Types of Sailboats & Rig Types Explained: A Complete Guide for Buyers & Charterers

From single-masted sloops and cutters to two-masted ketches, schooners and multihull catamarans.

Sailing yachts can be classified in two ways: by hull type (monohull, catamaran, trimaran) and by rig type — the configuration of masts and sails (sloop, ketch, schooner and others). This guide covers both, with a focus on rig types, which is the most practical way to understand how a sailing yacht handles, what crew it requires, and whether it suits your sailing plans. If you are looking for a classification by size or intended use (racing, coastal cruising, bluewater, liveaboard), see the summary table at the end of this page.

Understanding these distinctions matters whether you are buying a sailing yacht on the French Riviera, planning a crewed charter across the Mediterranean, or simply trying to make sense of what you see in the marinas of Cannes, Antibes and Nice. Each rig — from the ubiquitous sloop to the elegant schooner — has been developed for specific sailing conditions, crew sizes and performance goals.

If you would like personalised advice, our Allied Yachting brokers are available to discuss available sailing yachts for sale or charter across the Côte d’Azur and the wider Mediterranean.

Rig Type	Masts	Hulls	Best For	Crew Needed	Mediterranean Popularity
Sloop	1	1	Racing & coastal cruising	1–2	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Cutter	1	1	Offshore cruising	1–2	⭐⭐⭐
Ketch	2	1	Long-distance cruising	2–4	⭐⭐⭐
Yawl	2	1	Cruising, helm balance	2–3	⭐⭐
Schooner	2+	1	Downwind passages	3–6	⭐⭐
Gaffer	1–2	1	Classic / traditional	2–4	⭐
Catamaran	1	2	Charter, stability, space	1–2	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trimaran	1	3	Racing, speed	2–4	⭐
Motorsailer	1	1	Long-distance, liveaboard	1–2	⭐⭐
Gulet	2–3	1	Charter, Eastern Med	4–8	⭐⭐⭐

Single-Masted Sailing Rigs

Sloop — The Most Common Single-Masted Sailboat

The sloop is the most common single-masted sailing yacht in the world, and the dominant rig in the marinas of the French Riviera. It features one mast with two sails: a mainsail and a headsail (jib or genoa). The setup is simple, efficient upwind, and manageable with a crew of one or two, which explains why the vast majority of modern production yachts, from 30 to 60 feet, are rigged as sloops.

Pros: Efficient to windward, simple to handle, lower maintenance cost, widely available as new or pre-owned

Cons: Limited sail plan options in heavy weather; larger headsails require a stronger crew

Best for: Coastal cruising on the Riviera, day sailing, racing, first-time yacht buyers

Cutter — Single-Masted with Two Headsails

The cutter resembles the sloop but carries the mast further aft and sets two headsails simultaneously — a jib on the forestay and a staysail on an inner stay. This divides the forward sail area into smaller, more manageable pieces, giving the crew excellent flexibility in changing conditions.

Pros: Versatile sail plan, easier to reef in rising wind, well-suited to short-handed offshore passages

Cons: More standing rigging than a sloop, tacking requires managing two headsails

Best for: Bluewater cruising couples, long-distance passages, experienced sailors heading west to the Balearics or south to the Canaries

Two-Masted Sailing Rigs

Ketch

A ketch is a two-masted sailing yacht with a mainmast forward and a shorter mizzen mast positioned ahead of the rudder post. The mizzen sail adds drive and — crucially — allows the sail plan to be balanced and reduced without the effort of handling a large mainsail alone. Ketches were the preferred rig for serious ocean cruisers for decades, and remain popular among experienced sailors for long Mediterranean passages.

Pros: Balanced sail plan, easier to manage in heavy weather, mizzen can carry a riding sail at anchor

Cons: Second mast adds cost, weight and windage; not as fast to windward as a sloop of the same length

Best for: Long-distance cruising, liveaboards, couples managing larger yachts short-handed

Yawl

The yawl is frequently confused with the ketch. The essential difference is the position of the mizzen mast: on a yawl, it sits aft of the rudder post, making it significantly smaller and used primarily for helm balance rather than propulsion. Yawls were fashionable racing and cruising yachts in the mid-twentieth century and are now relatively rare in production.

Pros: Excellent helm balance, small mizzen easy to handle, traditional aesthetic

Cons: Mizzen contributes little power; performance gains over a sloop are modest

Best for: Classic yacht enthusiasts, those who appreciate sailing heritage

Schooner

The schooner is distinguished by having its aft mast (the mainmast) equal to or taller than its forward mast — the reverse of the ketch arrangement. Schooners can carry two or more masts and typically spread a large sail area across multiple manageable panels. They are among the most visually striking sailing yachts under full canvas, and a number of large luxury schooners are available for charter in the Mediterranean.

Pros: Excellent downwind performance, impressive sail area, distinguished appearance

Cons: Complex rig, slower to tack than a sloop, requires a larger and more experienced crew

Best for: Superyacht charter, private passage-making, blue-water voyages with professional crew

Gaff-Rigged Sailboats (Gaffers)

A gaff-rigged yacht supports its mainsail with a spar — the gaff — that runs diagonally from the mast, giving the sail its characteristic four-cornered shape. The gaff rig predates the Bermudian (triangular) mainsail and is no longer used on modern production yachts, but a number of beautifully maintained classic sailing yachts in the south of France carry this rig. During the Régates Royales in Cannes, gaff-rigged classics are a regular sight.

Pros: Traditional character, lower centre of effort in strong winds, beautiful under sail

Cons: Complex rigging, lower windward performance than Bermudian rig, requires maintenance expertise

Best for: Classic yacht owners, those chartering a traditional vessel for a special occasion

Multihull Sailing Yachts

Catamaran

A sailing catamaran consists of two parallel hulls connected by a bridgedeck, deriving its stability from beam rather than ballast. Catamarans are lighter than equivalent monohulls, draw less water — opening up anchorages unavailable to keeled yachts — and offer significantly more interior and deck space. In the charter market across the French Riviera and the Mediterranean, catamarans are increasingly popular for groups and families. See our sailing catamarans listing.

Pros: High stability, shallow draught, spacious interior, fast off the wind, no heeling

Cons: Wide beam makes berthing in French Riviera marinas expensive and sometimes unavailable; slower upwind than a sloop; higher purchase price for equivalent length

Best for: Family charter, live-aboard cruising, coastal Mediterranean sailing, guests who prefer comfort over performance sailing

Trimaran

A trimaran features a central main hull flanked by two smaller outrigger hulls (amas) connected by crossbeams. The configuration delivers exceptional speed and stability with minimal weight. Modern ocean racing trimarans have broken virtually every offshore sailing record, but cruising trimarans remain rare in Mediterranean marinas due to their beam.

Pros: Exceptional speed, very stable, light construction

Cons: Extremely wide beam makes marina berths difficult and costly; limited availability; not practical for typical Mediterranean cruising

Best for: Racing, performance sailing enthusiasts, specialist offshore passages

Motor-Assisted Sailing Rigs

Motorsailer

A motorsailer is a hybrid vessel designed to derive propulsion from both sails and an engine in roughly equal measure. Unlike a pure sailing yacht — where the engine is an auxiliary backup — the motorsailer is engineered to motor efficiently in calm conditions and sail comfortably when the wind allows. The rig is typically smaller and the engine larger than on a comparable sailing yacht. This makes the motorsailer ideal for long-distance cruising with a small crew, where reliable progress regardless of wind conditions is the priority.

Pros: Reliable passage-making, manageable sail area, comfortable for small crews and liveaboards

Cons: Compromised sailing performance compared to a pure sailing yacht; heavier than equivalent sailing designs

Best for: Long-distance cruising, retired sailors, those prioritising reliability over sailing performance

Gulet

The gulet is a traditional two- or three-masted wooden sailing vessel originating from the southwestern coast of Turkey, particularly Bodrum and Marmaris. Its name derives from the French word for schooner. Today, gulets range from 14 to 45 metres and are widely used for crewed charter throughout Turkey, the Aegean, Greece and as far as Croatia. They offer generous deck space, comfortable cabins and a relaxed pace of travel that suits longer itineraries.

Pros: Spacious and sociable, good value for group charter, culturally distinctive, well-suited to the eastern Mediterranean

Cons: Not fast under sail; engine-reliant in practice; rarely seen in western Mediterranean marinas

Best for: Group charter in Turkey, Greece and the Aegean; families and friends seeking a relaxed, social sailing holiday

Types of Sailboats by Use — Quick Reference

If you are choosing a sailing yacht by intended use rather than rig type, this table provides a practical starting point. All recommendations below are based on the most common configurations seen across the French Riviera and the wider Mediterranean market.

Intended Use	Recommended Type	Typical Size	Notes
Day sailing & weekends	Sloop monohull	25–38 ft	Simple, widely available, easy to berth
Coastal cruising (Riviera, Balearics)	Sloop monohull	35–50 ft	Most practical choice for the Med
Offshore & bluewater passages	Cutter or ketch monohull	40–58 ft	Better sail plan flexibility offshore
Group charter (4–8 guests)	Catamaran	42–55 ft	Space and stability; check marina beam
Superyacht charter	Schooner or large ketch	80–165 ft	Professional crew required
Racing	Sloop monohull	30–50 ft	Performance rigs, fractional or masthead
Liveaboard / long-term cruising	Ketch or motorsailer	45–65 ft	Manageable short-handed over long passages
Traditional / classic charter	Gaff-rigged or gulet	50–150 ft	Character and heritage; eastern Med popular

Our brokers can advise on available yachts matching any of these profiles — both for purchase and for charter on the French Riviera.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: What is a single-masted sailboat called?

A single-masted sailing yacht is most commonly a sloop or a cutter. The sloop — with one mast and two sails (mainsail and headsail) — is by far the most widespread type of single-masted sailboat in the world and the standard configuration for modern cruising and racing yachts. The cutter also has one mast but carries two headsails simultaneously, giving it more versatility in changing conditions.

Q: What are the main types of sailboats?

Sailboats are broadly divided by hull type and rig type. By hull: monohull (single hull, the most common), catamaran (two hulls, popular for charter and liveaboard), and trimaran (three hulls, mainly racing). By rig: sloop and cutter (single-masted), ketch, yawl and schooner (two-masted), and gaff-rigged classics. Each combination suits different sailing styles, crew sizes and waters.

Q: What is the most common type of sailing yacht rig in the Mediterranean?

The sloop is by far the most common rig in the Mediterranean, accounting for the great majority of modern sailing yachts. Its single mast and two-sail configuration is efficient, easy to manage and well-suited to the predominantly upwind and coastal sailing conditions of the Riviera, Balearics and Greek islands.

Q: What is the difference between a ketch and a yawl?

Both are two-masted sailing yachts with a shorter mizzen mast behind the main. The key difference is the position of that mizzen mast: on a ketch, it sits forward of the rudder post and contributes meaningfully to propulsion; on a yawl, it sits aft of the rudder post, is smaller, and is used primarily to balance the helm rather than add drive.

Q: What is the difference between a sloop and a cutter?

Both have a single mast, but a cutter carries two headsails simultaneously — a jib and an inner staysail — while a sloop carries just one headsail at a time. The cutter’s split headsail arrangement gives more flexibility in heavy weather and is preferred by many offshore cruisers.

Q: Are catamarans suitable for sailing in the French Riviera?

Yes, catamarans sail the French Riviera regularly, but prospective owners and charterers should be aware that their wide beam makes marina berths more expensive and sometimes harder to find than for equivalent monohulls. For charter purposes, this is rarely an issue, as operators manage berthing logistics. For ownership, it is worth factoring in berth costs at marinas in Cannes, Antibes and Nice.

Q: Which type of sailing yacht is easiest to handle short-handed?

The sloop is the simplest rig for a crew of one or two. Among multi-masted options, the ketch offers the best balance of sail area and manageability for a small crew, since the mizzen allows the sail plan to be split and reduced without wrestling with a large mainsail. Modern furling systems have made almost all rig types significantly more manageable than they were a generation ago.

Q: What type of rig should I look for when buying a sailing yacht?

The right rig depends on how and where you plan to sail. For coastal cruising on the French Riviera and day sailing, a sloop in the 35–55 foot range is the natural choice — practical, widely available and easy to crew. For longer offshore passages across the Mediterranean or Atlantic, a cutter or ketch offers more flexibility. For group charter and comfort, a catamaran is hard to beat. Our brokers are happy to discuss which configuration best fits your sailing plans.