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In recent years, improvements in design have seen a rope clutch move from a cumbersome piece of kit to a powerful addition to a boat. Used on both racing and cruising sailboats, a rope clutch allows high load lines – such as halyards for the main sail, jib or spinnaker - to be controlled without the use of a winch. Other examples of high load lines include those that require cleating, such as tack lines and furling lines.

It’s the age of information, and global technological advancements have revolutionised our lives and industries alike. As with many others, the sailing industry has benefitted from the introduction of marine electronics that make it easier to access, record and analyse information, such as speed and wind direction.

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again – here at Upffront we are passionate about lighter, faster and safer sailing. As a result, we are constantly searching for performance orientated solutions that will optimise sailing for all. However, whilst we offer lightweight solutions for a variety of sail configurations, it is the traditional furling system that comes up trumps for use with a single, large genoa sail that needs to be reefed.

In a previous blog, Upffront evaluated the pros and cons of a cutter rig as a popular bluewater cruising set up. Now, it’s the turn of the solent rig.

Here at Upffront, we are aware that many people are searching for the perfect bluewater cruising set up.

Two popular options for off-shore cruising are the cutter rig and the solent rig, both sporting their own pros and cons.

By: Nick Black / Andy Rice

In the last blog post we talked about the pros and cons of External versus Internal lock systems. Here we’ll look more closely at the internal systems available, which tend to be aimed at the performance-oriented programs that are prepared to pay more for superior aerodynamics.