Over the last few years we have been supporting a different sailor every season with our Allen Academy Optimist. Throughout this time we have had the pleasure to support some very enthusiastic young sailors who have relayed their important feedback to us.
From this feedback we have developed a cutting edge Optimist sprit system, which is now available to purchase.
Our new pack is pre-spliced and race ready, so all you need to do is attach it to the boat for the smoothest and best looking setup available.
29er GP4/Inlands Championship – Rutland Sailing Club – 4th & 5th December 2021
The final Allen GP of the year had arrived; it promised to have all the hallmarks of a high drama situation – strong winds, freezing weather and the annual Christmas jumper competition! Ian Bullock’s loyal fan club was excited to see how much racing he could get in before the winds built to an un-sailable level.
43 boats lined up for the start and racing was away! There were gusts of over 25 knots which were shooting down the course bringing random shifts that caught out even the most experienced sailors. Boat handling and quick reactions were key to taking advantage of these gusts and the fleet quickly spread out. Finian Morris and Oscar Morgan-Harris (GBR 2849) took the first race by nailing the shifts into the windward mark, followed by Freddie Lonsdale and Freddie Westwell (GBR 2903) who were benefiting from an overwhelming surplus of leverage and Olly Peters and Ben Bradley (GBR 3081) in third.
The ratchet block is arguably one of the most important pieces of hardware used on a sailboat, so choosing the correct size and type can make a big difference to how you sail your boat and what feedback the sails give you. In this article you will find out all about how the ratchet block works, the difference between a switchable and AutoRatchet as well as the different sheave options.
