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A bowsprit is now an almost inevitable feature of a racing yacht or performance cruiser and there are also a number of off-the-shelf retrofit options available. The uptake is due in part to the popularity of asymmetric downwind sails which offer ease of handing, particularly when sailing with reduced crew. But even for a predominantly symmetric spinnaker boat, a bowsprit is necessary for flying a code zero or other specialist reaching asymmetric. In this blog we look at how to best setup a bowsprit to suit your sail inventory. 

Selden have been making sailing yacht masts since the 1960s and what started as a company that produced basic wooden masts has evolved into a world leading brand with an extensive range of sail handling and deck hardware systems. Some of their products have become household names in their own right e.g. Furlex furlers, but in this blog we take a closer look at their extremely popular, retrofit extendable bowsprits.

Retrofitting a bowsprit, to allow the use of code 0 and asymmetric sails, is an increasingly popular performance upgrade for both cruisers and offshore racing sailors. A big consideration for installation is the setup of any existing hardware on your bow. In this blog we look at specialist retrofit bowsprit manufacturers, Trogear, and the variety of installation methods available to cope with different bow layouts.

Image Credits: Facnor

Facnor is a specialist in designing and manufacturing furling systems, and therefore it should come as no surprise that they have a retrofit bowsprit solution.

Here at Upffront, we talk a lot about asymmetric sails and code zeros, and with good reason! Faster and more manageable, these are a popular choice among many sailors, with one caveat, they require a tack point for the drum forward of the forestay, which preferably means a bowsprit.

While most modern, performance sail boats have permanent bowsprits attached, many older boats require modification to install a bowsprit and get those precious few extra feet on the bow.

 Whilst performance enhancing marine electronics - such as nke - continue to thrive in popularity, more and more people are also choosing to turn their heads towards the automatisation of various sailing systems.