This once popular lug sail was a development of the dipping lug employed mostly in smaller boats to avoid the necessity to lower or 'dip' the yard when going about, which makes short tacking with a dipping lug impracticable because of the time spent in stays with stern way, losing too much ground. It is generally accepted that the standing lug is less efficient than the dipping variety but the ease of tacking when short handed seems to outweigh this.

The standing lug is definitely less efficient than the Bermudan for windward work, though much of the difference is due to the need to set smaller headsails than the Bermudan allows, it being necessary in any but the lightest weather to ensure that the leech of the foresail does not foul the yard of the main which is in part forward of the mast.

In general, foresails for standing lugs extend roughly at the same angle as the yard lies to the mast. They are even less efficient when the yard remains on the weather side after tacking, but may be dipped round the mast in seconds only; to the lee side, without lowering the yard. Hence it's name - Standing Lug.

The difference in efficiency between the right and the wrong tack probably varies from boat to boat but is hopefully somewhere between 5 and 10 degrees. It can be determined by noting the difference of compass course after the sail is dipped to the lee side. Some boats give an illusion of sailing better on the wrong tack; this is caused by the increased speed gained from bearing away to get the sail to set well.

In practice, for short boards of a few minutes only the single-hander does not bother to dip and sails happily enough on either tack. This facility cannot be enjoyed with dipping lugs because of the much larger area of mainsail forward of the mast.

I have sailed standing lug boats both with and without booms, but always loose footed. I am convinced of the superiority of the boomed sail on all points of sailing. In extremes of weather a boomless mainsail can obviously be let fly with lesser heeling effect than the boomed variety; but a viciously whipping main sheet, even without blocks, is very dangerous and I would rather risk the boom. Boomless sails give better results off the wind if a bearing out pole is used.

Being loose footed the logical reefing system seems to be the old fashioned points method. It takes only one or two minutes to put in and less to take out. The whole sail may be lowered if sea conditions are too bad to risk the leech end work as it can easily be re-hoist without bringing the boat head to wind provided the yard is shifted over to the lee side of the mast first. When much reefed it might be necessary to move the halyard up the yard a bit further to get a good set; also it might not!

The inefficiency of this sail lessens off the wind and once downwind it will be at advantage over the Bermudan. Provided the standing lug has an easily adjustable tack line it is best slightly slackened for broad reaching or running in light weather.

For running in light weather I recommend the following. Gybe so as to bring the yard to the weather side of the mast, remove the tack from the after side of the mast and fix it to the weather shroud allowing it to rise up a couple of feet or so (by experiment) which causes the yard to sag at the peak. (Sails with booms will experience boom end droop but it is not too serious as the outboard boom length is reduced by half the beam of the boat.) Arranged thus the sail will set as a square sail and it is a lot better than setting out jib booms, the boat with run with very little weather helm because of the large area to weather and the reduction to lee. Single handers can only do this in light airs but the reduction in weather helm more than compensates for the blanketing of the head sail, usually only about one fifth of the mainsail's area.

To gybe it is necessary to reset the main to its regular position, but the sail setting almost square on means it is not usually necessary as one can sail much more by the lee and accidental gybes are unlikely. The lower yard must be forward of the shrouds; the upper aft. When running with a poled out main do not lash the pole down with other than breaking stuff as gybes when poled out are a likely cause of capsize.

Many books quote the fact that it has been found better that standing lugs set the halyard to yard about ¼ of yard length from the throat, while dipping lugs use a distance of ⅓. They usually give better sail setting as the reason. I submit my theorem for reasoned criticism. The oft quoted virtue of standing lugs 'they come down in a hurry' is not always true. It is much more likely to be so if the yard has ¼ ratio than ⅓. It is not the ratio that is important but merely the length of the lower part of the yard.

When fixed to the traveller if the yard is to be fully lowered simply by releasing the halyard it is obvious that length "A" must exceed length "B" otherwise the tack must be eased. (and in the case of boomed sails the boom passed to the same side of the mast as the yard!) Provided the sail is boomless and the sheet free to run, this is the only consideration. If however the clew is fixed at the boom end or the sheet made fast, it is further necessary that the length "X" throat to clew, be longer than length "B" plus length "C" or lower yard plus boom length.

When reefed length "A" is decreased and length "B" might be increased. Unless these factors are favoured in the sail design the yard will not completely lower and it is then best removed from the traveller. Running parrells can be used but require an extra downhaul for it otherwise one needs an extremely tight luff to keep the yard to the mast. Perhaps if the halyard could slide along the yard between two stops it would allow the yard to come aft when lowered thus reducing length "B" but the old fisherman favoured an iron traveller with hook and a grommet on the yard. With this system, depending on the degree of peak in the sail a length "B" shorter than ⅓ (NB: printing very faded at this point - could be ⅔) of total yard length is needed if it is to come down smartly upon the release of the halyard only.