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New blue water runner from Elvstrøm Sails
28 Apr 2017
Elvstrøm Sails new blue water runner is designed to perform the role of three sails in one
Elvstrøm Sails new blue water runner (BWR) is designed to perform the role of three sails in one. Designed as effectively two Yankee sails on a single luff cable, the runner works as a light up-wind genoa or reaching Yankee when the two-ply sails are together.
When running dead-downwind it can be peeled open into goose-winging mode, doubling the sail area to increase boat speed.
It can be trimmed and poled out like a spinnaker, or used without a pole.
The sail is the creation of Jeremy White, Elvstrøm Sails UK loft manager, in response to customers asking for a downwind sail that ‘gave the thrill of surfing downwind offshore’, and is ‘easy to control and stow quickly when wind conditions changed’.
“I wanted to create a sail that enables the chance to surf down waves, but with the knowledge that with a pull of a line from the safety of the cockpit the sail can be safely stowed,” he said. “I have so many customers asking should they buy a spinnaker, an asymmetric, plus running sails.
“With the BWR I believe now all three boxes are ticked. That means our customers can reduce their overall sail wardrobe and save money.”
The runner is hoisted furled in-front of the headstay and can then be unfurled and furled as required and also left up when not in use with no need for a snuffer.
It is constructed from Dimension CPP 3.5pz polyester storm spinnaker fabric.
The sail can be used in a range of wind angles as skipper and RYA instructor Paul Weinberg who used the sails in the ARC+ Rally explained: “We were able to use the sail in wind angles of 130 to 180 degrees. Generally, in 5 knots of wind we managed 3-3.5 knots, around 6 knots in 5-8 knots of wind and over a steady 11 knots wind speed we were clocking 7 to 8 knots plus.
“We carried the sail up to 20 knots and on one occasion we were caught out in a squall of 30 knots gusts, so we reefed it then.”
via Boating Business | New blue water runner from Elvstrøm Sails.