Why do Wyliecats have wishbone booms?
The wishbone boom works much better than a conventional boom with the Wyliecat’s ultra-flexible carbon fiber mast to keep the sail in perfect trim, all the time, allowing better sail control and ease of handling in the process. The wishbone tensions the sail at an angle, pulling the sail both back and down. This trims the sail more efficiently than the forces applied to a sail with a conventional boom, with the outhaul and vang. The wishbone is also more effective at bending the carbon mast. The only way in which a conventional mast could be similarly bent is with the use of running backstays, which are usually only seen on pure racing boats such as the America’s Cup class yachts. The disadvantages of conventional running backstays are numerous. They must be constantly trimmed by an experienced sailor, and if adjusted incorrectly, could cause catastrophic mast failure. The wishbone boom has one other advantage – it provides an attachment point for the Wyliecat’s built-in sail furling s