![]() ![]() There are eight sizes from 1.5-12 tonnes SWL (safe working load), all available in four different versions: Standard, Racing, Classic and Structural. The variety of units now offered should appeal to both racing and cruising sailors. A patented carbon and Kevlar continuous line wheel helps to reduce weight – the V3 is much lighter than its aluminium wheel predecessor – while the Kevlar teeth also create less friction and wearing.Ĭommercial director Tanguy de Larminat explains that the gains the company has made in weight has allowed for a reinforced structure while retaining the high performance. Its latest V3 version targets a particularly broad tranche of the sailing market. Karver KF V3įrench hardware company Karver has been helping to take the sweat out of furling flying sails since the launch of its first KF V1 furler in 2004. “We sell the idea of a top-down adapter to allow people to use the same drums for furling both Code 0s and asymmetric sails,” he says. Upffront’s core market is 30-50ft cruising yachts and Anniss says these sailors increasingly want to be able to use top-down systems on their existing gennaker/A-sails rather than have to get a new sail. ![]() His company supplies from all manufacturers, so he’s a useful source for discussing the latest trends in furlers. “We have seen a significant decline in Code 0s, with 80% of enquiries in the last 12 months for asymmetric sails and more and more for top-down furlers,” says Phil Anniss, director of Upffront. Most manufacturers of furlers now offer top-down units, either as a dedicated drum or as an adapter for their existing units. ![]() Here, we take a look at Karver’s latest KF V3 model as well as the current range of options in this sector. The answer will likely determine whether it’ll be more practical to furl the sail from the bottom-up or, as has become more popular, from the top-down. Are you running only one type of sail off each of your furlers and is that a Code 0 for reaching or a free flying A-sail for sailing deeper angles – or both? However, choosing the right furler for your bowsprit or stemhead can be quite complex. The ability to manage large code or asymmetric sails with minimal crew is becoming ever easier thanks to advances in structured luff sails and the technology and reliability of furlers. You’re content in the knowledge that it’s simply a case of releasing the sheet and pulling on the furling line again to have all that sail area tamed and back under wraps in seconds – no wrestling with poles, no dancing around a foredeck grappling with socks or buckets necessary.Ĭontinuous line furlers, together with the torsional ropes or cables around which the sails furl, have given us a lot to be grateful for. A tug on the working sheet and the furling line, the offwind sail spins open and your boat surges forward, the great joy of a furlers doing that for which they are designed. ![]()
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