When it comes to the modern sailboat rig, there has been a definite design trend toward higher masts and shorter booms. This rigging choice is seen most clearly on racing machines, but it has also become a factor on the average voyaging boat. There are, of course, advantages to this type of rig, but there are also some significant penalties. An examination of different rig styles reveals some of the trade-offs designers must make when drawing a voyaging rig. The relationship of wingspan to wing breadth is termed "aspect ratio" and is expressed as a simple fraction. A kite has…