45 Degrees Sailingvideo
How To Use In-Mast Furling Mainsail - Selden Rig on Hanse yachts
June 11, 2024 · 10 min · 37K views
What this video covers
Operating a Selden in-mast furling system on a Hanse 508 requires managing the endless furling line and the mast-mounted ratchet mechanism to maintain control of the mainsail. To unfurl the sail, first ease the mainsheet to reduce load, then open both clutches on the endless line. While one person grinds the outhaul, the other must maintain tension on the endless line to prevent the sail from unfurling too quickly under wind pressure. Once the desired amount of sail is out, close the clutches and switch the mast unit from "free" to "ratchet" to lock the sail in place. The ratchet setting is essential for reefing, as the clutches alone cannot hold the sail under high loads. To release more sail or unfurl fully, apply manual tension to the drum to take the load off the ratchet, switch the mast unit back to "free," and ease the sail out under control.
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