Conventional or furling system?
Anyone fitting out a modern cruising yacht today is bound to face the question: furling boom or furling mast, or perhaps a conventional rig? Furling systems make sail handling much easier – particularly for small crews or owners who often sail alone. Nevertheless, there are clear differences that you should be aware of before making a decision.
Why use a furling system at all?
Nowadays, many boat owners mainly sail as a couple or even alone. A conventional mainsail often involves more effort in such situations:
- Hoisting and stowing the mainsail properly takes strength and concentration
- When reefing, you often have to look forward and work
- Handling the sail is more strenuous and time-consuming
- Especially in stronger winds, you want to be able to control as much as possible directly from the cockpit
This is exactly where furling systems really come into their own: greater comfort, improved safety and a more relaxed sailing experience thanks to easier handling.
Furling mast or furling boom?
The main advantage of a furling boom lies in the combination of ease of use and full sail profile. A major safety benefit becomes apparent if something gets jammed or blocked whilst sailing: with a furling boom, the sail can still be lowered in a controlled manner if necessary – even if it falls to the side of the boom. This provides a margin for manoeuvre in situations where you need to act quickly.
A comparison with the furling mast
With a furling mast, too, many functions can be operated conveniently at the touch of a button. For many cruising sailors, this is a practical and straightforward solution.
Generally speaking, a furling mast is considerably heavier than a conventional mast. The key difference, however, becomes apparent when problems arise. If a sail becomes jammed or stuck in the mast and can no longer be moved, the only options left are often rather unpleasant:
- Leave the sail out
- send someone up the mast
- or, in extreme cases, damage or cut the sail
In this respect, the roller boom offers clear advantages, as the system remains technically more accessible and problems can usually be resolved in a more controlled manner.
Which system is suitable for whom?
Furling boom
Ideal for sailors who:
- value good sailing performance
- want to make the most of the sail area
- enjoy a sporty style of sailing
- want to reef comfortably and safely
Furling mast
Ideal for sailors who:
- look for maximum simplicity
- be happy with slightly less sail area
- focus more on comfort than on performance
Easy reefing with the furling boom
Reefing with a furling boom is very straightforward and can easily be done by a small crew or even on your own. Often, all you need to do is release a single clamp and roll the sail up neatly.
The sail disappears completely into the boom and is tidied away straight away – no fiddling about with a cover or lazy jacks.
Full sail profile, as with a conventional mainsail
Particularly important for many sailors: a furling boom allows you to create a virtually classic sail profile – including a healthy amount of leech flare and a correspondingly large sail area.
This means:
- better performance
- more drive
- a sportier sailing experience
It is precisely those owners for whom sailing performance is important who therefore often opt for a furling boom.
Lightweight and compact
Thanks to modern carbon booms, today’s furling booms are surprisingly light and often barely any larger than a conventional boom.
In this video, we explain the differences and demonstrate how to hoist and lower the mainsail using a furling boom on a Hanse 458.
Our conclusion
Both systems have their merits – ultimately, it comes down to your sailing style and your priorities on board.
If you want to keep sailing as simple as possible whilst still retaining a high-performance mainsail, a furling boom offers a very attractive solution. The system is a real boon today, particularly for small crews and solo sailors.
Our tip: Make sure you seek thorough advice before making a purchase, so that the system is truly suited to your yacht and the sailing area.