Roller furling

Furling are devices for continuously reducing the sail area ( reefing ) on sailboats and yachts. With a furler can also be completely recovered after a sailing cruise or during a storm.

At a furling the sail cloth of a jib is wound around a pivoted forestay. On its deck fitting a Refftrommel is attached, which receives the reef line. It is operated by muscle power, possibly even on winches or electric motors. Devices of this type are often found on dinghies and yachts and are also referred to as " Furler ".

The jib furling a mainsail, which is posted at the mast and boom, can the excess canvas around or wrap in a tree. Various systems are referred to herein as " Drehreff ", " Wickelreff ", " Godfather fail " or " Volksreff ". There are also reefing systems that use a winding device in a cavity of the mast. In addition to simple rope or crank drives, there are also electrically operated systems.

Pros and cons of rolling Sailing

Compared with a traditional roller reefing sails offer the advantage of simpler and faster to use. While for reefing or changing the headsail part of the crew must go to the bow, rolling foresail can be normally operated from the cockpit; Roll mainsail also require usually only work from the cockpit or directly to the mast and not, as in the binding of Bindereffs, along the entire tree, on whose achterem ( rear ) part, it is often difficult, standing to maintain balance. Especially in heavy seas, high bank angle of the boat and untrained crew the use of a rolling system can thus increase the safety of the crew.

The disadvantage is that the exchange is more difficult against a storm sail. In strong winds, furling can partially unwind and lead to difficult to control problems. Pole winding systems are notorious for being mechanically block just in particularly critical situations and prevent a sail mountains.

In addition, rolling sails have an aerodynamically unfavorable profile, especially in partially rolled up in comparison to conventional sails. In addition, at Mainsail furling systems prohibits the use of battens that are on modern sailing yachts and also many smaller boats now commonplace and significantly improve sail shape and profile, but can not be rolled up. The usual for mainsail systems in which the sail is rolled into the mast, also require a mast with a large volume, which also has a negative effect on the aerodynamics.

In addition, the use of an only partially furled sail causes the sail is claimed uneven and stretches a degree of continuity in the rolled areas ( expands ) than in the rolled-up; the effect is exacerbated by the fact that just needs to be reefed in strong winds, which acts mainly large wind pressure unevenly on the sail. A conventional headsail is not the problem, because its sail area is not reduced by reefing or rolling. In a conventional integrated mainsail reefed in state of the wind while also acts unequally on the canvas, its shape can also be adjusted total aerodynamic improvement.