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Image credit - C-Tech

A snuffer is a simple, reliable method of dousing an asymmetric spinnaker. Despite advances in furling technology, snuffers remain the first choice for many offshore race yachts such as Class 40 and IMOCA. In this blog we look at how to select the correct length of snuffer for your sail, why snuffers dominate in short-handed offshore racing and where a furling asymmetric might be preferred. To help answer these questions we sat down with Nathan Steffenoni, co-director of OneSails GBR South. As you might expect, the considerations are very much case dependent, so Nathan was keen to caveat many of his responses. 

©Carlo Borlenghi ROLEX

A good set of storm sails can be a get out of jail free card if you find yourself caught in heavy weather. A necessity for offshore passages whether cruising or racing and a prudent safety item for most cruisers.

BY ANDY RICE, INTERVIEWING BJARNE LORENZEN

Most of the time we think of furling headsails but as Bjarne Lorenzen of sailmaker Doyle O’leu explains, there are options for furling your mainsail too. In the fifth and final post from this series, Bjarne considers the pros and cons of ‘in boom’ or ‘in mast’.

Image Credit: Doyle Oleu Sailmakers

Previously on the upffront.com blog, we looked at how to measure a new torsional cable for your boat, and emphasised the importance of an accurate measurement to ensure a correct cable specification for your new code zero or downwind asymmetric.

Image credit: Karver

BY ANDY RICE, INTERVIEWING BJARNE LORENZEN

In part three of this blog series, Bjarne Lorenzen of sailmaker Doyle O’leu explains the benefits of top-down furling, one of the big developments of the past decade which has trickled down to the cruising scene from the Volvo Ocean Race.

BY ANDY RICE, INTERVIEWING BJARNE LORENZEN
Image Credit: Bjarne Lorenzen, Meike Brunssen Knierim Yachtbau

In the last blog, Bjarne Lorenzen of sailmaker Doyle O’leu talked about the exciting new performance cruiser, the 39BEN built by Bente in Germany. While the sail plan will develop over time, the code zero was one of the first sails to go into the inventory. Here, Lorenzen explains the appeal of the code zero, a sail that emerged from the offshore racing world and is now firmly established as an essential part of a modern cruising sail package.