Sails+Rigging

Carbon Spun

by Sail Staff, Posted August 16, 2007

Here’s a case of grand-prix trickle-down you can benefit from: Lewmar’s new Grand Prix Carbon Fiber 99 winch was specifically designed for the Open 60 and Volvo 70 classes, but it can also handle the loads generated by other large, powerful yachts. The unit’s drum diameter is just under 9 inches; the winch offers a power ratio of 101:1 and has a wide bearing track to accept lines and sheets from

Code-0 Furler

by Sail Staff, Posted August 16, 2007

Karver first made heads spin in 2004 with its K-Blocks; now it’s spinning sails and saving weight aloft with the new line of K.F. Furlers. The basic unit includes Karver’s swivel and furling drum; your sailmaker will build your Code 0 with an ultrastrong synthetic luff cord that attaches directly to this hardware. To use, simply raise the halyard, unfurl the sail using the continuous furler line,

Problem Solver

by Sail Staff, Posted December 18, 2007

An override on a winch can become a big problem if you don’t have the right solution. The Spinlock ZS/OPEN is a mobile jammer that allows you to transfer a loaded line or sheet onto a different winch to fix the override, rearrange a bad lead, or deal with a spinnaker peel. Simply attach the Spinlock unit to the loaded sheet, close the unit’s jaws (jammer), and transfer the load. The semicustom

Slick A-Sail Furler

by Sail Staff, Posted March 18, 2008

Facnor’s new Asym-FX asymmetric-spinnaker furler sports a continuous furling drum, where the sail’s tack attaches, and a swivel, where the head attaches. In between is a Kevlar anti-twist luff rope with a Spectra line attached halfway up. The other end of the line is stitched to the sail’s luff. To set, hoist the sail, then ease the furling line as you take in on the sheet. To furl, reverse this

User-Friendly Furling

by Adam Cort, Posted November 23, 2010

The new NEX continuous-line Code O furler features a bright green "I-Connect" sail attachment system in both the base and swivel unit to facilitate quick sail changes using a captive pin system. The I-Connect can be operated with one hand and has no protruding parts to snag errant lines. A "Quick Fit" line-fitting system provides easy access to the furling drum so the furling line can be left on

Getting Your Bearings

by Sail Staff, Posted April 5, 2011

Ronstan’s Core Blocks feature a two-stage bearing system for improved performance in sheet and halyard applications aboard both cruisers and racers. Stage one provides “ultra-low friction” when handling moderate loads. The second stage engages when the wind pipes up and loads increase. Together the two stages cut overall friction by almost half. Other features include a “flare” design to reduce

Glowfast Luminous Sail Tape

by Adam Cort, Posted April 6, 2011

Glowfast Marine has expanded its line of glow-in-the-dark sail tape so that cruisers can now keep tabs on sail shape during night watches, the same as racers. According to Glowfast, its luminous draft stripes can improve sail handling and performance as much as 20 percent after the sun goes down. Coupled with the company’s wide range of clutch labels, safety labels and even glow-in-the-dark

Wheel Extension

by Adam Cort, Posted July 28, 2011

From the office of “Why didn’t I think of that?” comes Forespar’s new quick-release Steering Control Arm, which is basically a tiller extension for a wheel. The arm has a twist-lock extension, like those found on many boathooks, and a quick-release clamp, so it can be attached or detached from a wheel in seconds. As with a tiller extension, the Steering Control Arm allows you to steer from

Don't Forget-Me-Knots

by Adam Cort, Posted July 28, 2011

A knowledge of knots, bends and hatches is central to good seamanship, and while it’s true that in the vast majority of cases a limited number of them will suffice, we could all probably stand to know a few more. For me, the kicker is the anchor bend. It’s a great way to attach a line to a shackle, but I rarely use it and can never seem to retrieve it correctly from my cerebral database on those

Trim On!

by David Schmidt, Posted March 10, 2009

As with many Harken products, the secret to the outstanding performance behind the SpeedGrip handles are ball bearings. As with blocks, the ball bearings inside the SpeedGrip handles allow for virtually frictionless movement, which is a sure-fire recipe for translating as much of your brawn into sheeting action as possible. Harken SpeedGrip winches feature ball bearings for both the vertical