NEW – High Roller Block Range

27 October 2022

Introducing the new high roller block range. A high performance block designed for high stakes sailing.

The high roller block range is our first range of roller (needle) bearing blocks, suitable for highly loaded and fast running lines on sports boats. The range is currently available in 40 and 60mm sheave sizes.

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40mm High Roller

60mm High Roller

What are roller bearings?

Applications

How to service high roller blocks

Product data

40mm High Roller – A9040

This is the smallest block available on the market which features a high load two-stage roller bearing system. Roller (needle) bearings take the main loads of the sheave and offer great sheave rolling speeds at high loads. The side load ball bearings cater for any off-centre loading and minimise friction further.

This Tii-On block is designed to be attached via a single line or loop through the central hole in the block. The side cheeks feature a chamfered rope guide as well as two lashing line holes, through which a secondary line should be used to keep the block in the correct orientation.

Easily unassembled by undoing the two allen head bolts, allowing for easy service and maintenance of the internal bearing system. Providing a longer lasting high performance.

SHOP 40MM HIGH ROLLER

60mm High Roller – A9060

The 60mm high roller block features caged roller (needle) bearings. The cage keeps the rollers spread evenly around the sheave whilst also stopping the rollers from rubbing together. This reduces friction and allows for faster rolling speeds. The side load ball bearings cater for any off-centre loading and minimise friction further.

Easily unassembled by undoing the three allen head bolts, allowing for easy service and maintenance of the internal bearing system. Providing a longer lasting high performance.

SHOP 60MM HIGH ROLLER

What are roller bearings?

Roller bearings are also commonly known as needle bearings and as the name suggests, they are cylindrical shaped.

Roller bearings are a great alternative to a ball bearing or plain bearing block as they offer “best of both” performance.

Due to the larger surface/ contact area, roller bearings typically do not roll as quickly as ball bearings. However, they are much more efficient than a plain bearing system.

But, thanks to the larger surface area the roller bearing can withstand higher working loads without compromising strength and shape when compared to the ball bearing. The result is a bearing system which can roll much faster at higher loads than a ball bearing would be able to.

Applications

Roller-bearing blocks are ideal for highly loaded lines which can run at great speeds.

A typical example of an application which suits a roller bearing block is the spinnaker turning pulley on a sports boat such as a Cape31, J70 or Melges 32.

All of these types of boats have a large asymmetric spinnaker which creates a high load in the spinnaker sheet which then gets transferred to the first turning block in the system. Spinnaker sheets can be subject to extreme static loads, especially when the boat hits a large wave or broaches. A ball bearing block simply cannot take these extreme static loads without compromising the performance of the bearing system.

This is where the high roller blocks come in. The high roller block is able to withstand the shock loading of a spinnaker sheet, yet is still able to run freely at high speeds through a gybe or in constant trimming of the kite.

The high roller range is not just suitable as a spinnaker turning block, but for any application which is highly loaded and fast running.

A few more examples include:

Mainsheet blocks

Runner Systems

Halyard turning blocks

Jib sheet blocks

Highly loaded control lines.

How to service High Roller Blocks