The Junk rig, also known as the Chinese lugsail and Sampan rig, is a type of sail rig in which rigid members, called battens, span the full width of the sail and extend the sail forward of the mast

Mast (sailing)

The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship...

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An origin of the name junk rig is not directly recorded, however it is popularly attributed to the name from the traditional Chinese junk ship

Junk (ship)

A junk is an ancient Chinese sailing vessel design still in use today. Junks were developed during the Han Dynasty and were used as sea-going vessels as early as the 2nd century AD. They evolved in the later dynasties, and were used throughout Asia for extensive ocean voyages...

, where the rig was in use when discovered by Europeans.

While relatively uncommon in use among modern production sailboats, the rig's potential advantages of easier use and lower cost for blue water cruisers

Cruising (maritime)

Cruising by boat is a lifestyle that involves living for extended time on a boat while traveling from place to place for pleasure. Cruising generally refers to trips of a few days or more, and can extend to round-the-world voyages.- History :...

 have been explored by individuals such as trans-Atlantic racer Herbert "Blondie" Hasler

Herbert Hasler

Lieutenant-Colonel Herbert George "Blondie" Hasler, DSO, OBE was a distinguished Royal Marines officer in World War II, responsible for many of the concepts which ultimately led to the post-war formation of the Special Boat Service...

 and author Annie Hill

Annie Hill

Annie Hill is an English sailor, author of books and articles about sailboat voyaging, living on a small amount of money and sailing junk rigs.-Biography:...

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Each of the traditional sailing rigs can be achieved using the modern junk sail.

• the catboat
  Catboat
  A catboat , or a cat-rigged sailboat, is a sailing vessel characterized by a single mast carried well forward ....
  
  , characterized by its single mast and sail, is easiest to handle and is most likely seen on sailing dinghies and small boats, including the sampan
  Sampan
  A sampan is a relatively flat bottomed Chinese wooden boat from long. Some sampans include a small shelter on board, and may be used as a permanent habitation on inland waters. Sampans are generally used for transportation in coastal areas or rivers, and are often used as traditional fishing boats...
  
  .
• the ketch
  Ketch
  A ketch is a sailing craft with two masts: a main mast, and a shorter mizzen mast abaft of the main mast, but forward of the rudder post. Both masts are rigged mainly fore-and-aft. From one to three jibs may be carried forward of the main mast when going to windward...
  
  , characterized by a two mast configuration with the largest main mast
  Mast (sailing)
  The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship...
  
   forward and the smaller mizzen mast
  Mast (sailing)
  The mast of a sailing vessel is a tall, vertical, or near vertical, spar, or arrangement of spars, which supports the sails. Large ships have several masts, with the size and configuration depending on the style of ship...
  
   aft.