This year Hood has introduced the new Sea Furl 5, which uses stainless-steel bearings in open spherical races, has a polished stainless-steel drum and can be rigged over an existing headstay. in New Hampshire now manufactures and markets the systems. While the company no longer is owned and operated by Ted Hood and his family, the product continues to evolve. Hood Seafurl - Model 3250: It is appropriate to lead off with the Seafurl system because Hood Yacht Systems was the first to manufacture and distribute widely the type of roller furling systems we know today. Furlex has a good reputation among offshore sailors as a system that stands up to hard use and performs under heavy loads, while Reckmann has carved out a niche in the high-end, luxury market. But the European systems have found markets in North America. The two other European systems we look at do not compete in the catalog market but sell direct or through sail makers, rigging shops and boat yards, hence their prices are slightly higher than the America-built systems. This year, Profurl is making a foray into the catalog market, which should have a favorable effect on its price. The systems are easier to assemble than in years past -in response to the direct purchase market- and prices have remained low with deep discounts offered. The competition between these companies and the low margins demanded by the catalogs has benefited consumers. The emphasis among them is to deliver reliable products at competitive prices and to sell as much volume as possible through the major catalogs, West Marine and BOAT/US. Three of the systems -Harken, Hood and Schaefer - are similar in concept with variations in design and engineering. In the accompanying table (page 6), we take a comparative look at the six best systems as specified for boats from 35 to 45 feet. In past two years the major manufacturers of roller furling headsail systems have upgraded their products. Without doubt, roller furling systems make it safer for two people to handle an ocean sailing boat, which is why, for many offshore sailors, roller furling headsails are at the top of their "must have" list. The formula is simple: make sails easier to handle and people will use them more and have more fun doing it. The steady evolution of roller furling has paralleled the increasing popularity of the gear for both coastal and offshore sailing.
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