was the perfect opportunity to develop what essentially became the AirWinch 180.’ The Harken AirWinch is already
firmly established as the favourite grand prix racing winch for bigger boats. They are used in all the high-end racing classes: Ultim, AC75, Imoca and TP52. The term “Air” points to the centre of the winch where you find exactly that: nothing. This “donut design”, also known from Harken Air Blocks, not only looks cool. It means a massive weight reduction. For the winches it’s well above 40 per cent, the exact figure depending on the model and version. From a pro sailor’s perspective,
however, the biggest feature is simply the speed and power of the new winch. ‘Actually, it opens up new ways of sailing the boat’, says Chris Hosking, one of the veteran pro sailors in the class, with several victories under his belt. ‘We sailed with the new winches in Marstrand this summer and discovered that we could push significantly harder coming into the mark roundings, knowing that the kite would come up or down much faster than before.
Top left: the boats’ existing pedestals were retained. Top right: because it’s a strict one- design class, the entire fleet had to be upgraded at once. Above: one major benefit of Harken’s AirWinch design is the ability to change the internal gearing to suit the job at hand – or even the weather conditions
Also, in the pre-start where quick and precise trimming is crucial to maintain marginal positions, the new winches enabled us to push things a bit further, actually to sail the boat somewhat more radically. The tactician had to realise that other things were possible now, so the calls would have to be a bit different than before. It was a learning process for all of us and something that really makes the boat better. And ready for a new generation’. Even though the AirWinch was
developed in cooperation with the 44Cup fleet, the 180 model is suitable for any high-end racing boat in the plus/minus 40-foot range. ‘I can see it being used even in boats as small as the Cape 31’, says Hosking, ‘and in boats around 50 feet, the 180 could easily be used for some applications there as well. So it’s a pretty versatile product. But of course it’s a grand prix racing winch and wouldn’t make much sense on a cruising boat.’
Interchangeable internal gears Just like its bigger sisters in the AirWinch series, one of the main features of the AirWinch 180 is the
interchangeable internal gears. It’s very easy to open the winch and change the gearing so that every winch can be set up for the job at hand. For example runners will need a different gearing than jib sheets or halyards. Trimmers have different physics and preferences. The winches could even be set up for the current weather conditions on the actual race day. ‘For us in the 44Cup circuit that’s
not relevant’, says Hosking. ‘We are a one design class so our class has chosen a specific gear that is used on all the boats. But for other boats that is definitely an interesting feature. ‘For us it’s all about speed and power. With its wide, low drum the AirWinch can handle much higher line speeds and fewer line turns – resulting in faster operation and more efficient trim and manoeuvres.’ The new grand prix winch can be
delivered plain topped or with a self- tailing top. It can be driven manually by handle, grinding pedestals or electric/hydraulic motors. The Harken AirWinch 180 is now available for orders.
www.harken.co.uk
❑ SEAHORSE 65
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