BERMUDA RIG, the lofty, triangular, or leg-of-mutton mainsail of modern racing yachts. The rig was used origi nally on the small craft of the Bermuda islands, where it had been brought to a high state of efficiency before it came into general use on yachts. In its original form it consisted of a tall mast, rak ing well aft, and a loose-footed sail with a sprit to hold it out instead of a boom. As developed for yacht use the mast was lengthened considerably, being well stayed, often with two sets of spreaders on the mast to obtain the desired strength, and the foot of the sail shortened. This was to give a long "leading edge" to the sail, the ratio of height (or hoist) to foot being sometimes as high as 2.5 to 1 on small yachts. On larger yachts the difficulty of properly staying extremely long masts has kept this ratio down, so that from 2 to I or I•5 to 1 is more common in yachts over 5o ft. long. The sail is very efficient on the wind, it being possible to get a more uniform surface than in a gaff sail, where the gaff and boom are at different angles due to the former swinging off more than the latter. Whether or not the rig is indigenous to Bermuda is not certain. It probably originated in Holland, whence England derived much of her sea lore. However, it has been used in Bermuda from the early days of that colony, and was also seen on Chesapeake bay, in the early days of the American Colonies. The sail, in its modified form, did not come into general use on yachts outside of Bermuda until after 1918. It is also sometimes called the marconi (q.v.) or the jib-headed rig.