Technical Furling / Reefing the Genoa.

The Aero Spar is a spirally bound Carbon composite tube that has considerable torsional strength within its length, combined with good flexibility.**

The Aero Luff Spar can be supplied as a unit to fit an existing furling system, thereby upgrading it from a furling set-up to a reefing set-up.

The Aero Furling Spar is a complete unit that combines the furling/reefing drum and top swivel within the spar, with the spar rotating around the solid eye ends of the luff wire within the spar, resulting in minimal friction within the system.

The Spar is designed to reef the genoa without compromising the sail’s efficiency.

The Spar is supplied with either a new or an existing (adapted) sail attached, together with any accessories required, making for quick and easy installation.

The Spar can be supplied in 2 sizes: The 8mm diam. spar is lighter in weight and suited to most sailing dinghies, with the Furling Spar having a more compact drum, which brings the foot of the sail closer to the foredeck.

The 10mm diam. spar is more robust, and is aimed at the serious cruiser and those with sailing larger dinghies and dayboats, with the Furling Spar having a slightly larger drum to allow for a thicker and easier to control furling line.

**Note: The spar has a good degree of flexibility, making for ease of handling and transport. However, it should never be bent beyond a uniform shallow curve along its entire length. Any point loading, which bends the spar at one particular place – examples being the crew pulling the spar and sail into the boat below the spreaders, without first detaching the drum from the bow fitting; or holding on to the bow of the boat by the luff sleeve and spar during the rigging/de-rigging process, (instead of holding onto the forestay only) – is likely to cause the spar to break.

The Aero Luff Spar – used with a standard furling system

A genoa furling system*, fitted to any type of dinghy or small sailing craft, allows the foresail to be furled around the luff wire to prevent the sail flogging when not in use.

Adding an Aero Luff Spar to any of the readily available furling systems will prevent the luff wire being deformed by the twisting action of the furling drum, and make the furling process more efficient, particularly in strong wind situations.

The Aero Luff Spar upgrades a furling system to a reefing system, allowing the size of the genoa to be adjusted to the strength of the wind, or the weight and/or strength of the crew.

The sail is secured by means of a unique plastic clamp and a tie to a loop sewn into the sail, to avoid the bulge in the luff of the genoa caused when a cringle is furled around the spar.

*(The only recommended types of furling system are those having an enclosed drum for the furling line).

The genoa peak is secured to the spar by means of a clamp and tie to withstand the downward force exerted by the genoa sheet in strong wind conditions.

The genoa tack is secured to the spar by means of a tie and plastic clamp with stainless steel cap screws and lock nuts. (A hexagonal socket key is supplied).

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The Aero Furling Spar – has the bottom drum and top swivel incorporated within the spar

The lightweight spar provides an efficient aerodynamic entry shape for the genoa.

The top swivel and bottom drum are incorporated within the composite carbon spar.

The luff wire passes through the hollow centre of the spar, with the swaged solid eye terminals at either end of the wire attached to the bow fitting and genoa halyard – as with a standard genoa luff wire.

The top swivel and bottom drum rotate on Acetal bearings around the swaged solid eye terminals at either end of the luff wire.

The luff wire and swaged solid eye terminals take all the load that is applied when tensioning the genoa halyard.

With no loading applied to the drum and top swivel, (unlike the situation with all the separately bought furling systems), the spar is free to turn with virtually no frictional resistance.

The Aero Furling Spar can be supplied complete with disc spacer to keep the forestay away from genoa luff.

The genoa peak is attached to the spar by a line tied between the sail and a fixed loop welded on the marine grade stainless steel end sleeve of the spar.

The Aero Furling Spar is supplied complete with disc spacer to keep the forestay away from genoa luff.

The genoa tack is secured to the furling drum by means of a clamp, with the luff tension being adjusted by a line to a
welded loop.

The genoa luff tension is not affected by tensioning the genoa halyard, since the sail is attached only to the spar and not the
luff wire.

An optional coupling raises the height of the foot of the genoa by some 30mm - a feature probably not preferred by racers, but not usually any problem for day sailors and cruisers.

The coupling allows the spar to be lowered into the boat without needing to detach it from the bow fitting - as is necessary without it.

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Performance Sailing – the Aero Furling Spar has also been successfully used by racing sailors

The Aero Spar’s light weight and small very thin diameter enables genoa to be furled with minimal effect on the sail’s performance

Spar raises foot of genoa only 20 to 25mm higher than a standard racing genoa

Furling the genoa before the start of a race (where allowed) provides the helm with a clear vision for manoeuvring into an optimum position in the final countdown to the start gun

Furling the genoa on a run provides the crew with a clear vision for setting the spinnaker

Furling the genoa for launching and between races prevents wear and tear on the sail caused by the sail flogging in stronger wind conditions

Furling the genoa when coming into land gives the helm better vision and more control

The solid eye ends of the spar fit to the bow and genoa halyard as any standard racing genoa

Wayfarer Racing roller reefing furing system

W10739 Arctic Fox approaching the windward mark in third place at the UKWA European Championships in Weymouth.

W10562 Fiüsa Beag under full sail with Monica Schaefer and Dave Moy, the overall winners of ‘The Shannon Raid’.

W994 Peregrine – racing with an Aero Spar, and rounding the windward mark in race 9 at the 2013 Wayfarer International Championships, Toronto, ahead of: W10918 (4th); W1066 (13th); W10845 (2nd); W10844 (6th); W397 (3rd)*
*Denotes final placing at Championships.
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The Aero Spar is a spirally bound Carbon composite tube that has considerable torsional strength within its length, combined with good flexibility**.

The Aero Luff Spar – used with a standard furling system

The Aero Furling Spar – has the bottom drum and top swivel incorporated within the spar

Performance Sailing – the Aero Furling Spar has also been successfully used by racing sailors

The Aero Spar is a spirally bound Carbon composite tube that has considerable torsional strength within its length, combined with good flexibility.**