The revolutionary fork-shaped lazy jack for your boat

Marco Mastantuono, a sailor from Ancona and a reader of ours, has invented a system that will get you talking. A steel fork-shaped lazy jack (fixed to the boom with a support), which replaces the traditional lazy jack and which, according to him, eliminates any risk of “hindrance” when hoisting, lowering or changing the sail.

Why a fork-shaped lazy jack

In the past, when I went out on my boat alone,” he wrote, “I used the lazy jack like everyone else, which allowed the mainsail to be retracted into the canopy on the way back. As time went by, I realized that when I was hoisting the sail, it would often get caught in the lazy jacks and I’d have to partially lower the sail”

That’s where the idea of a fork-shaped lazy jack came from. “I built an accessory with my own hands (I’m not a craftsman) which allowed me to get rid of the topsails and also to lay the mainsail down and then cover it. I’ve had this tool for five years and it has never given me any problems.

The new owner also liked it

I sold my boat and in the meantime the buyer changed the mast (1 metre taller), the shrouds, the boom and the sails (racing sails), the electrics etc… 10 years have passed and one thing hasn’t changed, the lazy jacks! He wrote me that they were too comfortable and by changing the boom he had adapted the forks to the new shape of the boom”.

The detail of the fork support: the steel has been in use for 15 years, the first signs of rust can be seen.

The pros of a forked-shaped lazy jack

Mr. Mastantuono continues: “For me the advantages are:
– A cleaner look without the lazy jack web.
– It’s easier to hoist and lower the sail when returning, even when sailing upwind;
– Less drag from the topsails and canopies, which, even if only slightly, slow down the speed of the boat;
– Finally, when replacing the mainsail, there is no hindrance from the topsails.

“I didn’t do this,” concludes Mastantuono, “so that others would have to adopt this method, but only to illustrate that with personal experience you can find solutions to suit your own needs.

What do you think of the idea?

If you want to know more about this innovative system, please write an e-mail to Marco Mastantuono at:

corallo_mm@libero.it