Furler Feeder Height Above Tack

[akio.kanemoto]

Greetings Folks,

I have never had a furler before and have just had a new furler installed as part of a mast refurbishment/rigging replacement. (40ft mono)

My previous setup was an old style racing twin groove foil and the feeder "slot" was right at the bottom of the extrusion, near the tack fitting.

The new furler's feeder slot/entry is almost 1.2m (4ft) above the tack point on the drum. Is this normal?

I spoke to the manufacturer and they said that this was fine... but to me, 1.2m of sail that's not attached continuously to the foil is funny.

How high is your feeder slot above your tack fitting?

Thanks muchly in advance!

AK

[Weyalan]

It is ok, I think.

I have also just installed a furler (Furlex S200), also on a 40' monohull, also replacing an older twin-groove racing foil. The feeder is also high on our furler.

I asked the sailmaker about this and he explained it to me that the sail was attached to the bottom drum of the furler such that when you start to furl the sail from fully unfurled, the foil will make a full turn before the tack (ie bottom attachment) of the sail starts to turn. This allows the sail to start furling from the middle, which is the roundest part of the sail, and will give you a better shape in the furled sail.

So, to summarise: High feeder is a desirable design feature.

[daddle]

That distance is common, if on the big side. Shouldn't cause any problems. Aids hoisting too.

[akio.kanemoto]

Thank you for your replies. I've just actually had the mast back in after a full refurbishment and new rigging etc.. and it's been quite a heart-stopping adventure (wallet busting too...) ... and a really glad that the feeder height is one less thing I need to think about now.