Upffront Blog

Ronstan snap shackles – A more affordable alternative to a sailing staple?

Written by Aleix Escorsell | 25-Feb-2022 17:37:50

Hailing from Australia, Ronstan have been developing hardware for sailors since 1953. The Triggersnap shackles are the latest shackle range in their extensive catalogue of deck hardware solutions and Ronstans own take on snap shackles.
Snap shackles are a familiar sight to many sailors as a quick and reliable means of connecting halyards/sheets to sails instead of more conventional pin shackles or knots. They are great for quick jib halyard swaps and safely releasing the spinnaker guy when under load, or any other application where you may want to trip quickly under load!

 

Ronstan's version, the Triggersnap shackle is a compact little snap shackle, made from heat-treated, investment cast 15.5PH stainless steel with a high strength to weight ratio.

The shackle is designed to be reinforced and secure, but can easily be released with one hand, or using a Triggersnap release spike if needed.

If this recent addition to the Ronstan range seems familiar to you, then you are not mistaken!

The Ronstan Triggersnap shackle is incredibly similar to the Tylaska snap shackle, an internationally renowned shackle and a staple in high performance sailing and racing circles that has been in existence since the 1980s.

 


So how does the Ronstan Triggersnap shackle compare to the Tylaska snap shackle?

Shackle SWL (kg) NBL (kg) Weight (g)
Ronstan Triggersnap 80 1000 2000 60
Tylaska T5S 1136 2272 59
Ronstan Triggersnap 94 1600 3200 106
Tylaska T8S 1818 3636 97
Ronstan Triggersnap 111 2400 4800 170
Tylaska T12S 2727 5454 159

 

All Ronstan Triggersnap shackles come with either a small or large bail, but unlike the Tylaska snap shackles, have no option for clevis bail or linked peel attachment – yet!

The Tylaska snap shackle is made of a heat treated 17-4PH stainless steel, a type of steel that contains slightly more Chromium than the trigger shackle’s 15.5PH stainless steel. The Tylaska snap shackle is generally lighter but stronger than the Ronstan Triggersnap shackle, but this extra performance comes at a price. The Triggersnap comes out an average of 15% cheaper than the equivalent Tylaska shackle.

This makes the Triggersnap shackle a great "value choice" for sailors of smaller sportsboats such as J-24s and Mumm 30s etc. However, the current Ronstan Triggersnap range is quite limited, so for sailors looking for a Safe Working Load (SWL) above 2400 kg, they will have to look elsewhere.

That said, most sailors outside of high-performance circles should find the Ronstan Triggersnap shackle an affordable and still very reliable alternative.

If you have any questions about Ronstan Triggersnap shackles, don’t hesitate to email us at support@upffront.com. Or click below to find out more information: