So now we know what reefing is: shortening sail to depower the boat and lower the center of gravity of the boat to make it more comfortable for the crew. When should we reef? Top five as rated by Upffront.com In this article we round up five of the best bottom up furlers on the market. Choosing the right furler is a question of boat size and SWL (safe working load), sail area, performance level and budget. Posted on 5 Oct Premium Ropes range - which rope to choose? There are lots of benefits that make a reef hook more advantageous than a traditional pennant reefing system: Think of it this way, if you have a 150 Genoa and you are furling it to a smaller size constantly due to the wind conditions where you sail you are not only furling away sail shape (making it less efficient) but you are also using the sail outside of its intended conditions. Having a few sails in your inventory, like a 115, 150, and a Trysail is a great option as it allows you to reduce sail area more efficiently depending on the conditions. Adjusting your Genoa or Jib can help balance out the boat and reduce heeling. Furling in your headsail is a great way to reduce sail area.

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And quite frankly, the sense of accomplishment and confidence you will have when you have navigated your vessel through your first heavy weather, successfully reefed sail and made it to the safe side of the storm to see the sun shine again, can not be overstated. If your sail looks like a smooth airplane wing, rest assured you have done it correctly. It's the shape we are going for and there are no style points deducted for an ugly reef. From cam cleats to the recently acquired 'Karverized' Pontos winches, Karver have a plethora of high-performance hardware and furling solutions. With the common slab reefing system, reefing is fairly simple, though it’s a skill that requires some practice. The basic steps are: Bonus Uma Tip: Stow your main halyard and lines, in the same way, each time. Then no time is wasted figuring out what the previous person had done.Reduce Tension on the boom vang. This will allow the boom to move up or down dependent on where the reefing points are located on the mainsail. The classic sailor’s saying is that if you are asking whether it’s time to reef the main, it’s already past that time. This refers to sailors who are having difficulty controlling a wildly heeling boat because the wind has gotten up and is putting a lot of pressure on too much sail area. Nothing beats the feeling when your boat wakes up and all the forces at play work together to make your sails sing and your hull hum.

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Winter winds are here! It’s something to celebrate, but also something that requires special readiness. Being able to reduce sail to maintain better control of the boat is, of course, always important. This is especially crucial at this time of year. There are no hard and fast rules about reefing. Every boat is different and every skipper has a different comfort level. Most often, when sailors think of reefing, they’re thinking of shortening the main first sail using a reefing system like Hook and Cringle. This is not the only option, but here are some considerations: Figure 1: With the headsail reefed by partially rolling it in, the deepest part of the sail’s draft is usually left unrolled. You will note that your sail looks a bit smaller and perhaps even a bit awkward with all that extra fabric bunched up at the bottom and a bare pole at the top.But again, you're changing the angle of force on the stay or mast and when the wind blows harder things are easier to break. Let’s zoom out, first. Boats are designed to sail best at a particular angle of heel — depending on the boat, somewhere between 10° and 20°. If the force of the wind on the sails causes the boat to heel more than that, it not only makes it harder to control and puts unnecessary strain on the rigging and the crew, but it is almost always a slower way to sail. That is why some skippers don’t ever reef, because they don’t want to be out there when the seas turn gloomy. The design of your sail is a crucial step in preparing your it to perform well in heavier winds. Precision Sails prides ourselves on our leading design consultations to build the best sail possible for your boat. Our designers get to know you, your boat, the conditions your sailing in, long term plans, and experience level to select the best cloth, weight, and features for your sail. Here are some of the features your new sail can have: Foam Luff

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You will likely have to lower your main a little to get these fastenings loose, but once the sail attachments have been returned to their full normal positioning, you can haul away on the main and feel the boat wake up once again, with a full throated breath of breeze.Roller furlers are also great, if they are rigged correctly. A simple pull of the roller furling line can shorten a jib or a main and reduce sail quite nicely. Why fenders should not be overlooked In Spanish, a boat's fender is normally called 'una defensa', which may be a more appropriate name. 'A Defender' These corners have been designed to better distribute the load. Our unique radial corner design is stronger and more durable than the competition and prevents premature material failure. And Many More With the multitude of devices and apps which show weather patterns, wind speeds, and forecast predictions available today no sailor should be fully unprepared for the weather they are going to face. Reef Before You Need To

Reefing Your Mainsail: Are you onboard with reef hooks? Reefing Your Mainsail: Are you onboard with reef hooks?

All these sail controls will affect weather helm, which is the tendency of the boat to want to round up into the wind when it is overpowered. You always want a little weather helm, as keeping the bow from coming up creates lift to windward. It is also much safer for the boat to want to go bow-to-wind if you let go of the helm. As the wind increases so does the weather helm, so if it gets to be too much you will not be able to keep the bow down and/or will have to have the rudder so far over that it acts as a brake and slows the boat down. If sail controls are tight and you’re still struggling with excessive heel, a lot of weather helm, or both, it’s past time to reef. Remember, reefing when you first think about it is the best practice. Reefing Approaches About 4 feet up from the foot or bottom edge of the sail, you will see two or three or more holes sewn into the belly of the sail. These are your reef points. There are many varieties of mainsail reefing. The purpose of this article is to help you choose which is the best for youFurling away sail shape which causes a decrease in performance compared to a sail meant for the conditions. My rule is anything over 15 I would prefer to have a reef rather than not. But your boat might love a stiff breeze and only wake up at 20 so don’t go by my rules. I'm always a little scared that these points will fail in a heavy breeze, but engineers with much greater intelligence than me put them there, so I tell myself I am being ridiculous. But this where the failure will take place if and when it ever happens. And we’ll talk about that more in a few paragraphs. But for now have faith that the sail manufacturer knew what they were doing by putting these reef points in your sail. Gather up the sail and as neatly as possible tie those lines around the bottom of the boom using a “reef” or “ square” knot. Being prepared for heavier winds and identifying when to reef is key to maximizing the performance and safety of the boat. Here are several things every sailor can do to be prepared: Keep lines organized