A stanchion attached to a sail boat, the stanchion comprising:
- a. a generally vertically disposed post, having a base and a top, the base of the stanchion being attached to a sail boat, the sail boat having a deck and a hull, the deck and the hull meeting at the outer edges of the deck, and the stanchion being disposed near an outer edge of the deck, the sail boat also having a bow and a stern and a central plane that runs from the bow to the stern, the sail boat also having at least one sail having points of trim at a jib-tack fitting near the bow of the sail boat and a jib block disposed away from the bow of the boat and towards the stern of the boat, the post also having an outer surface disposed away from the central plane of the sail boat, and an inner surface disposed towards the central plane of the sail boat and a bow side limit and a stern side limit, wherein the stanchion is on the same side of the central plane of the sail boat as the jib block, and the jib block is closer to the stern of the sail boat than the stanchion, and wherein the stanchion supports a lifeline near the top of the stanchion, and the lifeline runs generally along the outer edge of the deck to which the stanchion is connected, and the lifeline is supported by a bow side member away from the bow side limit of the stanchion, and the lifeline is also supported by a stern side member away from the stern side limit of the stanchion, and the connection of the lifeline to the stanchion can be characterized in part by a maximum deflection point of the lifeline, the maximum deflection point of the lifeline describing the amount of displacement that can be imposed on the lifeline by displacing the lifeline with respect to a line segment that goes from approximately the top of the stanchion to approximately an intersection point on a jib trim line, the jib trim line being a line running from the jib-tack fitting to the jib block, that intersection point being where the line segment meets the jib trim line at a right angle, the displacement of the lifeline occurring at first and second points on the lifeline, the first point on the lifeline being approximately midway between the bow side member and the stanchion and the second point on the lifeline being approximately midway between the stern side member and the stanchion towards the cental plane of the boat, the displacement occurring by forcing the lifeline at the first and second points on the lifeline in the direction of the line segment and toward the central plane of the sail boat until the stanchion is close to deforming under the force and determining where a line drawn from the first and second points on the lifeline would intersect with the line segment;
- b. a generally vertically disposed slide supported by the stanchion having a lateral length and an outer slide surface disposed away from the central plane of the sail boat;
- c. the outer slide surface having a profile, the profile being an outer edge of a generally vertical cross-section of the slide that is also generally orthogonal to the central plane of the sail boat, and the limit of the edge of the profile falls between a circular arc which begins near the top of the stanchion, has the maximum deflection point of the lifeline as its center, and travels away from the central plane of the sail boat and downwardly toward the deck of the sail boat so long as the arc is disposed above a lateral limit of the outer slide surface, the lateral limit being a point with respect to the slide below which the sail cannot reach, and a curve which begins near the top of the stanchion and moves progressively farther away from the maximum deflection point of the lifeline as it travels away from the top of the stanchion so long as the curve is disposed above a lateral limit of the outer slide surface, the lateral limit being a point with respect to the slide below which the sail cannot reach.