The advantages of the in-boom furler: safety and performance

Greater safety at sea: There's no need for anyone on deck at mast level to hoist, reef or stow the sail during port manoeuvres. The mainsail halyard and continuous reefing manoeuvre brought aft to the cockpit allow easy and safe control of the mainsail. The size and shape of the mainsail is not limited by the system in the boom, so you get all the benefits of a furling mainsail without compromising performance. Using a fully battened mainsail gives optimum shape and performance. The FurlerBoom in-boom furler provides a unique solution with its track system, which flattens the sail correctly as the sail is reefed. The leech, see "multihull type leech" is possible, unlike the negative reverse leech of the "mast furling systems". The weight of the mast remains unchanged, while in-mast furling systems with a rear slot drastically reduce the strength of the mast. The mast track fitted for the "in-boom system" is lighter than the swivel rod assembly of the "in-mast system". The weight of the sail is reduced as it is lowered, unlike the "in-mast system" where the sail remains fully hoisted at all times. The advantages of FurlerBoom over competing in-boom furling systems FurlerBooms are made from a single piece of composite material, which allows us to adapt the structure of the laminate according to the calculated loads. These forces are mainly dependent on the boat's righting moment and the position of the mainsheet. In the end, the FurlerBoom is, and always will be, lighter than booms made from aluminium extrusions. The FurlerBoom is much tighter and better shaped. The rope drive mechanism at the front of the boom ensures that the torque remains in the mandrel when sailing with the mainsail reefed. What's more, because the rope drive mechanism is located at the front of the boom, friction is kept to a minimum as the rope exits directly to the 2 stand-up pulleys at the foot of the mast. The forward drive mechanism, driven by continuous manoeuvring of the booms, provides a constant power ratio, whereas a drum-type system sees its power ratio decrease as the sail area is reduced, leading to the risk of over-steering the rope. The FurlerBoom's mast track on the lowest 4 m is held in place by a flexible assembly (patented). This allows the track to follow the boom, making it easy to furl the sail upwind. As a result, the sail's bolt rope is subjected to much less stress and has a much longer service life. What's more, the curvature of the lower part of the track flattens and unloads the sail as it is reefed. The sail cover incorporated into the boom makes it easy to protect the mainsail while remaining safe at the foot of the mast. According to carbon mast manufacturers, the FurlerBoom mast track is one of the most suitable tracks for carbon masts.