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Image credit: RORC 

Reducing mainsail area effectively is an essential aspect of depowering the boat as the wind strength increases. For offshore racing or cruising it is particularly important to be able to do so quickly and safely and this becomes even more critical when sailing shorthanded. Without weight on the rail, the need to reef comes earlier and the ability to deal with a situation is reduced. A mainsail reefing system should be reliable, quick to operate and produce an adequate sail shape once reefed. In this blog we discuss 4 options for taking a slab in the main. 

In this blog we take a quick look at what is new and/or interesting in the sailing block world in 2021.

Photo © Marjolein Rueter via Harken

Harken have long been a popular choice for winches due to their quality, with their winches aboard everything from the smallest sportsboats to the largest mega yachts.

When it comes to electric winches, Harken have an excellent range for both cruisers and racers with varying features to choose from, including 1, 2, and 3 speeds, horizontal, vertical and compact motor configurations, ‘shaped grip’ or ‘sandblasted grip’ and a rewind feature.  

© Andersen Winches

You’ve chosen to upgrade from a manual winch to an electric winch. Now, you need to decide on motor placement. This is a critical design decision which largely depends on your boats available space below deck. Ask yourself: ‘What is going to fit, and what is going to be the least work?’.

Karver are relatively new to the world of sailboat winches but they are bringing something completely different to the market. Their KSW Speed and KPW Power winch ranges may not suit every application but by being totally unique, if you fall in their sweet spot, they can offer some dramatic advantages.

© Beneteau 

Published Date: February 3 2023

Electric winches are becoming increasingly common. Used to reduce the strain of trimming and hoisting sails, electric winches make sailing more accessible; with strength no longer a barrier, it’s easy to sail short-handed or with minimal crew, share sailing with family and friends, plus prolong your time on the water for years to come.