On 23 Oct 2005 09:10:59 -0700, "~^ beancounter ~^"
wrote:

yea...some great points there rhys...thanx....
as i have thought in the past, roller reefing is
good for the "casual" sailor or racer...but for
hard core or serious sailor / racer, hanks
are just fine, thank you.....

This is not to knock roller reefing at all. Let me put it this way: As
the owner of a racer-cruiser who doesn't "race" it except to cruise
efficiently (and who cruises "light" in crew and cargo regardless),
you couldn't pay me to install roller reefing.

But if the next boat has a reputable and properly sized reefing drum
and track installed, you couldn't pay me to take it off!

(The next boat is likely to be larger, heavier and completely
cruise-oriented, needless to say).

Hope this debate helps. As a side comment, I certainly wouldn't
install roller reefing on any boat sub-30 feet if I had decent hank-on
sails available to me, or unless I sailed alone constantly and was
older or physically unfit. The performance hit on smaller boats seems
bigger to judge by how the "cruisers who race" do.

R.