Selden has brought powered headsail furling from the world of the superyacht to within reach of the average family cruiser.
Launched at the recent London Boat Show, Furlex Electric is available as a complete unit or as an upgrade to existing Furlex installations.
This feature “will make 'push button' furling available to many thousands of sailors around the globe and pulling the furling line will become a thing of the past,” says Selden Masts Limited, the company behind the innovation.
Die-hard traditionalists, who think headsail furling already takes all the fun out of sailing, will doubtless hold up their hands in horror. And what's so wrong with pulling the furling line, anyway?
But like powered winches, already seen on so many yachts, powered headsail furling will help to make ever-bigger boats easier to handle - allowing, for example, people to continue sailing longer into retirement.
The company says that Furlex Electric is designed around a “highly efficient” electric motor. Power is transmitted to a self-locking worm gear which rotates the luff extrusion, furling or unfurling the sail at the push of a cockpit-mounted button. It is claimed that the high torque motor has the power to furl the sail in about 25 seconds, even in the most arduous conditions.
To upgrade, current Furlex owners must remove the line guide and drum, and then the motor unit slides up from below over the top of the existing bottom bearing.
No alterations are needed to the sail or the forestay and the upgrade can be made by the boat owner or one of Selden's service centres, says the company.
Initially, Furlex Electric is available in 200E and 300E sizes for boats from 30ft to 45 ft, with deliveries from the start of the new season. Both models are available for 12v and 24v and in either above deck or through deck configuration.
For more information visit www.seldenmast.com
