Hi Brian,
Thanks for your input.
The boat is 42 feet LOA. 13'3'' beam. Disp approx 27000lbs. She has two sets of spreaders swept almost 30 degrees aft. She is a sloop with a 9/10 fractional rig but also has a lighter masthead forestay with roller furled genoa. The inner (9/10) forestay is the "real" forestay. We have an adjustable backstay with mechanical purchase. The rig is by Selden.
I do understand the concept of over-reinforcing things. On our previous boat I rigged it with a staysail and running backstays but felt it was too complicated. After 2 transatlantic crossings I removed the backstays and raised the inner forestay to a Solent stay close to the masthead. However that boat was more conventional with fore and aft lower shrouds (not swept spreaders). Obviously that rig needed runners when the inner was lead to the upper spreaders. The new boat has such swept spreaders that I hoped to get away without runners.
Paul
here's a shot of the spreaders...
http://expeditionyachtservices.ca/pa...utherly42.html then click exterior pix and there are a few of our rig with the double headstay.