slightly) reduced sailplan can still be faster.
I'm sure there are more techie ways to describe this, but I'll let someone else stretch their brains today
Steve

[Oats and beans]

Steve,
thanks for the info, yes it's about what I thought- so the trade off is a lighter rig at the expense of a limitation on the jib overlap. I suppose the French take it to the extreme with their deck spreaders on the Open 60's.

[FAST FRED]

Beware of rafting with other boats, as extrime spreaders can get wrecked in the next boats rigging.

If you must bow to stern to bow rafting usually avoides the rigs coming down.

FAST FRED