In a spectacular display of skill, consistency, and high-performance gear, …Read More »
Hurricane 5.9SX Fittings Guide
Based on the former Olympic ‘Tornado’ class, the Hurricane 5.9 was designed by Reg & Robert White in Brightlingsea, Essex. The design aimed to make high-performance catamaran sailing accessible to a wider range of sailors. Now, almost 40 years later, the class has modernised with an asymmetric spinnaker, square-top sail and self-tacking jib, but maintains the same welcoming and accessible ethos, still providing close one-design racing and incredible value for money to a strong fleet around the UK.
Below is a full-fitting guide from Ben Harris – 2023 Hurricane 5.9SX national champion and Team Allen sailor.
The Melges 15 is quickly becoming a popular dinghy class worldwide. It was designed to be both accessible and exciting, offering a stable platform for learning while also delivering high-performance racing for more experienced sailors. The boat is responsive, fast, and simple to rig, which makes it a favourite among sailors of all levels.
If you are looking to upgrade or replace the hardware on your Melges 15, it helps to know exactly which fittings you need and what their role is on the boat. Below is a breakdown of the fittings used across the major systems, based on a complete Allen Brothers fit-out, along with some tips on upgrades. After that, you will also find a clear summary of tuning advice to help you get the most from your rig and sails.
This week at the Flying Fifteen World Championships in Weymouth, Mark Jardine and team put the spotlight on one particular boat, Charles Apthorp’s Allen-fitted Flying Fifteen, featured in the video below.
As a day sponsor at the Worlds and a long-time supplier to the class, we wanted to pull back the curtain and show exactly why this particular fit-out works so well, and in the video, you can find out exactly what Charles thinks. The Worlds at the Weymouth & Portland National Sailing Academy are the class’s premier event this year and the perfect place to show the kit in action.
Silver for Charlie MacKenzie at the 2025 Topper World Championships
15-year-old Team Allen Sailor from South Devon, Charlie MacKenzie, delivered a remarkable performance at the 2025 Topper World Championships, held in Medemblik, The Netherlands, securing second place overall and firmly establishing himself among the best young sailors in the world.
Facing fierce international competition from over a dozen countries—including the USA, China, South Africa, and across Europe—Charlie rose to the challenge in a week marked by unpredictable and extreme conditions. From violent thunderstorms and gusts over 30 knots to complete windless drift days, the event tested every sailor’s resilience and skill. Through it all, Charlie remained calm, consistent, and determined.
Enzo Ballanger Crowned 2025 International Moth World Champion – Powered by Allen & XPO
In a spectacular display of skill, consistency, and high-performance gear, France’s Enzo Ballanger has claimed the title of 2025 International Moth World Champion. Representing Team Allen through its French distributor, XPO, Enzo sailed fully equipped with Allen hardware to a dominant victory at Fraglia Vela Malcesine.
A Flawless Week
Facing a fleet of 137 top sailors from 25 nations — including Olympic veterans, America’s Cup tacticians and SailGP stars — Enzo held his nerve through Lake Garda’s shifting conditions to finish 12 points clear of silver medalist Tom Slingsby (AUS) and with New Zealander Jacob Pye in third. His impressive final score of 15 points was built on commanding leads throughout qualifying and finals, reinforced by a strong 4th place in the final race.
Enzo himself reflected: “We’ve just wrapped up the Moth World Championship and I’m the new World Champion!… Winning this title was truly a lifelong dream… The boat was fast, everything went smoothly — just amazing.”
First-ever solo, non-stop circumnavigation of the UK & Ireland by a wheelchair user
Project FEAR, an extraordinary solo sailing voyage by Jazz Turner, has concluded successfully: she became the first disabled person – and specifically the first wheelchair user – to sail non-stop and unassisted around the UK and Ireland. Departing from Brighton on 2 June, Jazz completed the challenging 2,070-mile circumnavigation in 28 days, returning to Brighton Marina on 30 June 2025.
About the Voyage
Boat & Route: Jazz sailed her 1975 Albin Vega, named FEAR (Face Everything And Rise), through the English Channel, Irish Sea, Atlantic Ocean, North Sea, and around Shetland.
Challenges at Sea: She endured seasickness, extreme weather, and physical exhaustion, including a grounding off Folkestone on 29 June. She successfully refloated FEAR unaided at high tide and continued her mission.
Health & Adaptations: Living with terminal Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome—including seizures, fainting, and severe joint pain—Jazz overcame serious health obstacles and adapted her boat with wind generators, satellite nav, solar panels, and tailored sail systems.
Product Feature: A New Generation of Precision – The Acetal Pivoting Mast Step
At Allen, we’re always refining performance through engineering innovation. That’s why we’re excited to introduce the Acetal Pivoting Mast Step – a lightweight, cost-effective evolution of our popular Aluminium Pivoting Mast Step.
First developed as a breakthrough in the dinghy and small keelboat market, our original aluminium pivoting mast step was inspired by the ball-and-cup design commonly found on catamarans. However, instead of multi-directional articulation, our step offers controlled fore-and-aft pivot within the mast step channel. This allows for dynamic rig tuning on the water without compromising mast alignment or deck integrity.
Now, we’ve taken everything great about that original design and, in partnership with Jon Turner, we have made it even more accessible.
The WASZP is a high-performance, single-handed dinghy that is surprisingly simple to rig. Although the setup is fairly straightforward, it’s crucial that all the systems run smoothly and efficiently. Well-functioning control systems will make the boat easier to handle and noticeably quicker on the water. In this guide, we’ll take a look at some of the upgrades you can make to improve the usability and overall performance of your WASZP.
We’re Now a Full Distributor of Clamcleat® Products
We’re excited to share that Allen is now a full distributor of the complete Clamcleat® product range.
We’ve proudly stocked a selection of Clamcleat products for many years, but following the unfortunate closure of one of their distributors, we were offered the opportunity to take on the full range. It’s a natural next step in our long-standing relationship with Clamcleat and we’re pleased to be strengthening our partnership with another great British brand.
Team Allen sailor Ross “Rossgo” Banham brought his latest foiling craft, the SWITCH One Design by Element 6, to the Allen factory for a full refit. Working alongside Ben, Ross upgraded key control systems to reduce friction and enhance performance. Along the way, they shared some classic boat chat—check out the video below for a full tour and behind-the-scenes insights.
Below, we’ve compiled a detailed fitting guide listing all the Allen components used in the upgrades, along with alternative options to suit different budgets and needs.
Please note: At the time of filming, no class rules were in place. The hardware replacements listed are based on our alternatives to the OEM-fitted hardware, with a few exceptions where doubles have replaced two single blocks.
