loss of tension inherent when load is transferred from the winch l It is more resistant to wear and heat, making it ideal for high-speed/ high-load lines. Powered winch systems are now so powerful and fast that new challenges such as heat build-up resulting from system friction become an increasingly important consideration.
Any other business… We should give a brief mention to textile clutches. Chinese finger traps and cable-pulling technology have existed for a long time and ‘soft-grip’ jammers have long been in the crosshairs of the Spinlock R&D team. With sailors better informed
managers, riggers and race teams develop a much greater understanding of the particular requirements of each rope-holding application on a raceboat. ‘Talking to sailors and teams is critical,’ says Carter. ‘Understanding how they actually
use rope-holding technology in the heat of battle, as opposed to the way we might think they use it, is crucial. For example, “clutching” onto a line that has already been wound to high tension on a winch can produce different results from the ultimate load-holding achieved by gripping an untensioned line and loading from the sail.’ When you’re trying to decide
which product to buy it’s easy to focus on a couple of obvious ‘headline’ specs such as maximum working load (MWL) for a given diameter and the weight of the product. Other less obvious ones to consider are: l body strength to cope with line exit deflection l friction on the line when open l load feedback on release l diameter range l serviceability l kindness to rope l overload design Carter takes the example of
overload design. ‘At Spinlock we have been very careful to design the mode of failure when MWL is exceeded. It is often better for slip to be the mode of failure, as this is much less likely to cause serious damage elsewhere onboard, or indeed to the rope itself, which can often be a significantly higher cost to replace than consumable components. ‘Spinlock product design reflects
this, and it’s one example of why choosing a product on the bare headline details on the specifications is not necessarily going to give you the best answer.’
Above: the side-mounted XCS0610 clutch has been carefully optimised for small diameter lines with ceramic cam and base for improved performance – including reduced line wear – particularly when using the latest lightweight cordage. Compared to its successful predecessor safe working loads are up by around 15 per cent as a result of the latest refinements. The now fully machined body of the XCS clutch has also allowed a useful reduction in weight. The clutch seen here is used to manage fast-moving asymmetric sheets onboard a Fast40+
Ceramic advantage One of the biggest leaps forward in rope-holding technology has been the introduction by Spinlock of a ceramic finish similar to the Keronite found on AC boat winches, which appeared first in the XXC model designed originally for the Volvo Open 70 Groupama, winner of the Volvo Ocean Race 2011-12. The coating can now be found as an option on nearly all models in the Spinlock range from the high-load jammers holding enormous loads on superyachts, right down to the trusted XTS on 30ft+ production boats. And the technology isn’t just for the production boat optimising for racing – X-Yachts are an example of where the ceramic technology is being implemented by the builder to reflect the changing market demands for better performing lines. The story of ceramic in the
Spinlock range is a good example of the tandem development of rope- holding technology alongside rope fibre innovation. While the ceramic option won’t necessarily improve the maximum load holding overall, it does enable the hardware to reach its full potential when using hybrid rope coverings containing Vectran, Technora, Kevlar and PBO. ‘The material properties of these
fibres make them harder to grip,’ says Carter. ‘So to achieve the maximum working load, ceramic components which have a rougher surface texture provide a higher friction coefficient to counter the fibres’ slipperiness. The ceramic coating is more aggressive, but the tougher hybrid fibres are more resistant to damage and are therefore suitably matched.’
Other ceramic bonuses l The ceramic coating improves ‘clutching’ performance, minimising the small, but sometimes critical,
about the functional characteristics of different types of rope-holding devices, there is now a place for this product in specific applications on specific boats. Although there are some clear differences in taste and opinion, some sailors enjoy positive mechanical control of lines, and the diverse demands on rope- holding equipment are becoming better understood across the industry.
A ‘special’ service It’s really important to understand how the equipment is used in each specific application onboard, and which combination of equipment and type of rope will yield the best results. This is where the Spinlock Special Projects Team come in. Because they work with so many high-level campaigns across all aspects of the sport, they are the experts in understanding the subtle differences in demands, and work with the top teams to develop product variations, the most successful of which make it into the wider Spinlock range. The company has long prided
itself on the easy serviceability and worldwide availability of Spinlock parts, two of the reasons why Spinlock were selected as a partner for the Volvo Ocean Race. The Volvo Ocean 65 has enjoyed using ceramics for high load-holding in the last two editions, and for the current edition all of the mid and low load-holding has switched over to ceramics in the refits carried out by The Boatyard. In the 2014-15 edition the entire fleet completed the circumnavigation with almost no replacement of Spinlock hardware. Volvo Ocean Race competitors are possibly the most demanding R&D testers in the professional sailing world, yet the equipment outperformed all reasonable expectations.
www.spinlock.co.uk
q SEAHORSE 69
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110
